MEET TAIWAN adds values to Sustainability!

In order to seek sustainable development for Taiwan MICE industry, MEET TAIWAN, organized by the Bureau of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Economic Affairs and implemented by TAITRA, remains committed to promote Green MICE. In addition to publishing the latest Green MICE Guidelines to encourage organizers to adopt green practices, MEET TAIWAN also helps stakeholders in the MICE industry implement green practices and uphold the spirit of sustainability by conducting green booth competitions, green MICE seminars, and assisting corporations to obtain international certifications. After four years of persistent efforts, MEET TAIWAN has successfully lead Taiwan MICE industry to go green, and was furthermore honored with the Sustainable Development Award given by The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI) in 2016. Green approaches adopted by various organizers in 2016 all had their merits and are all worthy of emulation.

Five MICE events adopt Green MICE Guidelines: Organizers reveal their creative green practices!

Progressively evolving green challenges at the 2016 TPCA Show

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Mobile phone registration was adopted at the TPCA Show across the board, effectively reducing paper use while saving time.

The TPCA Show, Taiwan‘s one and only circuit board exhibition, is among the top performers when it comes to promoting green MICE practices. In addition to efforts on the part of the organizer, the question of how to influence more stakeholders to do their share for the environment remains a constantly evolving challenge for the TPCA Show each year. For example, integrating the functions of magnifying lens and bookmark into the ID badges for green buyers both evoked a sense of pride and addressed practicality, while the incentive of priority booth selection by joining Green Decoration iECO Design Competition effectively boosted exhibitor registration. A public welfare donation was furthermore launched this year along with the addition of a dedicated CSR area. Corrugated cardboards made from recycled paper were also used as public bulletin boards for the show, effectively demonstrating the applications of environmentally friendly materials.

2016 Kaohsiung International Travel Fair: a new paradigm for decoration recycling

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The Malaysian national pavilion will be moved to northern Taiwan for subsequent exhibition after the Kaohsiung International Travel Fair.

2016 Kaohsiung International Travel Fair was the largest travel fair to have ever been held in southern Taiwan. The show organizer arranged shuttle buses that connected the exhibition venue with MRT stations and key commercial districts in Kaohsiung. MRT public announcements also informed visitors of shuttle bus pickup locations as trains pulled into stations. The combination of appropriate PA and clear signage significantly increased shuttle bus service usage, thereby reducing the amount of carbon emissions typically incurred by transportation. Huei Yow Business Co., Ltd, an exhibition decoration contractor for the show, decided to ship booth decorations to the travel fair subsequently held in northern Taiwan after communicating with exhibitors and taking into account the proximity in show dates between the two exhibitions. The initiative drew positive feedback from exhibitors, as the practice not only saved resources but also reduced budgets. It is hoped that more exhibitors will follow suit in the future.

The 19th Retina International World Congress: creating a friendly and accessible environment

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Artificial turf installed at The 19th Retina International World Congress as a dedicated toilet area for guide dogs.

The 19th Retina International World Congress, held in the Greater China region for the first time, was attended by around 800 medical professionals and scholars working in the field of retinopathy as well as patients and their families, 70% of whom were visually impaired and out of which nearly 200 people were totally blind. According to Elite Professional Conference Organizer, the company in charge of implementing the congress, promotions for the event was conducted 100% electronically due to the special characteristics of the meeting. Websites were set up and e-mails were circulated so that participants could opt for voice playback on their computers. Nearly 100 volunteers were mobilized to guide attendees at the stairways, elevators and restrooms inside and outside the meeting venue. To make things easier for patients accompanied by guide dogs, artificial turf was installed outdoors in a designated toilet area for guide dogs. These thoughtful considerations were also consistent with the ISO 20121 spirit of social sustainability.

2016 Asia-Pacific Tea Expo: exquisite green ingenuities

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Simple and convenient booths comprising one desk and two chairs were provided at the 2016 Asia-Pacific Tea Expo in response to calls for green eco-friendly practices and to reduce the use of furnishing materials.

Experts and scholars related to the tea industry from home and abroad were invited to the 2016 Asia-Pacific Tea Expo, organized by the Association of Taiwan Tea, for a four-day extravaganza themed "Innovation - Tea Industry in Taiwan." At the meeting venue, pre-designed furnishings were utilized for constructing public facilities while simple and convenient booths comprising a desk and two accompanying chairs were provided to non-profit organizations so as to reduce decoration costs and address issues of environmental protection. Green measures were also actively communicated and promoted to participants of the meeting, while food and beverages leftover from the conference was donated to underprivileged groups in a gesture of community care.

2016 Global Harbor Cities Forum: going green with the aid of technology

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Styluses and electronic screens were used in place of traditional pens and paper at the signing ceremony; signed agreements were displayed on the big screen immediately and shared with attendees.

The 2016 Global Harbor Cities Forum, hosted by the Kaohsiung City Government and executed by Intercon Convention Management Consultancy, provided a platform for interaction and exchanges among international harbor cities. The organizer designed an app exclusively for the meeting with which participants could check in, search meeting agendas, browse speaker information and access lecture handout contents. Simply by downloading the app, a full range of information became freely available, and additionally significantly reduced the use of paper. On-site public facilities and sponsored booths were all constructed using reusable pre-designed furnishing structures. An LED screen was installed on the main stage to create vibrant visual effects while greatly reducing costs of wood decoration.