O2O – or “Online to Offline” – was one of the “Generation Y” trends highlighted at a gathering in Taiwan of future leaders of the meetings and incentive industry. Organisers say the event was the first of its kind in Asia.
The 1st MICE Young Generation Forum, at Taipei International Convention Centre, was attended by 200 participants from Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia and mainland China.
Technology, social media and the importance of face-to-face meetings dominated the forum, which dealt with the topic of New Asian MICE Development and the Trend of Online to Offline Marketing Application.
Views expressed by the “Gen-Y” participants were uploaded and shown on screens in the conference room, from which WhatsApp and word clouds were produced. They agreed that in this O2O era, “innovation” was the best solution for business sustainability.
Professor Eric Lin Kuan-Wen, of Chung-Hua University gave the keynote address. Panelists included Leo Tang, CEO of Eventown, China; Noriyasu Kamioki, of Japan Management Association Convention Business Center; Komang Tri Darmaja, president of Junior Chamber International Chapter Badung Bali Indonesia, and Daniel Chua, managing director of Singapore-based Aonia.
Walter Yeh, vice president of Taitra (Taiwan’s overseas trade development council, which organised the event) and chairman of the Asian Federation of Convention & Exhibition Associations, said: “What we learned from this forum will not only improve our knowledge, it will also establish friendships and business partnerships between people from Taiwan, Singapore, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and mainland China.”
