On September 1st, the 2024 Creative Expo Taiwan came to an end. The Tainan City Government reports that over 620,000 people visited the Creative Brands and IP Licensing Exhibition venue (ICC Tainan) and the Lesson :D & Taiwan Cultural and Creative Park Exhibition spaces (Xizhuwei Hills Cultural and Creative Park, 321 Art Alley Settlement, and Blueprint Cultural and Creative Park) in total, surpassing the 600,000 visitors from the previous year. Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che thanked the Ministry of Culture for moving the Creative Expo Taiwan to Tainan for the first time so that southern Taiwan residents have easier access to the event where they can appreciate the thriving forces of Taiwan’s cultural and creative industries up close. Visitors can also see the evolution of the city’s historic streets and alleys, marking a satisfying conclusion for this national-level occasion of the Tainan 400 event series.
Hsieh Shih-yuan, Director-general of Tainan City’s Cultural Affairs Bureau, pointed out that this year’s Creative Expo Taiwan presented more than 570 brands and nearly 700 booths. Over 20% of the participating brands were local Tainan CCI operators (123 businesses), demonstrating their widespread recognition in the area. Visitors are encouraged to explore all expo venues and check out the cultural and creative IPs from all over Taiwan while the Blueprint Cultural and Creative Park, 321 Art Alley Settlement, and Xizhuwei Hills Cultural and Creative Park are places to learn more about Tainan’s local cultural and creative brands. Many people have been seen leaving with shopping bags bursting with appealing goods infused with cultural elements and creativity. This is the best example of how CCI and business combined can create a win-win situation and fully demonstrates Tainan’s soft skills in this area.
According to the local Cultural Affairs Bureau, Tainan citizens and people from all over the country alike showed overwhelming enthusiasm for the 2024 Creative Expo Taiwan. A lot of guests took advantage of the last days of summer vacation to explore the venues with Creative Expo Taiwan’s mascot, Hang-a Niau (“Alley Cat”). Visitors at Xizhuwei Hills Cultural and Creative Park and Blueprint Cultural and Creative Park were carrying multiple shopping bags and the neighboring shopping districts also drew a sizable crowd. Statistics from the Ministry of Culture show that this year’s event generated NTD 1.2 billion in output value, which is approximately 8% more than last year (NTD 1.1 billion). More than 15,000 professionals and buyers attended the expos and over 700 professional matching sessions took place.