After a 12 year hiatus, the International Press Institute (IPI) is returning to Asia for its 60th world congress.
Under the assertive petitioning of IPI Republic of China (Taiwan), the IPI chose Taipei as the location for the congress.
This is a clear indication of the international recognition that Taiwan has received in recent years due to the high degree of freedom and maturity it has achieved.
The congress will be held at the Shangri-La's Far Eastern Plaza Hotel Taipei from September 24th to 27th, 2011. More than 400 renowned members of the media from over 60 countries and their spouses will be attending the assembly.
This event has been listed as one of 4 major international events during the 100th year anniversary of the Republic of China (ROC), together with the 2011 Taipei International Flora Exposition, the 15th World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE) conference, and the 2011 International Design Alliance (IDA) Congress Taipei.
As IPI Acting Director Alison Bethel McKenzie explained, the IPI chose to hold this year's congress in Taiwan partly due to the historical significance of the 100th anniversary of the ROC, but another key factor was that Taiwan performed outstandingly when it hosted the world congress in 1999.
The IPI's choice to hold the congress in Taiwan once more indicates the high degree of recognition that the IPI has for Taiwan's capacity to host large scale MICE events. In particular, Taiwan's advanced developments in the technology industry will be the highlight of this year's assembly, as media from all over the world are currently taking steps towards digital convergence.
Ms. McKenzie pointed out that the theme of the congress is usually set after taking economic, political, and media factors of the region where the host nation is located into consideration. Topics such as cross-strait relations, Sino-American competition, and press freedom in North Korea have been planned for this year, to allow participants a more in-depth understanding of current developments in Taiwan and neighboring countries.
At the same time, the organizer has specially planned an all-day workshop in which the IPI and the Society of American Business Editors and Writers have arranged for lecturers and courses on the theme of financial news, in hopes of having some deep exchanges with Taiwanese financial media.
The theme of this year's congress is: The Asian Media Century? 21st Century Developments from New Technologies to Press Freedom.
To echo this theme, the forums also focus on the application and development of emerging media technology. IPI Republic of China (Taiwan) has already invited several high tech firms within Taiwan to participate in the event and arranged for interactions between Taiwanese media and research units.
Examples include udnDigital (United Daily News Group) sharing their digital convergence experiences, Taiwan Public Television sharing their practical experience and thoughts on the PeoPo Project and citizen news development, and an animator from Next TV sharing his practical experience in political cartoons and animated news.
This year's general assembly will be an amalgamation of two major elements: high tech and in-depth culture. Major IT companies such as Acer, ASUS, BenQ, Delta Electronics, Chunghwa Telecom, and udnDigital have been invited to discuss practical examples of applying technology to media.
After the assembly, the guests will enjoy a performance by Cloud Gate Dance Theatre, Cursive, and visit destinations such as Taipei Guest House, the National Palace Museum, Jiufen, and Yingge. Through these activities, members will experience how old and new converges in Taiwan to create diverse cities where tradition and innovation are interwoven.
Each year, the IPI general assembly is an important annual event which garners attention from the governments of various nations and brings together renowned global media figures. High-level supervisors from the BBC, CNN, NHK, and other international media companies have been invited.
The South African media figure Raymond Louw, who visited Taiwan 12 years ago, has also been invited as he has won this year’s Press Freedom Hero award. Honored guests including President Ma Ying-jeou, Premier Wu Den-yih, Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng, Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin, mayor of New Taipei City Eric Chu, Government Information Office Minister Philip Yang and other dignitaries will be in attendance.
