Archives Taipei beats Montreal, Melbourne to host International Design Alliance congress
Taipei City was chosen to host the 2011 inaugural world congress of the International Design Alliance, Economic Affairs Minister Chen Ruey-long announced Oct. 9. It will be the largest global design event to be held in Taiwan. Taipei competed with 19 cities and made it to the short list this February. The other cities vying for the event were Montreal, Seville, Bangkok, Melbourne, Paris, and Buenos Aires. The IDA Executive Committee resolved at its meeting in Montreal this October to choose Taipei as the host city for the 2011 congress. Tony Chang, chief executive officer of the Taiwan Design Center, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the IDA on behalf of Taipei City, according to an Oct. 9 newsletter from the Ministry of Economic Affairs. In December 2006, the MOEA convened a meeting, inviting related government agencies, the Taiwan Design Center and other design associations from the private sector to discuss the application. Supported by the Executive Yuan, the MOEA decided to make a bid for this event, assigning the TDC to prepare the proposal and file an application this February. With aims to "bring the benefits of design to world bodies, government, business and society" and to "serve as a collective voice of design," the IDA is a society cofounded by the International Council for Graphic Design Associations, the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design and the International Federation of Interior Architect, according to the IDA. These three partners have collaborated to hold assemblies every six years in the past, but the 2011 congress will be the first under the IDA name. As a result, this event marks a milestone in international design conventions. Except for the 1999 congress in Sydney, the three organizations chose to hold most of the assemblies in Europe. Therefore, it is significant for Taipei, as an Asian city, to hold the alliance's congress for the first time, Chang remarked. Chang pointed out several reasons that Taipei won over other prominent cities. First, Taiwan's design prowess has impressed the international community by winning major design awards in recent years, including the German iF award and Red Dot award. As a member of the ICSID, Chang had invited other members to pay a visit to Taiwan in May. The vibrant design industry here made a good impression on them, he noted. The government's ample support was an advantage, added Chang. It will cost US$7.41 million to host the congress, and the government will give a subsidy of US$4.5 million out of its annual budget. In addition to the support from the government, the strength of the local design industry also contributed to the successful bid. The theme of "fusion" in the TDC proposal has stirred great interest in the IDA. Chang explained that designers intend to have great curiosity in the collision of diverse cultures. Meanwhile, international design communities have begun to cast their eyes on Asian culture as well. Hosting the IDA congress will attract leading designers and policy-makers to Taiwan and boost the economy of the host city, Chang commented. The resulting global media coverage will also enhance the Taiwan's visibility. The MOEA estimated in the newsletter that top designers from more than 50 countries will attend the congress. Over 2,000 designers and students in related fields will also participate in the event. The congress will last for one week, plus two days of exhibitions. As the TDC proposal described, the events would include a themed plenary session, exhibitions, conferences and excursions to local design firms. Write to Amber Wu at amber0207@mail.gio.gov.tw
|
Share
MySpace
Facebook
Twitter