Congratulations to Taiwan International Ports Corporation (TIPC) for hosting one of the APP’s most memorable conferences to date!
“TIPC did a fantastic job…” “Excellent hospitality…” “…a hard act to follow!” These are just a few of the comments from the exit survey for the Association of Pacific Ports 110th Annual Conference, hosted by the Taiwan International Ports Corporation and held in Kaohsiung, Taiwan in mid-August. “The goals of APP annual conferences are three-fold,” said Jane McIvor, Executive Director of the Association of Pacific Ports. “There should be an agenda with relevant topics that will engage and educate port representatives while highlighting trends and issues; opportunities for attendees to network and build relationships through shared experiences; and a spotlight on the operations and best practices of the Host Port. TIPC met — and spectacularly exceeded — each goal.”
Our hosts could not have shown more hospitality. The APP extends a heartfelt thanks and congratulations to Dr. Hsien-Yi Lee, Chairman of the Taiwan International Ports Corporation, Mr. Chin-jung Wang, President and CEO of the Port of Kaohsiung, Ms. Shu-Hui Cheng, Executive Vice President for Business, and Tiger Huang, Senior Director, Port Business Department and Investment Department – along with key staff Yen Chun Chuang, Xin Ru Lee, Ann Wu and the entire team at TIPC. Their organizational skills, creativity and attention to detail shone through every aspect of the conference.
View conference photos here (many thanks to the Taiwan International Ports Corp. team for an amazing job at capturing the full conference).
Day One (August 11, 2024)
Day Two (August 12, 2024)
Day Three (August 13, 2024)
Day Four (August 14, 2024)
Presentations and panel sessions held at the InterContinental Hotel Kaohsiung (itself receiving very complimentary comments), received high marks from attendees who completed the exit survey. When asked for an overall assessment of the relevance of topics, responses were unanimously positive — 90 percent graded the conference as ‘very good’ or ‘excellent’. Of note, the three top-rated presentations were from Dr. Noel Hacegaba, Chief Operating Officer, Port of Long Beach, for his presentation on “Building a Sustainable Future”; Shu-Hui Tsai, Senior Director, Planning & Development, TIPC, for “Smart Future: Harboring Innovation with Digital Technology”; and Wen-Ying Chang, Chief Sustainability Officer, Sustainable Development Executive Office, TIPC, for “Green Future: Sailing Towards Sustainability”. Remaining presentations (which can be downloaded from the APP’s website – www.pacificports.org) were not far behind in terms of popularity.
One session that was of particular significance for the APP was the Sister Port Agreement signings between the Port of Kaohsiung and the Port of Long Beach, and the Port of Kaohsiung and the Republic of Marshall Islands Ports Authority. “For the Association to provide a venue for these ceremonies and celebrate the relationships that were developed through the APP confirms that we are fulfilling our mandate,” said McIvor. “It’s a strong argument for members to participate in our conferences.”
In terms of shining a spotlight on our Host Port, TIPC presentations on new energy opportunities, sustainability, and digital innovations were complemented with dinner at the Port of Kaohsiung Cruise Terminal and the Evergreen Shipping Container Terminal 7 via a harbor boat tour. As noted above, two of the highest-rated presentations came from TIPC staff. A third presentation – “Energized Future: New Energy, New Opportunities” presented by Tiger Huang, Senior Director, Port Business Department and Investment Department, narrowly missed out on being in the top three. Mr. Huang’s presentation provided an overview of both new energy trends for vessels as well as Taiwan’s new energy industry, covering initiatives such as the development of an offshore wind power industry, solar power generation, and hydrogen. The strategies being implemented by TIPC serve as good roadmaps for other ports looking to enter these industries.
Balancing presentations with excursions to Port of Kaohsiung operations, TIPC provided attendees with a first-hand look at the innovations of key pieces of infrastructure. The Port of Kaohsiung Cruise Terminal – opened in March 2023 – provided the backdrop for the APP’s welcome reception and dinner. With a guided tour that pointed out sustainability and technology features designed to provide an experience for cruise passengers, attendees were impressed with the open and modern layout. Attendees returned to the cruise terminal a couple of days later to board a boat for a harbor tour that ended at the Evergreen Shipping Container Terminal 7 – the first automated terminal in Taiwan. “It was inspiring…” said one survey respondent.
When asked if the conference provided a good balance between presentations, networking and off-site events, over 92 percent of respondents answered yes. Indeed, one of the most popular highlights of the entire conference was the trip to the Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum followed by lunch at the Hai-Lai Vegetarian Restaurant. A trip to the Kaohsiung Port District – a new development that refurbished and transformed old warehouses into a tourist destination – provided a great opportunity for attendees to relax, enjoy drinks and appetizers at the Zhangmen Brewery, and wander along the waterfront to the Great Harbor Bridge and Echo Across the Harbor (a public art installation of bells, whistles and horns reminiscent of the old soundscape of the harbor).
There was more…so much more! There was the performance from the award-winning Evergreen Symphony Orchestra as well as a performance by the award-winning Nibun Chorus (comprised of young people from the Pingpu and Bunun tribes); name tags with digital money for use in stores, restaurants and public transit; lapel pins with a specially designed logo for the conference; “angels” – port staff who were assigned to each conference attendee to assist with travel, translations and pretty much anything needed. Saving my personal favorite “special touch” for last: before sitting down for dinner at the Port of Kaohsiung Cruise Terminal, guests were brought before a painting of a bare tree – no leaves, just branches. Each guest then added leaves by dipping their thumb in green (washable!) ink. As explained by TIPC Chairman Hsien-Yi Lee, the growing of the leaves on the tree symbolized the growing and blossoming of relationships at the conference. It was truly inspirational.
