For Immediate Release: January 27, 2006
DBEDT Release News 06-01

Honolulu--There is still time for Hawaii businesses to join the "Hawaii Experience in Taipei" business mission from April 27 to May 1, 2006.

"Hawaiian music, hula, coffee, candies, deep ocean water, macadamia and kukui nut oils, and travel and tourism services are already part of the featured Hawaii products," said DBEDT Director Theodore E. Liu. "We still have excellent opportunities to market other Hawaii products and services in Taiwan at this exciting venue."

There will be three venues for "Hawaii Experience in Taipei:"

• Jason's Market Place, located at Taipei 101, the world's tallest building, will feature a month-long promotion of products. Jason's will be marketing, advertising and offering its mostly young, affluent customers the opportunity to sample and purchase Hawaii food products. The store, which has only been open for a year, has already proven to be one of Taiwan's most popular, up-scale supermarkets. It specializes in healthy, premium quality, imported products;
• "Gourmet Taipei", a trade show, will exhibit Hawaii cuisine, food, lifestyle, travel & tourism, and health and wellness products. "Gourmet Taipei" is one of the largest trade shows of its kind in Asia. In 2005, more than 36,000 people visited 150 booths to sample and purchase a wide range of food, lifestyle, health-n-wellness, and tourism-related products. This year's event will have a Hawaii theme, with cooking demonstrations, music and dancing, and a pavilion highlighting Hawaii foods and beverages, educational opportunities and tourism promotions. Products can be sold from the "Hawaii Pavilion;" and
• The Grand Hyatt Taipei, which will feature Hawaii Regional Cuisine by Hawaii chefs D.K. Kodama of Sansei Seafood Restaurant and Hiroshi Fukui of Hiroshi's Eurasion Tapas, in addition to a mini-trade show for Hawaii business persons to network with potential investors, agents, buyers and distributors. In years past, these "matchmaking" opportunities have resulted in numerous successful ventures. Hawaii entertainment will be present at all three venues.

Taiwan, with a population of approximately 23 million, has one of the highest standards of living in Asia, making it an ideal market for Hawaii's high quality products and services.

"Hawaii companies that are involved in food, travel and leisure, and health and wellness will find this show especially worthwhile," Liu said. "Hawaii and Taiwan enjoy a close relationship, and many of our business people consider Taiwan an important stepping stone to larger markets in China."

Organizations assisting DBEDT include its Office in Taipei; the American Institute in Taiwan; the U.S. Agricultural Trade Office; the American Chamber of Commerce; the Taipei Import Export Association; and alumni of the University of Hawaii.

The delegate fee for companies that do not require a display will be $250. Full display booths are available for $1,500 while half booths cost $800. These fees do not include travel expenses, accommodations, interpreters and other business services.

Persons or companies interested in participating should call Alex Ho at 587-2760.

For more information, contact:
Dave Young
Communications
Phone: (808) 587-1212
Email: dyoung@dbedt.hawaii.gov