Taiwan’s biggest tech show features multilingual presentations and non-contact communications
Computex Daily, Taipei – COMPUTEX Taipei returns physically for the first time after two years. In the time of the global COVID-19 pandemic, Taiwan’s internationally renowned technology trade show took a break from physical contact and took the exhibition online in 2020 for the first time since its inception in 1982. The event was held online for the second time again due to the world still adjusting to life with COVID. With the world slowly recovering to normal in 2022, COMPUTEX returns to Taipei’s flagship expo arena, the Nangang Exhibition Hall, from May 24th to May 27th.
Both in careful observation, however, of the on-going pandemic and in celebration of it’s the show’s physical return, COMPUTEX’s organizer, Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), designed this year’s exhibition to be a hybrid event both in body and in various spirit.
Window Shopping in Two Worlds
With different parts of the world observing different quarantine policies, COMPUTEX 2022 is held for the first time in 42 years in both virtual and physical form to promote the six main themes of this year’s expo: Innovative computing, accelerated intelligence, digital resilience, connective experience, innovation and sustainability.
Physically, buyers can observe event attendees showcasing their latest innovations and get a hands on feel of what they are looking at.
Products such as the Class 100 clean Robot and the Cyberdog that is presented by AU Optronics can be interacted with on site, with the excitement from passerby at witnessing the next generation of advanced robotic immediately palpable.
The obvious AI processing and powerful recognition from both products to be able to calculate and engage with audiences is nothing short of amazing for those who are able to make it to the event in person.
Meanwhile, the other part of the exhibition is virtual, help with a number of companies putting up their bios online, with another lot participating in presentations to make their latest advancement known to physical and virtual attendees to the event.
Companies like NVIDIA and AMD unveiled their latest CPU technologies via online keynotes and speeches stream live and preserved both on the Youtube channel of COMPUTEX as well as their own channel.
Tailoring to the Masses
The concept of Hybrid also took on other forms in this year’s COMPUTEX and not simply in the two types of expos.
In an attempt to further tailor to expo attendees and prospective buyers alike domestically and from overseas, the expo also launched its first bilingual Live Studio that reports the events live in accordance to days in both Mandarin and English, as well as inviting local internet personalities to guide physical attendees on tours around the expo.
For the first ever COMPUTEX Live Studio, TAITRA enlisted the professionalism of renowned Taiwanese news reporters, anchors and event MCs Ethan Liu, Lisa Chen and Gladys Lee, who said they will bring the audience “Everything down to the session you want to participate in, exhibitors you want to connect with, or even the tech giant leaders you want to hear from.”
With the anchoring prowess from the trio domestic Mandarin speakers and international English speakers are kept up to date on the latest tech events and what Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen as well as TAITRA’s chairman James Huang has to say about the event via Youtube and Facebook Live. One of the most interesting segments of the live stream replayed Huang’s interaction with his virtual twin in front of audiences.
The trio also interviewed international buyers and event attendees who were present at COMPUTEX in person in English to bring English speaking audiences the most up to date information.
One of the most notable segments involved a live interview by Liu with COMPUTEX curator Scully Wang and QIC International Chief Strategy Officer Peter Kurz who was interviewed for his in-depth knowledge and observation of the Taiwan market. “I always love coming here (to COMPUTEX),” Kurz said. “I always learn a lot and I am always excited to the new innovations and the developments in the industry.”
While COMPUTEX has traditionally been an internationally English event, the hybrid spirit of 2022 also extended linguistically to the benefit of local buyers. In an attempt to bridge domestic companies with each other and international counterparts, COMPUTEX 2022 recruited Taiwanese internet personalities from the KOL influencers’ platform to lead scheduled guided tours at the expo.
At certain times, the influencers not only introduced live audiences to numerous companies, but also conducted hands on demos by interacting with the latest techs.
Hybrid Solutions in a Different Time
In keeping with Taiwan’s COVID-19 protocols, hybrid also means to bring creative solutions to the expo at such trying times.
Aside from entrusting expo staff with the responsibility of patrolling the physical expo with signs to remind people to wear masks, attending companies have also lessened physical contact by minimizing printed DMs and opting for digital ones instead.
When visiting the booths of companies, prospective patrons could simply read the specs on GIGABYTE’s In-Vehicle Telematics Control Unit or Mactron’s smart medical devices by simply scanning an onsite QR code to get the most up to date info.
COMPUTEX also brought the idea of going to hybrid to a new level this year by bringing interactive art together with technology. Throughout the 2022 event, physical attendees are able to locate six tech-themed artistic installments to interact with.
After taking pictures at locations such as the “Upside Down Booth” or “Social Medias App Booth,” attendees may upload their photos online and stand a chance to win a COMPUTEX NFT, the latest internet trend where art and technology meet in harmony to provide artists with the recognitions they deserve.
