Taichung Shopping Festival Wins Silver at U.S. International Business Awards' Public Sector Category, Boosting Local Economic Vitality

Celebration economy gains dual international recognition. Following the Taichung Hotpot Festival winning a gold award at an international innovation competition, the Taichung Shopping Festival has once again stood out among numerous global entries by winning the Silver Award in the Public Sector & Government Innovation Category at The International Business Awards (IBA) hosted by the U.S.-based Stevie Awards. Under the theme 'A Data-Driven Ecosystem of Cross-Sector Collaboration,' it was selected by over 300 international expert judges after nearly two months of evaluation, joining exemplary cases from Madrid, Dubai, and Hong Kong as a globally recognized urban innovation.

The Taichung Shopping Festival is positioned as Taichung’s 'city brand and international calling card.' Since its inception, it pioneered a nationwide model by integrating a digital app with a large-scale urban festival, successfully stimulating domestic demand, boosting grassroots business opportunities, and gradually enhancing tourism and international visibility. Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen stated, 'After seven years of cumulative effort, the festival has become a co-created brand among citizens, businesses, and the city government. Registration amounts have grown 14-fold from NT$2.5 billion in the first year to NT$37.4 billion last year. According to analysis by the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research, the nationwide economic output reached NT$76.4 billion, making it the leading celebration event in Taiwan. It attracts visitors from across the country and has even secured endorsements from nine diplomatic representatives in Taiwan.' This international recognition reaffirms Taichung’s innovative strength in driving celebration-based economic development with global competitiveness.

The Department of Economic Development further emphasized that the Shopping Festival’s international competitiveness and innovation have become a bridge for city diplomacy. Last year, the city invited the Miyazaki Prefectural Government from Japan to host 'Miyazaki Day,' offering round-trip air tickets and local product gift packages through lucky draws. The Minister of Environment and Commerce from the friendly nation of the Marshall Islands visited and personally experienced the draw for round-trip tickets to the Marshall Islands, praising Taichung’s innovative use of big data in city festivals. During 'Thailand National Day,' the festival was promoted to 700 Thai residents in Taiwan. Over 1,500 people attended the 'Philippine Christmas' event, where the mayor and Representative Ponce de Leon of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office jointly drew round-trip tickets to Cebu. This year’s festival will feature a 'Nagano Day' collaboration with Japan, further expanding international exposure.

The Department explained that The International Business Awards, organized by The Stevie Awards based in Virginia, USA, is often dubbed the 'Oscars of Business.' With over 20 years of history, it covers enterprise management, marketing, public relations, innovation, urban governance, and public services, positioning itself as the 'world’s premier business award.' In 2025, it attracted over 3,800 entries from 78 countries. Notable domestic winners include Cathay United Bank and Cathay Securities, which won in 2024 and 2025, underscoring the award’s global prestige and competitive rigor.

The Department highlighted that the key to winning in the 'Public Sector & Government Innovation' category lies in 'public-private collaboration and shared benefits for all,' transforming vast consumer data into urban governance assets. Other award-winning cases in the same category include: Silver – ATREVIA Madrid’s 'Bre-B: Trust Over Transaction Flow,' which enhances transaction convenience through an innovative payment system; Silver – Dubai’s 'Real Estate Broker Platform Initiative,' reducing government talent development costs via public-private partnership; and Gold – Lee Andrews Group (Los Angeles, USA) for 'Public Transit Innovation for Underserved Communities,' integrating social equity into urban transportation. Taichung’s achievement in securing a Silver Award among such globally benchmarked cases fully demonstrates its international competitiveness in innovative governance and cross-domain integration.

The Department added that over seven editions, the Taichung Shopping Festival has received eight authoritative awards domestically and internationally. In addition to this year’s IBA Silver Award, it won the Platinum Award at the Titan Innovation Awards and the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ National Industrial Innovation Award last year. Over the years, it has also received Taiwan’s SMART Award in the smart city sector, the Asia-Pacific Sustainable Action Award (APSAA), and the WITSA ICT Excellence Award—often called the 'Oscars of Global ICT'—twice in 2020 and 2023, as well as the ASOCIO ICT Award. From digital technology application and urban governance to industrial innovation and international marketing, the Taichung Shopping Festival continues to demonstrate foresight and global competitiveness in driving celebration-based economic development. (Advertisement by Taichung City Government Department of Economic Development)