2007 Taiwan International Beverage Festival
The 230 meter long outdoor bar shakes the world
Want to see the world’s biggest bar? Want to see interestingly decorated themed bars? The Uniplan-organized 2007 Taiwan International Beverage Festival brought south Taiwan’s Glory Wharf to life November 22-25. Combining daytime specialized exhibitions, interactive activities and evening themed concerts and activities, the needs of all who attended were satisfied.
2007 Taiwan International Beverage Festival, combining a beverage show and various cocktail mixing competitions and activities entertained the people of south Taiwan for four days in succession on Kaohsiung’s Glory Wharf. The 230 meter long bar built for the Festival set a new Guinness record and the splendid activities amazed and entertained the public.
Exhibition + events creates new city marketing value
The organizer of the Festival, Uniplan, became the first private body in Taiwan’s history to organize a large scale event, receiving government support, brand customer participation and utilizing a professional event team.
Uniplan Taiwan General Manager Michael Tu said: “In the face of globalization, cities should play a more active role and, with so many events to choose from, it has to be considered how to create irreplaceable city activity marketing value. This event provided beverage companies with innovation value and an opportunity to understand management trends and develop business opportunities. Consumers also had an opportunity to come into contact with and taste cocktails and beverages from around the world, not only bringing the beauty of Kaohsiung harbor fully into play, also echoing the "Live Communication" that Uniplan has promoted for a long time and also creating a city event that belongs to Taiwan.”
Brightly colored lights and a lamp lighting ceremony opened the curtains on the event. Personnel from the German head office of Uniplan, the Department of Commerce of the MOEA, Kaohsiung City Government and the Taiwan Bartenders Association were VIP participants.
Witnessing a Guinness world record Making a Taiwan miracle
Over 20 beverage brands from Taiwan and overseas came together to form the world’s longest outside bar on Glory Wharf on Kaohsiung’s famous Ai River. The light and gold leaf special effects created a beautiful scene and made it a memorable moment for south Taiwan. The occasion was marked with a 50 strong drum dance formation, adding to the exciting atmosphere.
Deputy Kaohsiung Mayor Chiu Tai-san said: “As a result of the city government’s active construction and planning, Glory Wharf is a spot with substantial development potential and it is also a venue suitable for mega events, one with unique appeal. We are all very happy that Uniplan had the boldness and vision to choose it as the venue for the Taiwan International Beverage Festival. Together with the 56th IBA International Bartending Championship, held for the first time in Kaohsiung, it brought the world to Kaohsiung and allowed the people of the city to experience international beverage culture!”
Also worth noting is the world record breaking 230 meter long bar that was built with the enthusiastic participation of domestic and international beverage companies. The 15 brands taking part included Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor Inc’s Buddy House, Suntory Taiwan, Perrier, Coors of the US, the Taiwan branch of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, Taiwan Coco-cola, Taiwan Kirin.
In the tray carrying race Na Zha (child warrior deity) appeared and took first place
First activity on the third day was the “Super waiter tray carrying race.” Michael Tu said “Tray carrying races have been held overseas for many years and it’s a traditional activity. By holding Taiwan’s first ever tray carrying race during the Taiwan International Beverage Festival held in friendly Kaohsiung, we hope to stress the importance given in Taiwan to beverage education and also allow everyone to feel the special creativity and charm of south Taiwan.
174 participants, divided into the standard group and the fun group, took part is the “Super waiter tray carrying race ” and those in the fun group were required to wear fancy dress. The contestants’ costumes were diverse and each did their very best to impress. There was a clown, a man dressed as Barbie, a leopard skin clad young woman, Na Zha, a young nurse, a bunny girl, “Jhang Jun-ya little sister” from the TV advertisements, a caveman, diver, the numerous different costumes bringing cries of delight from the audience.
The phantom of the opera takes the “Golden Wine Cup” champions of champions crown
The “big daddy’ of the Taiwan white spirit industry, Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor (KKL) sponsored the Festival's "Golden Wine Cup” bartending competition. The judges were the head coach of the Taiwan Bartenders Association, Deng Ji-jhu, the deputy secretary general of TAITRA , Lu Wen-duan, and KKL president Wang Yi-min.
In the KKL-sponsored “Golden Wine Cup Champion of Champions Bartending Competition” there were 14 competing individuals or teams who all qualified for entry by winning first prize in one of various bar tending competitions. On the stage, in a limited time the competitors had to make a delicious cocktail using Buddy House white spirit as the base. Each one did his/her best to become champion of champions.
PG fashion show Hot brand promotion girls on stage together in south Taiwan for the first time ever
The Promotion Girl Show that was eagerly anticipated brought the excitement to a head on the evening of the third day, the excitement on Glory Wharf becoming more intense as the evening went on. Attractive brand promotion girls enthusiastically engaged in interactive games with members of the audience. A quiz with prizes for the correct answers was also held, the activities not only increasing participants’ understanding of the brands, also giving them a good time.
In “Tropical 23 champion of champions” Guo Yong-yi's “Melody" wins two crowns and NT$100,000
The highlight of the closing day’s activities was the “World Bartending Championship Heat—Tropical 23 champion of champions” contest that invited the winners of the various categories in this year’s (13th) Gold Vessel Prize to compete for the honor of being champion of champions.
The contest compared “taste” and” marketing method’ but, to make the contest more interesting, Liao Ling-wei, JhongYue-yu and Jhang Pei-jia, a team of three who won the Traditional Creativity category, dressed up as “Blackie’ and the Professional Freestyle category winner, Guo Yong-yi, dressed as Michael Jackson, all winning the crowd’s applause. The eventual winner of the champion of champions crown was Guo and his cocktail “Melody.” The judges said: “The freestyle cocktail mixing was an extremely difficult competition. Guo expressed the feeling of rhythm of freestyle cocktail mixing, each movement following the rhythm, showing an international level of skill. The use of musical notes as the carved fruit shapes also helped to fully express the theme.”
2007 Taiwan International Beverage Festival” came to a glorious end Over four days almost 100,000 people attend
The splendid events of the 2007 Taiwan International Beverage Festival held for four exciting days November 22 to 25 on Kaohsiung’s Glory Wharf attracted almost 100,000 visitors. Michael Tu said “Large scale events can make a city better known, boost its economy and make Taiwan more international. City marketing needs to depend on the joint participation of the private sector and government. I believe that the success of the 2007 Taiwan International Beverage Festival will be an excellent model for others to follow.”
