Creative EXPO Taiwan 2025 (CET 2025) officially concluded on August 11, setting new records in both attendance and participation. The event’s two main venues—Songshan Cultural and Creative Park (for cultural curation) and Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center (for the brand showcase)—continued to draw large crowds on the final day.

 

This year’s EXPO welcomed a total of 650,000 visitors, and the business showcase generated NT$1.35 billion in trade value, representing a 12.5% increase from last year’s NT$1.2 billion. Over 28,000 industry professionals and buyers attended, with the event setting all-time highs in exhibition area, number of participating brands, booth usage, and international presence.

 

According to the Ministry of Culture, this year’s brand showcase returned to Taipei and relocated to the larger and more accessible Nangang Exhibition Center. From the moment public entry began on August 7, long queues formed and never ceased. To ease the discomfort of overnight lines and long waits in the heat, CET 2025 added an entire air-conditioned floor as a holding area for attendees. At peak times, more than 6,000 people queued in an orderly and well-mannered fashion, creating a striking image of civic pride and cultural enthusiasm—an embodiment of Taiwan’s ongoing “New Cultural Movement.”

 

 

▲ The brand showcase area of CET 2025 at Nangang featured over 650 brands from 10 countries, setting a new record for visitor numbers.

 

▲ At the Nangang Exhibition Center, the brand showcase of CET 2025 drew crowds lining up from early morning each day, with strong sales throughout the event.

 

▲  To provide comfort for the nearly 6,000 people queueing on-site, CET 2025 arranged a dedicated air-conditioned waiting area. 

 

 

The business showcase featured over 650 brands across more than 930 booths, including exhibitors from Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the United States, Poland, and other countries. This year also marked the debut of the “IP-STAR Pop Park”, presenting 34 selected Taiwanese character IPs in an innovative window-display format. The exhibit demonstrated commercial potential, attracted large crowds, and helped introduce visitors to the unique narratives behind each character. The combination of B2C retail and B2B licensing impressed many international exhibitors.

 

In total, the EXPO hosted over 180 international buyers and facilitated more than 1,400 business matchmaking sessions, including over 1,300 one-on-one meetings.

 

 

▲  With participation from over 180 international buyers, CET 2025 facilitated more than 1,400 business matchmaking sessions—including over 1,300 one-on-one meetings across domestic and overseas markets.

 

▲ Through guided brand tours and curated matchmaking events, CET 2025 enabled more than 100 domestic and international buyers to explore business opportunities in depth.

 

 

Four major thematic exhibitions at Songshan Cultural and Creative Park explored the relationship between Taiwan’s water culture and daily life, curated under the annual theme “Water Scapes.”

“The Island of Seascapes” pavilion guided visitors through literary and photographic interpretations of Taiwan’s co-existence with water. “The Realm of Mist” pavilion created an immersive forest-like experience using sound, scent, lighting, and tactile elements—drawing daily queues. “The Spirit of Water” pavilion conveyed spiritual beliefs and local legends through flowing landscape installations. “Taiwan as Endless Streams” pavilion featured curated merchandise from over 100 cultural bases, with many items selling out before the event ended. The Daily Craft+ pop-up shop by the National Taiwan Craft Research and Development Institute also experienced strong sales and enthusiastic foot traffic.

 

 

▲ “The Spirit of Water” pavilion conveyed the cultural energy of beliefs and legends through flowing landscape installations, allowing visitors to interact by releasing water lanterns.

 

▲  “Realm of Mist” pavilion used sound, scent, lighting, and tactile elements to create a multisensory natural experience, highly favored by visitors.

 

▲  “Island of Seascapes” pavilion guided audiences to experience the island’s coexistence with water through literature and dynamic/static photography.

 

▲  “Taiwan as Endless Streams” pavilion combined curated selections from over 100 cultural bases, proving popular with visitors, with many products selling out before the event ended.

 

▲  National Taiwan Craft Research and Development Institute’s “Daily Craft+” pop-up craft shop also enjoyed strong sales, achieving impressive results.

 

 

Over 125 events were held throughout the expo, including lectures, forums, performances, workshops, and guided tours. Highlights included the “Methods of the Ocean” lecture series—which explored Kuroshio culture and international cultural strategies for Taiwan—and the IP Forum, which focused on IP creation, monetization, cross-industry collaboration, and creative marketing. These sessions drew a combined audience of more than 2,400 participants.

Creative EXPO Taiwan 2025 concluded successfully and will return in August 2026, once again hosted at Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center.