Taipei Travel

Mayor Draws Experience from US Entertainment Industry

Mayor Ko Wen-je visited Universal Studios, NBC Universal, Los Angeles Convention Center, and Staples Center on the eighth day of his trip in the US.

Ko observed that he was impressed with how the US movie industry takes advantage of the economies of scale following the visit to Universal Studios. Holleywood filmmakers profit not only from the box office but from the sales of various by-products after a movie’s release.

The mayor remarked that Taiwan has a lot to learn from the marketing method of the entertainment industry in the US, where companies shell out large amounts of investment in film production with eyes on global market.

Ko added that the city delegation exchanged opinions with representatives from NBC Universal in a meeting, talking about the city government’s policies in assisting foreign filmmakers who plan to shoot movies in Taipei. The two sides agreed to keep in touch for further cooperation opportunities.

Speaking of his meeting with AEG, an American entertainment presenter, Ko noted that he would like to learn more about the way AEG operates and manages sports and recreational venues, the American equivalent of BOT. Pointing out that selling naming rights accounts for a great share of AEG’s revenues, Ko reckoned Taiwan’s public sector should consider adopting the approach when conducting BOT projects.

• Source: Department of Information Technology, Taipei City Government