In the lead up to the International Food and Drink Event (IFE) 2025, I was contacted by a representative from PRM Global, to represent their client Taiwan Select as the official host for the Taiwan Select Pavillion, which was set to make its historic industry debut at IFE 2025. PRM, "a leading PR and Digital Marketing Agency, combining expertise in public relations, social media marketing, and brand communications", reached out to me as a result of my global business expertise, specifically my first-hand experience having previously worked in Taiwan, and my Mandarin language capabilities, which were stated as essential for this presenting role. Prior to selection for this role, I was also asked to send an audio recording of myself reciting a pre-scripted introductory greeting in Mandarin, to the team at Taiwan Select for review.
Welcome everyone to the Taiwan Select Pavilion
huān yíng dà jiā lái dào tái wān měi shí zhǎn
歡 迎 大 家 來 到 台 灣 美 食 展
We have prepared Beef Noodle Soup and Gua Bao for you all to taste
wǒ men zhǔn bèi le niú ròu miàn hé guà bāo，gěi dà jiā shì chī
我 們 準 備 了 牛 肉 麵 和 刈 包， 給 大 家 試 吃
Audio Sample of Presenter Maggie Lamoon reciting the above transcript in Mandarin
As the national brand of Taiwan's food industry, Taiwan Select arrived at IFE London 2025 with the hopes of introducing Taiwan's rich cullinary heritage to buyers and consumers in the UK, showcasing 180 unique products from 90 trusted Taiwanese brands. Jointly organised by Taiwan's International Trade Administration (ITA) and the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), the Taiwan Select Pavillion aimed to position Taiwan’s food industry as a leader in innovative culinary practices, celebrated not only for its rich tapestry of flavours, but also for a commitment to sustainability, ethical sourcing, and community support, making a solid case for its potential and relevance to the UK market.
Taiwan Select had prepared an explosive itinerary for their guests at IFE, which also allowed me to demonstrate the full range of my expansive skillset as a business presenter:
Day 1: Taiwan Select made an impressive debut, beginning the day with a live press conference, featuring several distinguished guest speakers, including Taiwan's ambassador to the UK Vincent Yao, and various senior representatives from both TAITRA and ITA. I took on more of a facilitator role during the press conference, introducing the brand and its mission, "queueing in" each guest speaker, and facilitating audience and media interactions, all the while managing the pace of the conference to ensure we remain on track with the allotted time, and stay on topic with the discussions. This particular role was heavily scripted, and not only required a great deal of memorization, but a more formal tone, as well as linguistic precision with regards to the type of messaging being relayed to attendees. It was important for me to be confident, articulate, and fluent in my script, but without sounding robotic or overly rehearsed.
Host Maggie Lamoon at the Taiwan Select IFE 2025 Press Conference
Taiwan Ambassador to the UK Vincent Yao, and Various Distinguished Members of TAITRA and ITA
Later that same day, I was tasked with co-hosting a live cooking masterclass alongside industry-leading Taiwanese chef, Tiffany Chang, who would be talking through her famous recipe for the national dish of Taiwan, Beef Noodle Soup, prepared using a pre-packaged product from one of Taiwan Select's featured brand partners - Han Dian. Tiffany would also be preparing Taiwanese pan-fried dumplings, featuring another one of Taiwan Select's brand partners - Chi Mei.
This hosting role, unlike the press conference role, was loosely scripted, as I did not have the chance to rehearse with Tiffany prior to the masterclass taking place. As such, I was required to improvise a lot, so my contributions would feel natural and relevant to the subject matter at hand, and I chose to adopt a more informal tone in order to establish a strong rapport with Tiffany, whilst keeping the masterclass lighthearted, fun, and engaging for members of the audience.
Host Maggie Lamoon Presenting Alongside Co-Host Chef Tiffany Chang
Live Tasting Session of Chi Mei's Taiwanese Pan-Fried Dumplings
Chef Tiffany Chang Preparing Han Dian's Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup
Han Dian's Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup
Day 2: With day 1 of IFE focusing on introducing Taiwan Select to the UK food and beverage market, day 2 was more about spotlighting the individual brands that exist within the Taiwan Select portfolio, and sampling some of their unique product offerings. As such, I was tasked with leading several "discovery sessions" throughout the day, allowing attendees to learn about, as well as sample some products from Taiwan Select's featured brand partners. To elicit greater audience presence and participation, we decided to make these discovery sessions more interactive by incorporating a "spin the wheel" mechanic and a live "food bingo" game, that would allow attendees to taste unique products, ask questions, learn about these products and their potential within the UK food and beverage industry, and win some prizes. This also became an invauable opportunity for the brand to generate leads, as each food bingo card had a simple data capture form on the back, and these were collected at the end of each session.
Host Maggie Lamoon Leading a Food Bingo Discovery Session
Attendees Participating in Taiwan Select's Food Bingo
Visual Merchandising for Chi Mei's Taiwanese "Gua Bao" Buns
PRM Global Team Gathering Leads from the Discovery Sessions
Day 3: The final day of IFE concluded with another full day of discovery sessions and food bingo, only this time, to maximize brand visibility and attendees' overall awareness of Taiwan Select's brand partners, the team continued to sample a diverse range of food and drink products throughout the day, from Min Min's award-winning Kombucha, to national hero products like Han Dian's Taiwanese crispy fried chicken. These unique Taiwanese product offerings were introduced not only during the discovery sessions, but also during intermissions, in order to capitalise on footfall and make the most of each consumer interaction. Goody bags were also prepeared and distributed strategically amongst UK retailers with a strong industry footprint, with the aim of strengethening and expanding Taiwan Select's UK B2B partnerships.
Host Maggie Lamoon Leading the Final Food Bingo Discovery Session
Han Dian's Taiwanese Crispy Fried Chicken
Min Min's Award-Winning Kombucha
Chen Jiah Juang's Organic Juice Konjac
As a presenter, I strive to be extremely meticulous, ensuring I am conveying myself as a brand representative in all aspects. My presenting wardobe is therefore no exception, as I strongly believe that what we wear can oftentimes create the most lasting impression on an audience. With that in mind, I was very intentional in how I prepared my looks for each day of IFE London 2025, taking into consideration not only Taiwan Select's brand values and their audience, but even the program agenda for each live day.
Day 1: For the first day, since this would be the first impression my clients would have of me, I wanted to look very polished and sophisticated. Since I knew I would be hosting a press conference and introducing various distinguished guest speakers, I wanted to present myself in formal attire. I opted for a monochrome colour palette as I wanted to look elegant whilst remaining minimalist, understanding that my role on this occasion was more of a supporting role as a facilitator, meaning I should not overshadow my guest speakers.
I also took into consideration the fact that there would be a lot of media coverage, and as the audience was primarily comprised of Chinese and Taiwanese guests, whose cultural backgrounds are slightly more conservative, it was important for me to also dress in a way that would be deemed respectful and appropriate.
Day 2: For the second day, since Taiwan Select were turning the spotlight onto their partner brands, and their diverse catalogue of Taiwanese food and beverage products, I thought it would be fitting to align my colour palette with Taiwan Select's brand colours as a playful and fun way of reinforcing the company's strong brand identity.
I also thought it would be effective to incorporate a bright colour into my attire, in order to draw attention not only to myself, as the host for our food bingo discovery sessions, but also to the wheel itself, which was an important focal point for audience members and the "brand education" portion of the sessions.
Day 3: For the final day, I wanted to create a positive and lasting brand impression, so I tapped into the traditional associations of the colour "red" in Taiwanese culture, with notions of financial prosperity, and success. I believe this was an important message to convey to attendees, in order to position Taiwan Select, along with its distinguished brand portfolio, as a major player in the UK food and beverage industry. In addition to embodying the cultural significance of the colour red, I also wanted to present a look that was glamorous enough to feel like a "grand finale" moment, yet remain connected to Taiwan Select's brand values and origins.
Delivered Business Outcomes:
- Promoted the national brand of Taiwan's Food Industry "Taiwan Select"
- Increased awareness of Taiwan Select's partner brands and specific "award-winning" Taiwanese food and drinks products amongst buyers and consumers in the UK
- Generated hundreds of new leads through hard-copy and digital questionaires filled out during "discovery sessions"
- Significantly enhanced awareness and knowledge of Taiwan's food industry among target local food importers and retailing channels in the UK
- Garnered a huge crowd for the opening ceremony press launch, and considerably increased brand awareness and visibility through exposure to various media outlets
- Expanded Taiwan Select's presence in the UK B2B food and drinks sector, and peaked interest amongst potential buyers and franchises
- Provided an immersive, entertaining, and informative presentation to IFE attendees on behalf of Taiwan Select, leaving an overall positive and lasting impression on both buyers and consumers in the UK food and beverage sector
Highlights from the "Taiwan Select Pavillion" at IFE London 2025.
