Where to Network in Taiwan in December – Conferences, Meetups, and More

Each month All Hands will share a post of events from around Taiwan. These events will span networking, professional learning, community gatherings, hiring, seminars, happy hours, and more. This will be a living list and is by no means comprehensive. If you know of a great event that should be included, please send us a message to let us know.

*Unless noted, most of these events are in English, but we have not attended all of these series before. You should look into the event if you have any language concerns.

12/1 – 2020 All Chamber Winter Happy Hour – Come and celebrate the last All-Chambers event of 2020 with the Canadian Chamber the Grand Hyatt. Spend your evening surrounded by delicious food, great people, and a gorgeous night view of Taipei. We have a lovely indoor area and an outdoor terrace area with seating that overlooks Taipei 101. (NT$1100 for Members and Guests, NT$1300 for walk-ins)

12/2 – Australian Representative and New Zealand Director Farewell Luncheon – At this luncheon, Mr. Cowan and Ms. Turley will reflect on their over three years in Taiwan working to strengthen connections between Taiwan and Australia and New Zealand, while providing an update on the relationships and future outlooks. (Ticket prices range from NT$1400 to NT$1900)

12/3 – 2020 ANZCham Christmas Party Sundowners – Join the Australia New Zealand Chamber ofor their annual Christmas party! Connect with the business, alumni and international community. Your ticket includes buffet dinner and unlimited wine and beer. (Ticket prices range from NT$500 to NT$1300)

12/3 – Fireside Chat / AMA with Yadia Colindres & Candace Chen – Two startup founders will share their stories, their triumphs, and their challenges during their startup journey in this AMA presented by SoGal. (Free)

12/4 – Meet the Anchors | Ideas, Partners & More – On the 1st Friday of every month from 10-11am, Anchor Taiwan invites entrepreneurs, mentors, investors and newcomers for coffee or tea. No set agenda, but it usually kicks off with a round circle introduction. Ask questions about market entry/fundraising or just meet some newcomers and trade ideas? This is for you. (Free, register in advance)

12/5 – Red Room 11th Anniversary Celebration – Artists Break the Pause – Join one of Taiwan’s most important art and culture organizations to celebrate 11 vibrant years. Artists Break the _ events are annual events bringing people together around live art and music. Come enjoy the art on display, learn more about Red Room, and enjoy live painting, music, food, and drink. (Pre-ordered tickets: NT$300, Walk-ins: NT$400, Ticket includes a drink)

12/5 – Students in Taiwan: Learn about studying in Lund! – An event where prospective students can learn more about studying in Lund / Sweden. Join for a fun afternoon where you can get your questions answered and learn more about what it’s like to be an international student in Lund. Alumni from Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences will participate to answer questions about studying at that university. (Free)

12/6 – Baishawan Beach Cleanup – Come join other volunteers to cleanup Baishawan beach and discuss improving our impact on the environment, followed by time enjoying the beach and the outdoors. (Free)

12/6 – Taiwanese Film Screening Sundays – Interested in watching Taiwanese films but not sure where to start? Whether you are looking to improve your Chinese, understand Taiwanese culture better or are interested in watching Taiwanese classics, join for small and intimate film screenings every Sunday evening. All films will be screened with English subtitles. Make sure to arrive early as there is limited seating/flooring. (NT$100)

12/8 – Community Convos: Mental Health in 2020 – Community Convos is the space for safe, meaningful discussions about topics you may be reluctant to discuss. This time they are bringing awareness to mental health and resources in Taiwan. Let’s help one another by sharing tips and showing support. (Free)

12/8 – 2020 Taiwan International Journalism Conference – The second annual Taiwan International Journalism Conference will discuss changes in the media environment in the post-Covid era, and how the impact of the pandemic on journalism can be reduced by promoting civic media literacy. Panelists will also focus on the role of democratic governments in defending press freedom, particularly with the effects of Covid-19 which have enabled false media and disinformation. (Free)

12/9 – Fireside Chat｜What’s next for the Taiwan Model – Join Taiwan’s Digital Minister Audrey Tang and the other speakers as they discuss how Taiwan can expand on the success it has found dealing with COVID-19 to improve its standing on the world stage. Come and enjoy Taiwanese pastries, great jazz music, and more! (Free.)

12/10 – Global Injustice, Local Action: Migrant Caregivers in Taiwan – This is the first event in New Bloom’s new series, Global Injustice, Local Action. New Bloom will welcome Jing-ru Wu (吳靜如) from Taiwan International Worker’s Association to give a short lecture on the historical and labor policy context that lead to the current exploitation of migrant caregivers, various historical campaigns for migrant worker rights, and the proposed Household Service Act. The second hour will move to a facilitated discussion on ways in which we can take direct action to combat this inequity. (Free?)

12/10 – Tech Workshop on CI/CD and Microservices – This event by TPIsoftware Global will look at the limitations of traditional backend applications and explain how microservices can help to overcome them. Learn best practices for developing, testing, and deploying microservices as well as the basics of CI/CD practice. Indicate during registration if you want to participate online or on-site. (Free)

12/10 – December Coffee Morning – Meet Amy C. Liu, a cross-cultural coach, who will share her experiences working with indigenous groups in Hualien, including Taroko 123 andThe Kaixin Workshop 開心學堂. The Kaixin Workshop, founded in 2014, is a monthly cultural exchange that introduces global perspectives to local indigenous children in Taroko Gorge. (Free)

12/11 – 2020 Youth Labor International Forum – Well-known scholars, experts, entrepreneurs, and outstanding role models are invited to share their experiences in this forum. Young people will gain a better understanding of the current labor market, broaden global perspectives, and explore and empower themselves from the exchange and discussion. (Free w/ advance registration; probably lots of Chinese)

12/12 – HAPPY BIRTHDAY TUTEEMI – Come celebrate TUTEEMI’s birthday. Don’t miss the chance to connect with people from over 30 different countries that work in many different fields. Let’s network wisely before the end of 2020. (Free with purchase of snack or drink)

12/12 – 2020 TEDxNeihu – A Tedx event in Neihu featuring speakers on multiple subjects. (Cost Unknown)

12/15 – Office Hours with Xiri Attorneys – Want to start a business, but don’t know how to register your company? Running into legal issues with your startup? Ask the experts at Xiri Attorneys during open office hours at FutureWard. RSVP recommended, only 4 slots available. (FW Members Free; NT$300 for half-day pass for non-members)

12/16 – AI-ya first community meetup – This is a technical AI event aimed mostly at engineers and tech enthusiasts. The event will be comprised of a series of micro-lectures, given by AI experts playing key roles in advancing the AI revolution in Taiwan and abroad. The event is sponsored with free beer, drinks and food, and lots of time in between lectures for mingling, networking and making friends. (Free)

12/17 – *HOLIDAY EDITION* SoGal LunchClub – Starting a business is difficult enough. Feeling like you are alone and the only one facing challenges? Well, it makes it feel that much more difficult! Join SoGal Taiwan for a special Holiday LunchClub! RSVP via Eventbrite is required and is first-come, first-served. (NT$500 minimum per person)

12/17 – 11th Fleet Happy Hour – 11th Fleet are swapping their monthly networking lunch for a holiday happy hour this month. Welcome to entrepreneurs and professionals to come and meet other like-minded people. The location of the event will be sent to our guests on a later date. (NT$500 minimum per person, register in advance on Accupass)

12/17 – The Power of 100X – Women in Venture (X) Milestone Event – A forum that features an all-star cast of 10 leaders in the innovation ecosystem – cross-generational and cross-sector. This special evening brings together 100 game changers including VCs, CVCs, entrepreneurs, and tech executives to drive action-oriented conversations for a more open, inclusive and collaborative tomorrow. (Apply to attend in person, space limited)

12/18 – EBAT 2020 JINGLE & MINGLE Christmas Party – Come to the European Business Association in Taiwan Christmas Party. Expect a fine selection of festive culinary delights, European wines, musical entertainment, as well as amazing Raffle Prizes. (Ticket prices range from NT$1100 to NT$1700)

12/18 – Mowes Cocktails & Friends – Join Mowes and friends at Another Brick, bring your old friends, and make new ones while you sip, chat, and laugh your problems away. The cocktails are calling! Please note this is a women-only event. (Free)

12/18 – Indian Startup Night – Meet Andy, successful Indian entrepreneur and founder of Three Idiots Restaurant, and Arpita, experienced legal consultant in multinational trademarks and investments, where Andy will share the inspiring story of his entrepreneurship journey – the do’s and don’ts that allowed him to be successful – while Arpita will lead a thorough risk assessment of Indian startups’ development in Taiwan! (Free)

12/19 – Investment in Crypto – the next wave of FinTech – With Bitcoin reaching a historical high recently, would you like to learn more about how the professionals invest with crypto? Andrea Chang is an outstanding investment professional. She started her career in investment in Goldman Sachs and now works as an investment director in NGC Ventures. She is also an MBA candidate at Berkeley Haas. (NT$400-500)

12/19 – How to Succeed After Graduation – Have you ever wondered what we can do to succeed in a foreign country? With language barrier problems, no connections, and cultural diversity? What are the skills we need to equip ourselves to adapt to such an unfamiliar environment after graduation? Don’t worry! TUTEEMI will bring you different perspectives from 4 different paths you might consider. (Free)

12/23 – Global Taipei Dialogue VI: Press Freedom in Asia | 第六屆全球臺北論壇: 亞洲媒體的言論自由 – We are currently facing several converging crises affecting the future of journalism: a geopolitical crisis (due to the aggressiveness of authoritarian regimes); a technological crisis (due to the lack of democratic guarantees); a democratic crisis (due to polarization and repressive policies); a crisis of trust (due to suspicion — and even hatred — towards the media); and an economic crisis (impoverishing quality journalism). Though Taiwan is not affected by COVID-19 to the same degree as other countries, press freedom is still a pivotal value in our democracy — threatened by election meddling, fake news, and disinformation in Taiwanese news and media outlets. We hope that you join us in our discussion of press freedom in Asia during Global Taipei Dialogue VI. (Free)

12/23 – Tech Powerhouses at a Crossroads: What’s New in 2021 – A rare congregation to connect leaders from Foxconn, HTC and Acer and learn about their respective initiatives for corporate innovation. From ODM to EV open platform, mobile phone to AR/VR, and notebook to lifestyle, this ecosystem event brings together game-changers for an interactive and stimulating afternoon for action-oriented conversations. (Free)