A gathering of Taipei’s local & global professionals.
In July 2018 I launched Tricky Talks, an English-language event series for creative, globally-minded professionals working and living in Taipei. The goal is to bring together Taipei-ers from different backgrounds, industries and countries to discuss topics that influence and inspire life in this city.
Each Tricky Talks event is anchored by an on-stage panel discussion followed by plenty of time to grab a drink and chat with fellow attendees. The casual, evening format is designed to catch people after their long day at work so they can unwind and relax with a beer or a glass of wine and some light food.
Tricky Talks是一個全英文講座系列，將Tricky Taipei上由國內外讀者組成的社群實體化，讓有趣的人，討論有意思的話題，進而創造有意義的改變。Tricky Talks的目標是「凝聚台北在地的國際與當地 社群」。每一場講座都包含兩部份:1. 專業人士分享，以及2. 社群交流。我們會將講座設計成「下班後輕鬆的聚 會」，是希望上班族在一天的工作之後，能小酌一杯 ，吃點小點心，以放鬆的心情來充電與交流。
Why are Tricky Talks events in English?
The panel discussion is held in English for three reasons: 1) English is the global language of business, 2) Taipei’s international professionals can participate, and 3) We can introduce a more diverse set of panelists. Another important consideration is there are very few English-language events in Taipei. For Taipei to thrive as a global city, locals should feel comfortable at English-only events, and international residents should feel the support of a professional community.
為何是全英文講座?講座以全英文進行主要是因為1) 英語是國際商業環境的共同語言，2) 鼓勵國內的國際 專業人士參與，3)能邀請到更多元背景的專業人士來 做分享。另外一個考量是在台北以英文進行的活動是少之又 少。如果台北希望能建立國際城市的形象，甚至成為 一個國際城市，在台灣的外國人應該要能有與同專業 領域的社群聚會交流的機會，而本地人也應該要有機 會能建立英文溝通交流的習慣。
Who’s coming to Tricky Talks?
Tricky Talks is one of the few event series that targets the young, professional, globally-minded, English-speaking demographic in Taipei. This group includes Taiwanese who have studied or worked overseas, overseas-born Taiwanese now living in Taipei, and of course international professionals currently based in Taipei.
Previous attendees have included journalists from foreign and Taiwan media, representatives from diplomatic offices, business owners and entrepreneurs, academics and professionals from creative industries such as advertising, design and marketing.
誰會參加Tricky Talks系列講座?Tricky Talks是台灣極少 數針對年輕、具國際觀、以英文交流目標群眾所設計規劃 的系列講座。這群人包含海外留學歸國或在國外長大目 前定居國內的台灣人，以及在台灣居住工作的外國專業 人士。之前參與講座的群眾包含國內外媒體記者、外國駐台辦 事處官員、商人與企業家、學者、以及來自廣告、設計、行 銷、建築等創意產業等專業人士。
Past Events
Jan 8, 2020 — The New World of Social Media
2020 kicked off with a Tricky Talks with Kassy Cho, the Social & Audience Development Editor for QuickTake by Bloomberg. She shared with us her take on global social media trends, how to create unique content and tell stories that go viral, and her tips on building and sustaining a global community of followers. A Q&A session was moderated by William Yang, Asia Correspondent for Deutsche Welle.
Oct 24, 2019 — Teach For Taiwan with CEO Stanley Wang
Tricky Talks with Stanley Wang, CEO of Teach For Taiwan was held at the new WeWork space in Xinyi District. Stanley spoke about the work and impact of Teach For Taiwan, and the serious problem of education inequality affecting communities on the urban fringe of Taiwan cities. The evening ended with a musical set from Taiwanese singer Hsieh Mengting.
April 25, 2019 — TAIPEI 101 with President Angela Chang
The first event of 2019 was held on April 25 with Angela Chang, President of TAIPEI 101. We discussed Angela’s experiences with Taiwanese corporate culture and the inner workings at TAIPEI 101. We also took this unique opportunity to ask Angela about her personal experience as a female business leader balancing a challenging career and raising a family.
Dec 11, 2018 — The Story of Kavalan with Master Blender Ian Chang
The third event was held on December 11 with Ian Chang, Master Blender at Kavalan Whisky. Ian shared stories about the growth of the brand, and how Kavalan promotes its Taiwanese roots around the world. The panel was co-hosted by journalist Chris Horton, who contributes to The New York Times and The Atlantic from Taipei, and also featured Taiwanese singer/songwriter Irene Chen.
August 22, 2018 — Taiwan Culture Goes Global
The second event on August 22 moved to the GO92 event space in Daan District to accommodate another sold out audience. The theme: “Taiwan Culture Goes Global” with panelists travel and food writer Matt Gross, destination marketing consultant Yalun Ho, and marketing consultant Didi Bethurum.
July 5, 2018 — The Future of Marketing
The first-ever Tricky Talks was held in July 2018 at Woolloomooloo Xinyi to a sold-out crowd of social media influencers, marketing professionals and entrepreneurs/business owners. Four guest panelists from diverse backgrounds discussed “The Future of Marketing”: Jen Chen of Ogilvy, Andy Yang of Dream Taiwan Travel Association, Didi Bethurum of Gogoro, and Garret Clarke of Garret Clarke Photography.