Into the year of 2015, the biggest event in the dental circle in the beginning of the year is the “Greater Taipei International Exhibition and Convention” (GTIDEC) co-organized by both the Taipei Dental Association (TDA) and the New Taipei City Dental Association. For this cooperation plan, since April 2014, important cadre members in these two organizations have convened a number of meetings to discuss the details. Under my and Chairman Wu’s aggressive efforts, the cooperation was finally made possible, and a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was smoothly signed. Shortly after that, content for the event was planned intensively.

The cause for this cooperation was derived from my attendance at the 10th Seoul International Dental Exhibition & Scientific Congress (SIDEX) in 2014. I was deeply impressed by their international scale, planning of software and hardware, etc. When I took over as chairman of TDA, I attended the 11th SIDEX in Seoul, the 1st MIDEC in Malaysia, and the HKIDEA in Hong Kong. Seoul has hosted the event for 11 years, so an international level can be expected. Though small, Hong Kong’s event is splendid. Malaysia held its first international dental exhibition and conference successfully too in June 2014. Taiwan might be able to hold such event as well in terms of our resources, manpower quality and ability. Therefore, I hoped to combine with New Taipei City Dental Association and made use of the resources of the two organizations to enlarge the event. It should be noted that while I was in New York pursuing my studies, New York held the annual Greater New York Dental Meeting, which is the biggest event of its kind in the United States, for up to 90 years now. Every year tens of thousands of dentists attended the event. I would like to model ourselves on these successful events and therefore I proposed the name for our event - Greater Taipei International Dental Exhibition and Convention (GTIDEC).

To kick off the collaboration of these two associations, a preparatory meeting has been held since last June. For this event, we will rent the entire Taipei International Convention Center. It is expected that over 100 vendors will take part, with over 200 stalls. The total number of participants, the 2300 members in New Taipei City Dental Association plus the over 3000 members in Taipei Dental Association, will definitely outnumber all events in the dental history in Taiwan! In addition to a multitude of promotion activities and discounts, we have specially invited world-renowned Dennis Tarnow and UAB’s Dr. Yong-zong Xu for speeches. Attendants will be able to listen to the masters’ speeches without going abroad. Moreover, the venue will offer a comfortable hall which contains over 3000 people. In the meantime, well-known lecturers in Taiwan are being invited. I believe that all attendants will go home satisfied!

Besides, this year we will hold “The 1st Asia Region Dental Association Summit” for the first time during the progress of the event. We will invite the chairpersons of the two sister associations to attend the event and share their respective development, promotion of oral health, health insurance system, etc. By sharing and exchange, citizens’ oral health and development of dental association affairs in each country will be promoted.

Finally, we would like to thank all vendors for their sponsoring this event. Contributions by Dr. Yong-long Wu and Dr. Guo-Bing Yen, both of whom are directors of the two associations, as well as efforts by all team leaders, are appreciated. This event will not be possible without them sacrificing their time and burning the midnight oil for meetings. Members of the two associations are welcome to attend this event. Splendid activities and plentiful mementos will let you return home with a full load! We wish the GTIDEC a great success!

Time flies. It’s time for the annual New Taipei City member conference again. Recalling the New Taipei City conference and the DENTMEX exhibition last year, I would like to thank conference Secretary General Xiang-mao Zhang of last year and all preparatory members, cadre members and clerks. Moreover, I would like to thank all attending dental vendors for their support. Last year’s conference was a great success!

I have been thinking to consolidate the largest and most representative dental expo in Taiwan. This is because Taiwan is not very big. If we desire to go onto the world stage, we would have to consolidate the dental circle. Over the past 20 years, I have held countless dental exhibitions, big and small. As a result, shortly after I took office, I set about planning the New Taipei conference and dental exhibition for 2015 and 2016. Moreover, we planned to rent up the entire International Convention Center and are even inviting some world-class masters for speeches. Later on, as Joseph Jen Juhng Tsai, Chairman of Taipei Dental Association, intended to co-hold a conference, after some talks, both associations decided to jointly hold member conference and dental exhibitions in the coming years, formally named “Greater Taipei International Dental Exhibition and Convention”. As the two associations have nearly 5,500 members, we hoped to become the most representative dental exhibition in Taiwan! This is a win-win situation for both dentists and vendors. Vendors will not have to rush between two exhibitions, nor will they have to spend money on decorating two booths. And the two associations will not have to spend money on renting the TICC two times. The booth charges can be adjusted. Booths are many and offer a wide selection of products for one-stop shopping. This will turn competition into collaboration.

This time academic speeches is a first. We will invite masters to give speeches, including world-renowned tooth implantation master Dr. Dennis P. Tarnow. In order to accommodate as many doctors as possible, the speeches will be held in a 3000-person capacity grand hall, with simultaneous interpretation earphones for convenience of your understanding! In addition to tooth implantation, we will also offer new knowledge on Prostheses, Orthodontics and CAD/CAM, etc. You must not miss out on the well-rounded and splendid event!

Besides, the long-standing mutual visits by sister associations will be enlarged and upgraded to an Asian dentist association summit. And an international forum will allow chairperson of each association to share their experience. Hopefully this will be positive for dental policy in each country.

If you would like to practice dentistry in China and gasp the country’s dental environment, you must not miss out on our China forum! You may refer to other people’s experience and not recommit the same error.

I would like to thank Secretary Generals Guo-Bing Yen and Yung-Lung Wu because they are utterly serious and responsible. I am also grateful to all preparatory meeting members for their collaboration and contributions. This conference will not be possible without them. I also would like to thank Global Technology Co., Ltd. and Monitex Industrial Co. Ltd. for their sponsoring the conference feast. I also would like to thank all exhibitors and visitors.

Hopefully all member doctors will be satisfied with the arrangement of this conference this year. We wish the GTIDEC a great success!