RI Convention 2026: Taipei

From June 13–17, 2026, tens of thousands of Rotarians from every corner of the world gathered in Taipei, Taiwan, for the Rotary International Convention — and District 5330 was right in the middle of it. Our delegation crossed the Pacific to celebrate a year of service, reconnect with friends from around the globe, and bring a little piece of home to the largest gathering in Rotary.

It was a week of fellowship, learning, and a few unforgettable Taiwanese adventures — from the convention floor to a mountain railway lined with sky lanterns.

A District Dinner at the Grand Hotel

District 5330 was well represented in Taipei, and on Tuesday, June 16, the delegation gathered at the storied Grand Hotel — and grand it was — for a fabulous Chinese buffet. It was an evening for catching up with old friends and meeting new ones: the kind of warm, around-the-table fellowship that makes a Rotary convention feel like a family reunion on the other side of the world.

Scenes from the Convention

Inside the Taipei Dome and the Nangang Exhibition Center, the week was full of fun, fellowship, and Rotary education. District 5330 Rotarians shared time with RI President Francesco Arezzo and President-Elect Yinka Babalola, crossed paths with Past RI Director Brad Howard and his dear friend, Rotary icon Sylvia Whitlock — the first woman ever to serve as president of a Rotary club — and reunited with Big West District Governor classmates and fellow 5330 Rotarians, including Riverside East President-Elect Nick Lopez. Quite a week in Taiwan.

A First Convention

For some, Taipei was a first. District 5330 Rotarians had the joy of accompanying President-Elect Jami on her very first Rotary International Convention as she prepares to lead the Rotary Club of Temecula. Surrounded by the energy of Rotarians from across the globe, she came away ready to have an amazing year.

Wishes on a Sky Lantern

No trip to Taiwan is complete without a sky lantern. In the lantern village of Shifen, District 5330 Rotarians wrote their hopes across a violet lantern and released it over the old railway tracks, carrying wishes for the 2026-27 Rotary year ahead: Peace, Safety, Goodness, Happiness, and Health for Family. “Great Rotary Year 26-27,” it read as it rose into the Shifen sky — a fitting send-off as the district looks toward the year ahead under incoming District Governor Richard Lemire.

On to Barcelona

As the week wound down, the conversation was already turning to what’s next. On to Barcelona! The 2027 Rotary International Convention heads to Spain, June 26–30, 2027 — and if Taipei was any indication, District 5330 will be there in force.