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Venue selection decided in a runoff against Bali
Seoul has been selected as the venue for the 24th World Allergy Congress (WAC) to be held in 2015. It represents yet another major achievement in the city's increasingly successful endeavors to host international conventions.
This achievement is largely attributable to the concerted efforts of the Seoul Tourism Organization (STO) and the Korean Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
To bring the 2015 allergy conference to Seoul, these two organizations launched an active communication campaign before and during the 21st WAC that took place in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from Dec. 6 to 10.
WAC is a prestigious international academic gathering held every two years under the auspices of the World Allergy Organization (WAO). It usually attracts as many as 5,000 allergy experts from about 100 countries.
Seoul was chosen as the host for the 24th WAC by winning an overwhelming majority of votes in a runoff against the other main competitor Bali, Indonesia, during the Buenos Aires conference on Dec. 9. By attracting the conference, Seoul has secured an opportunity to promote the development of domestic medical fields related to allergy treatment. Another major spin-off will likely be found in the business sector, as the congress is predicted to draw more than 4,000 foreign visitors to Seoul.
Seoul's 19th Success This Year in Winning Right to Host Conventions
Systematic Support System Deserves Credit for This Achievement
A combination of factors has made it possible for Seoul to win the right to host the 2015 WAC. First of all, the Korean allergy academy declared its resolute intention to draw the conference to Seoul, and joined hands with the Seoul city government and the STO, which rendered maximum assistance by fully mobilizing their support functions. They launched coordinated and well-organized preparatory activities ahead of the Buenos Aires congress. During the congress period, Korean delegates actively launched PR campaigns through one-on-one meetings with conference participants, playing a crucial role in ensuring Seoul's victory in the final voting contest.
The Korean allergy academy had been carrying out constant lobbying efforts internationally since April 2008 when it launched the 2015 WAC bidding committee headed by Prof. Lee Jun-seong at the medical school of the Catholic University of Korea. While exerting the lobbying efforts, the academy enlisted support from allergy academies in four countries, including Japan and China.
"Strong support from Seoul City, the Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs, and other government organizations provided great help to us in attracting the congress to Seoul," Prof. Lee said, adding, "We will exert our best efforts to make international contributions in the field of allergy by ensuring that the 2015 congress will be the best-ever academic meeting in the WAO's history."
From the early stage of these endeavors, the Seoul city government and the STO provided various support measures, which included a grant as well as active assistance in preparing a proposal to host the congress. When a survey team from the WAO visited Seoul in May, the municipal government voiced its strong determination to host the conference.
Having chosen the convention industry as one of its six new growth engines, the current Seoul city administration has been actively trying to hold as many international conventions as possible in the city. It has also been encouraging relevant private organizations to step up efforts to seize opportunities to host international conventions and conferences.
This policy has achieved remarkable results; This year alone, Seoul has been successful in winning the right to host 18 world-class conventions, including IFOS (International Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies) World Congress in 2013 (5,000 participants) International Congress of Mathematics in 2014 (5,000 participants), and IUPAC (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry) Congress in 2015 (5,000 participants).
Seoul hosted 125 conventions in 2008, ascending two spots from the previous year to be ranked seventh among the convention cities of the world, according to statistics released recently by the Union of International Associations.
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