MICE Industry Anticipates 300,000
Business Visitors in Thriving Convention Year 2010
Expansive support initiatives made available as the city
gears up for the high profile 5th G-20 summit
The city of Seoul has made available up to 100 million won for organizers of conventions in Seoul with over 2,000 participants. In addition, "G-20 special incentives"will be provided for international conferences deriving from the upcoming G-20 meeting, along with a list of 20 activities and events that cannot be missed during visits by convention participants to Seoul.
Seoul announced these measures and other programs as part of the "2010 MICE Industry Development Plan,"and revealed plans to attract 300,000 MICE business tourists in 2010. The city's ranking among global convention centers was boosted from 11th place in 2006 to 7th in 2008 thanks to coordinated and well-organized support for attracting conventions and active overseas marketing initiatives.
Building on this growth trend, the city of Seoul plans to become one of the world's top five convention cities in 2010, while attracting such high value-added products as corporate conferences, incentive tours and exhibitions to further strengthen the dynamic MICE industry in the nation's capital.
Key Support Initiatives
The city of Seoul will increase the support package available for organizers of large-scale conventions from the current maximum of 60 million won to 100 million won. A convention with over 2,000 participants will be eligible for expanded financial support, with special support funds by scale and theme created to aid organizers attract and manage high-quality and large-scale events. The support will be made available through the Seoul Convention Bureau division of the Seoul Tourism Organization.
In addition to the funding, a "convention clinic"will be available to offer a full range of consultations for preparing the proposal, as well as presentations in both Korean and English. A site inspection program, including a visit with the mayor of Seoul will allow the directors of international organizations to experience the hospitality of the city.
A spokesperson for the city said that "20 new conventions were brought to the city last year, including the 2014 International Congress of Mathematics (6,000 participants), with this year's target set at attracting 30 conventions, including the 2013 World Dental Federation (FDI) Congress (20,000 participants)."
G-20 Incentives And Programs
A variety of "G-20 special incentives"will be offered to attract international conferences related to the upcoming G-20 meeting in Seoul. These special incentives include financial support for events, welcome luncheons and dinners held by the city of Seoul, a customized tour course, and hand-picked souvenirs.
In addition, the "Seoul Golden 20-Twenty things that cannot be missed in Seoul”, will be developed and distributed via the city's home page as well as brochures that will enable foreigners visiting Seoul before, during and after the G-20 meeting to experience Seoul's rich culture and tourist destinations.
This program helps visitors maximize the rewards of their stay in the city by providing 20 destinations for 20 separate categories, including sights, cuisine, experiences and shopping, selected by citizens as well as experts in tourism and culture.
Support For Corporate Events
Korea MICE Expo 2010
With global leaders, diplomats and CEOs expected to flock to Seoul for the G-20 summit meeting, one of the world's most prestigious events, a variety of programs are being created to attract corporate conferences to the city.
Any foreign company holding a corporate conference in Seoul by December of 2010 will be provided with a wide range of incentives depending on the size and scale of the event, including financial aid for venue leasing, banquets and tours, as well as transportation and lodging support, airport welcoming events, and free rental of U-Tour terminals. The city of Seoul will also create a dedicated hotline for providing information on corporate conferences to help foreign companies hold conferences in Korea without a hitch.
The city will also extend support services for exhibitions. First, the "Big 3"exhibitions, three events that can represent Seoul to the world, will be selected and provided with up to 100 million won in overseas marketing costs in order to develop these events into world-class exhibitions. Additional funding will be available for international promotion campaigns, tourism programs, invitations of famous foreign speakers and related seminars, in order to attract foreign buyers and business tourists as well as create a synergic effect with conventions held in the city.
Meanwhile, the "KOREA MICE EXPO,"scheduled for this November in Seoul at COEX, will be held in the city for the next two years in order to be developed into one of the world's top-10 MICE exhibitions. The Expo will run from November 24 (Wed.) to 25 (Thurs.) immediately following the G-20 meeting at COEX, and will include a dedicated MICE exhibition with over 200 booths as well as an international forum with over 2,000 MICE industry experts from all around the globe.
Global Marketing Efforts Increased As Seoul MICE Prepares For 300, 000 Visitors
 With global attention focused on Seoul in 2010 for the G-20 summit, the "Visit Korea Year with Seoul ”, and the "World Design Capital Year”, the city plans to "strengthen its global marketing efforts in order to create a lasting impression of the city in the minds of visitors from all over the world,"said a city spokesperson.
Target markets will include Southeast Asian cities with a high concentration of multinational companies, such as Singapore and Hong Kong, as well as the EU, with its large number of international organizations, associations and academic bodies. First, promotional booths for Seoul will be operated in five global MICE exhibitions, along with an invitational tour for MICE industry experts. Local seminars in Europe and Asia will promote Seoul as a city that is fully prepared to host the G-20 meeting to MICE event planners around the world. "If 300,000 business tourists visit the city, the total production effect will amount to nearly 1.6 trillion won,"said the spokesperson.
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