Seoul Set To Dazzle London In New Road ShowHigh-Profile event to focus on Korean Cuisine and Design The city of Seoul and the Seoul Tourism Organization (STO) will hold a roadshow July 12 in London, UK, aimed at expanding Seoul's presence in the European MICE market. The city of Seoul and the STO are planning the overseas marketing campaign in order to raise awareness of Seoul as a prime MICE destination. The convention, corporate meetings and exhibitions industry accounts for over 2% of Europe's entire GDP. With Seoul to host the G-20 summit in November and currently serving as ˇ®World Design Capital 2010', it is increasingly important to promote the city's MICE services and infrastructure in Europe, where numerous international organizations and associations are based. The city of Seoul and the STO will hold its second roadshow of this year, following one held on May 28 in Brussels, Belgium, in order to make further inroads into the European MICE market. Roadshow in Brussels Focuses on Korean Cuisine Seoul held the Brussels roadshow at the famous "L'atelier Yves Mattagne" restaurant. The event, attended by over 70 representatives from the International Young Lawyers Association, the European Pharmaceutical Association, the European Meeting Industry Consultant Association and other international bodies, was held under the title of "Seoul: Where MICE meets SAVOR and STYLE". The event was widely praised by the attendees, who expressed great interest in holding international events in Seoul. London Roadshow to Emphasize Korean Cuisine, Seoul's Design Achievements Eugene Choi, Senior Director of the Seoul Convention Bureau, said, "this roadshow will be held as the official gala dinner of the ˇ®Annual Association Congress 2010,' an event that will bring together the top representatives of major British associations." Choi added that "the event will allow us to promote the charms of Seoul as a MICE destination to many of the top industry leaders of the UK." The upcoming roadshow will be much larger than the event in Belgium, with a fashion show and a wide variety of events for the showcase entitled, "Seoul: Where MICE meets SAVOR and STYLE". The event will highlight Korean cuisine, allowing attendees to experience the country's culinary culture. Seoul MICE Alliance Members to Join Promotion Activities In addition, the member companies of the Seoul MICE Alliance will participate in the roadshow to do their part in promoting the city. The alliance was formed by Seoul this year by 47 MICE-related companies and organizations, including convention centers, PCOs, DMCs, hotels and performance agencies. The participating sellers will operate their own consultation tables, allowing attendees to meet representatives of these companies. The event will provide a special opportunity for companies planning events in the near future, allowing them to acquire and formulate specific venue information, line up support services, and receive consultations on possible benefits and support programs. Seoul Aims to Become One of the Top-Five Convention Cities Worldwide Lee Hae-woo, the tourism promotion officer of the city of Seoul, stated that "our city is greatly expanding support services for the MICE industry in order to establish Seoul's position as a global business center as well as develop the MICE industry, a future growth-oriented and job-creating industry, as part of our overall efforts to make Seoul one of the world's top-five convention cities." Following the city's selection as the world's no. 7 MICE city in 2009, Seoul was ranked by the New York Times as No. 3 on its list of top cities to be visited in 2010, while British magazine Wallpaper chose it as the world's no. 5 design city, testifying to the growing reputation of Seoul as a global city. |