seoul convetion bureau

Virtual Seoul providing "Seoul MICE Safe Zone" for free

Demand for hybrid events remain despite shift to endemic

Safe MICE industry will be important until complete end to COVID pandemic

Provides online MICE platform, on-site disinfection and other support

STO to promise continued MICE support

On May 5, WHO declared the end to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Korean government downgraded the COVID-19 alert level to being that of cautionary from this past June 1 and removed all temporary testing stations. This was a symbolic event that showed that we are finally at the end of the seemingly unending COVID tunnel.

As we leave the pandemic era behind us from this year, The STO is operating Virtual Seoul, a 3D virtual event platform, and the Seoul MICE Safe Zone this year to actively support the MICE industry.

Virtual Seoul, a trend leader in the endemic

Demand for online-only events has recently been in decline due to the passing of the pandemic. According to the Global MICE Industry Outlook and a survey on how people perceive Korea, however, a hybrid event is a must in that 87.8% of the future MICE events will be held either online, or both on and offline simultaneously. This will allow for a greater accommodation of different groups of participants. In addition, online and hybrid events are highlighted as the most effective solution to reducing waste generated by a strictly offline event. In short, hybrid events are becoming quite the trend.

Virtual Seoul, which is designed to organize online conferences, exhibitions, and PSA (one-on-one business consulting) in Korea's capital in a virtual space, is a 3D virtual event platform. Rental, including server cost, is all free. Thanks to the introduction of a CMS (Content Management System) in 2022, hosts can select virtual venue and customize required features on their own.

Virtual Seoul is an online, or hybrid, international conference, business meeting and exhibition that's held in Seoul and is limited to event with 100 online attendees or more in order to be qualified to rent the platform. Applications can be submitted to the Seoul Convention Bureau (korean.miceseoul.com) while inquiries can be directed to vsp@sto.or.kr.

Seoul MICE Safe Zone, "We still want a safe event"

The importance of organizing a safe MICE event cannot be stressed enough with the increasing demand for large-scale MICE events in the endemic era. The term "endemic" does not mean an end to the COVID pandemic, per se, but rather, a situation where the virus has become prevalent all over the region, meaning that there still is likelihood of contracting it and therefore, one should never give up on preventive measures to ensure safety of MICE events.

The Seoul Mice Safe Zone provides disinfection of facilities and the installation of defense barricades at the venue for event safety. Disinfection is carried out once a day during the days that an international conference is held and all hosts subject to Seoul City support are eligible. However, disinfection is only confined to international conferences held outside convention centers.

Up to two defense barricades at the venue are provided for as many as seven days for international conferences and exhibitions subject to Seoul City's support. Applications can be submitted to the Seoul Convention Bureau via their official website listed above. For inquiries, please send an email to safemice@sto.or.kr.