KOREA - The Future Convention Cities Initiative (FCCI) will deliver a seminar at the opening session of this year’s IMEX Politician's Forum in Frankfurt. The news closely follows the FCCI’s First Action Forum in Seoul.

Fast Future CEO and Executive Director of FCCI Rohit Talwar said he would be sharing at IMEX some of the practical actions FCCI members are undertaking to maximise the long economic impact of meetings 'beyond visitor spend’.

“We need to work together as an industry to demonstrate that the meetings sector is a critical contributor to the knowledge transfer process in the industries that will drive long-term economic development. We are delighted that IMEX is putting such commitment behind the process of engaging with politicians."

 At the recent Seoul forum, FCCI members met with national politicians and delivered seminars for 200 leaders of the meetings industry at the Korean MICE Association.

Samuel Koo, President and CEO of Seoul Tourism Organisation and host of the First FCCI Action Forum said two collaborative research projects had been launched.

FCCI members also had two hours with Choung Byoung-gug, Korea’s Minister of Tourism, to advise on driving forward Korea's meetings industry.

Director of Business Tourism, Visit London, Tracy Halliwell said: “It is only when you actually get round the table and start working together that you work out what you really want to do and see how much you can achieve. I took away a lot of ideas that will help address immediate priorities such as establishing an ambassador programme and maximising opportunities for economic development through business events at the London 2012 Olympics.”

Chief Operating Officer at Business Events Sydney Lyn Lewis-Smith the agreed first competitive advantage research project would start immediately. “FCCI really moved to the next level of performance in Seoul. Our first meeting before the ICCA Congress in Hyderabad focused mainly on governance and introducing our strategies. Our next session before PCMA in Las Vegas enabled us to start sharing priorities and exchanging practical expertise. The First Action Forum in Seoul saw us step to agree our initial research agenda.”

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