Paul Colston reports on a Korean Tourism Organisation educational visit, taking in three cities, leading venues and many traditional experiences. The Republic of Korea is a highly industrialised, global leader in innovation and technology and boasts the 12th largest economy in the world, as well as being the fifth largest global exporter. The country’s real GDP grew by just under 5% annually between 1988 and 2022. According to the OECD, South Korea has the highest spend on R&D to GDP ratio in the world and is investing to ensure it stays at the forefront of developments in self-driving cars, smart cities and smart homes. It was also the first country to deploy commercial 5G mobile technology in April 2019. South Korea also obtained the highest score, 90.49% in the latest Bloomberg innovative index, ahead of Singapore, Switzerland and Germany. This innovation powerhouse also boasts an outstanding infrastructure and venue offer, unique experiences and top MICE expertise, which makes it easy to understand how Korea rose to second place in the UIA country Global Meetings Statistics for 2021. Promoting Korea as a premier business events destination is the job of the Korea MICE Bureau, under the Korea Tourism Organisation (KTO), and I joined their recent education tour with international association event managers to find out how the ancient and modern come together in the current MICE offer. The first thing arrivals to the country will notice is the huge airlift available. Incheon International Airport alone serves 90 airlines that fly to 186 cities. National flag carrier Korean Air is expanding its operations to meet resurgent demand and is increasing operations to China, Japan, Southeast Asia, North America and Oceania. The airline also launches a new scheduled service to Phu Quoc, Vietnam on 26 November and is expecting its seat capacity to recover to over 90% with the launch of the winter schedule. And the speed of transport doesn’t stop at the arrivals terminal. The high-speed train (KTX) connects Incheon to other major cities, including Busan in the south (a journey which our group completed in just two hours, 15 minutes from Seoul). Connectivity is not just physical: Korea offers the fastest average internet connection in the world. Another immediate plus point is Korea’s record in public safety and security, with low crime rates. In every restaurant I visited people would leave mobile phones and handbags to keep their places without fear of robbery. 
Conference hall Hallyu
Our group was keen to compare some of Korea’s major venues and the selection did not disappoint. Convention centres in the country are among the most sophisticated and sustainable in the world: Coex in Seoul was the first major venue in Asia to be Gold certified by EarthCheck and Songdo ConvensiA the first LEED Certified convention centre on the continent. At Coex there are four stories above ground with 36,000sqm of exhibition space, and 100 meeting room spaces that can cater for up to 7,000 attendees. Coex is also a major organiser, annually putting on 25 exhibitions at home and abroad. Coex opens a new venue, The Platz, in December this year – a 2,224sqm space. And, in October 2024, Coex Magok Lewest is set to become the largest MICE complex in Seoul. Located just 15km from Incheon Airport, it will have a 7,452sqm exhibition hall, a four-star hotel and a Grand Ballroom. From Coex, it is a 50-minute drive to Songdo ConvensiA, near Incheon, which has an exhibition hall that can accommodate 20,000 people and a ballroom for up to 3,000 delegates. There are also 35 other meeting rooms in a venue complex that has twice been extended. There are seven five-star hotels nearby as well as Central Park. The centre was host for the 15th Asia Pacific Hospice Palliative Care Conference in early October and easily coped with the 2,000+ delegates from 35 countries. The local CVB in Incheon, gives five reasons to choose the area for your big event:
- The city is built on reclaimed land and tailored to conventions and, as the first gateway to Korea, has excellent accessibility.
- Everything is within walking distance in the conference complex zone.
- Sustainability is at the core of things.
- Incheon is a high-tech smart city.
- Its unique venues include resort complexes, a BMW driving centre, craft arts and even beaches.
I recommend a visit to Incheon’s Smart City Corporation which is using cutting-edge IT to increase urban competitiveness and quality of life and security for citizens. A great knowledge add-on for any congress, on an IT or security theme in particular. And if it is state-of-the-art facilities you are interested in, then Suwon Convention Center, opened in 2019, is a landmark venue standing on a lake with spectacular views of nature. Its Convention Hall can accommodate up to 3,000 delegates, while the Exhibition Hall measures 7,877sqm, with both areas divisible. There is a rooftop terrace and a VIP Dining Room included free when renting one of the main areas. The country’s venue menu is varied indeed: KTO identifies 10 Korean ‘MICE cities’, each with its own specialised industry and convention centre. They offer a wide range of options and are: Seoul, Gyeonggi, Incheon, Gangwon, Daejeon, Daegu, Gyeongju, Gwangju, Gyeongnam and Busan. And down in the south, in Busan, there is not only the BEXCO complex, but the Busan Port Expo Center (BPEX), a new venue at the heart of the maritime district from where you can take a ferry to Japan. The main conference hall is on the fifth floor of the passenger terminal. BEXCO is still the big daddy venue in town, however, with 46,500sqm of exhibition space and 53 meeting rooms. An expansion in 2012 added a 4,000-seat auditorium. BEXCO management also looks after the unique Nurimaru APEC House, named after the 2005 APEC leaders conference held at the venue. And, while in Busan, provided you have a head for heights, visit the X The Sky Observatory on the 98th-100th floors of the tallest building in the city, with views onto Haeundae Beach. There are also spaces available for event hire for more exclusive groups. Busan is aiming to put itself in the global spotlight with a bid for the 2030 World Expo. The winner is scheduled to be announced on 28 November. The Lotte group has many hotels in Korea and its Signiel Busan Hotel is a particular gem, with meetings space, 260 rooms and spectacular views. 
Traditional charms and heritage
Despite its meteoric rise in the last 50 years, Korea has over 5,000 years of history and can offer meeting planners and delegates world heritage sites and unique venues reflecting those centuries of history and a distinct culture. We visited a traditional Folk Village during the Chuseok Thanksgiving Holiday, witnessing a traditional show, and getting a glimpse into how people lived in the Joseon Dynasty. You can see traditional style Hanok houses of the period and how the kimchi and soju fermentation processes work, as well as examples of crafts and tools. We also visited the only five-star Hanok hotel in the country, at Gyeongwonjae. A niche product with 30 rooms, but room outdoors for a dinner reception for up to 800 people. Korean cuisine, Hansik, is gaining attention in the global culinary trend, so take the opportunity to find out about the health benefits and try famous dishes such as kimchi and bibimbapas well as the pop-culture inspired chimaek (chicken and beer), and Korean BBQ of course. 
Meetings support
Organisers can tap into several layers of financial and other support when bringing their events to Korea. Check out the KTO website for full details of their International Conventions Support programmes. Local CVBs also have separate offerings. The Plus Seoul 2023 Support Programme from the Seoul Convention Bureau offers a sliding scale of financial support dependent on eligibility criteria, but the entry point is a minimum of 100 delegates, half of whom must be from abroad for an event that lasts two days or longer. Contact the SCB for full details.
