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1 : © Heo Heon , Korea Tourism Organization
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2,3,4 : Images of Virtual Seoul © Virtual Seoul
5 : COEX ’ s studio for hybrid events © COEX
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Hybrid events offering the benefits of both online and face-to-face events The 8th UIA Round Table Asia-Pacific , held in 2020 , took place in a 3D virtual platform “ Virtual Seoul ” ( virtualseoul . or . kr ) set in Seoul . Comprised of 3D virtual international conference halls that show 360-degree panoramic views of five popular tourist attractions in Seoul , it ’ s the world ’ s first virtual platform designed to promote a city itself . This is a model example of how a virtual space was used to promote a city , which was considered a potential downside of contact-free MICE . With a recent upgrade , participants can now enjoy various team-building activities with individual characters in Virtual Seoul .
Korea MICE Expo is an annual event held by the Korea Tourism Organization ( KTO ) to target MICE industries . It was conducted in the hybrid form where face-to-face and online sessions were held at the same time using a virtual platform . Online viewers could watch speeches given by
international guests through holograms , and KTO successfully kept online viewers engaged through various staging techniques using a three-sided LED screen .
Exhibition and convention centres in South Korea focusing on building virtual and augmented reality infrastructures As the MICE industry is expanding its scene to online meetings , major exhibition and convention centres in South Korea are also paying more attention to building digital infrastructures . Examples include AR and VR exhibition halls or virtual consultation booths recreated in a virtual space . Some have introduced service robots that use the Internet of Things ( IoT ) technology to check the crowdedness of indoor spaces , measure body temperature of visitors , or detect those who are not wearing face masks .
BEXCO in Busan has a video studio fully equipped with video shooting and transmission
systems for video meetings . It can also easily accommodate up to 40 people . COEX in Seoul is operating South Korea ’ s first MICE studio specialised for hybrid events . Songdo ConvensiA in Incheon has a virtual studio where VR and hologram videos can be shot and screened .
Many local governments and cities are also making efforts to deliver digital MICE . The Seoul Metropolitan Government produced 360-degree VR videos of 50 hotels and unique venues , as well as convention centres in Seoul to help visitors get a vicarious experience of the city . The Incheon Metropolitan City Government offers directions , luggage storage , and business matching services by using the IoT and network technologies . The remarkable development of South Korea ’ s network technology will help the MICE industry continue its business in a new form , the fundamental nature of the business being all about meeting and exchanging .
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