Korea
Catch the smart wave for conferencing in Korea
PAUL COLSTON REPORTS ON A KOREAN TOURISM ORGANISATION EDUCATIONAL VISIT , TAKING IN THREE CITIES , LEADING VENUES AND MANY TRADITIONAL EXPERIENCES
T he 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
Right : Korea has a venue for every meeting type
Left : Harness the force of an oceanside destination in Busan
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 fourstar 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
ISSUE 127 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / 31