Korea
Looking to harness a fair wind for conferencing in Korea
Right : Stewart Mullin , chief operating officer of the GWEC
STEWART MULLIN , COO OF THE GLOBAL WIND ENERGY COUNCIL , SHARES HIS IMPRESSIONS OF SOUTH KOREA , AS HE WEIGHS UP THE DESTINATION OFFER AND SUITABILITY TO HOST ONE OF HIS ORGANISATION ’ S SUMMITS
What prompted you to consider Korea as a destination host for your annual congress ? The Global Wind Energy Council ( GWEC ) has been very active in APAC for the last five years and we have held a series of successful Offshore Wind Summits in various markets in the region ( including China , Vietnam , and Japan ). In August 2023 , we held the inaugural APAC Offshore Wind & Green Hydrogen Summit in Melbourne and our members subsequently asked us to look at South Korea for the follow up event . South Korea has a strong supply chain , shovel-ready offshore wind projects and strong political support for renewable energy , all of which augur well for a successful summit .
What were your impressions of the Korean venues and cities visited ? We visited venues in Suwon – a satellite city to Seoul ( Suwon Convention Center ), Seoul ( Coex ), Busan ( BEXCO ) and Incheon ( Songdo ConvensiA ), all fit for purpose . We require auditoriums for up to 2,000 pax and exhibition space ranging from 3,000-6,000sqm . I was particularly taken with Incheon . It is close to an international airport , easily accessible from Seoul , has lots of accommodation close to the convention centre , many dining options , plenty of parklands and open spaces for downtime and is one of Korea ’ s Free Economic Zones . Local high tech innovation hubs with a focus on , among other things , energy efficiency , fit nicely with the tenets of our organisation .
What USPs do you feel these destinations offer ? Delegates to Korea will find traditional architecture nestled between 21st century development . There are historic villages and temples and it was fascinating to experience this firsthand .
I love a city that has a connection to water , and Korea offers that in spades . From the floating island venues on the Han River in Seoul , which offer spectacular sunsets and nearby bridges that after dark double as a water show to rival the Bellagio in Vegas , through to Busan with its beautiful beach promenade and Incheon which is built on reclaimed ocean with a system of salt water lakes that provide the spectacular centrepieces to its public parks .
It is clear that international conferences and business tourism are very important to the economy . I would advise finding a local partner ( PCO or DMC ) to help you get the best deal and information .
What challenges do you think bringing a large event to Korea might bring ? Like many international cities , traffic is a problem and despite an extensive system of freeways and traffic management systems , you will spend a lot of time stuck in traffic . Organisers need to make sure that any venue they choose has enough suitable accommodation nearby ( which not all venues we visited did ). Most delegates will also spend most of their time in and around the conference centre so you really need to make sure that you have thought about social events and other activations . Most of the venues we visited had at least one or two “ key ” activations within walking distance .
Language will also be a factor and , while most convention bureaus are staffed with competent English speakers , there is always a danger of things being lost in translation . You will need to have simultaneous translation organised for any international conference .
What are the main goals you want to achieve with the hosting of your congress in Korea ? We are looking for exponential growth for our APAC Summit and we believe South Korea will provide us with the ideal components to build a compelling event . Korea is an important market for the global wind industry . The fact that Korea has such a strong domestic supply chain , coupled with its export potential to the region will ensure that there is the potential for a lot of trade and networking discussions on the exhibition floor .
We are also hopeful to get political buy in for the event so that the summit programme is exceptional , where we anticipate several significant ‘ key political moments ’ for the region and domestic market alike .
Given the proximity to a multitude of other wind markets , we also envisage strong international participation . We achieved this in Australia this year with a very short production runway ( we turned the event around in six months ), so we are hopeful that we can achieve even greater success with double the lead time . n
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