Interview
Big Korea move to the land of glory
Paul Colston interviews Phil ( Hyung Phil ) Chung , CEO of Yashobhoomi / IICC operating company ( Kinexin Convention Management ), New Delhi , about his career and the new venue ’ s impact
ow did you first
H come into the MICE business and how have you adapted to working on the India market following the big Kinexin investment in 2018 ? During my army service back in 1998 in South Korea , a senior officer told me about possible careers in the convention centre business . After my military service , I joined a Seoul-based convention and trade show organising company , NCTRO , which organised international events such as Card Tech Korea and Financial IT forum ( nowadays we call it Fintech … We were faster than anyone !). That ignited my passion for this industry and I later worked for a software company ( The Empowered Media ) based in Mid- Manhattan , New York , USA , before returning to Korea and joining KINTEX ( Korea International Exhibition Center ) as one of the founding staff members from 2004 .
I worked for 19 years in KINTEX , including as senior director of marketing . Back in 2017 , I and my then-global CEO became aware of the IICC ( now known as Yashobhoomi – meaning the ‘ Land of Glory ’ in Sanskrit and Hindi ) competitive bid information from Indian Rotary clubs who had attended the Rotary International Seoul / Goyang Convention 2016 .
We won that bid in mid-2018 , going on to establish our India SPC ( special purpose company ) for the operation of the Yashobhoomi venue .
Working experience in India is not so very different from Korea and we hired and trained many key staff members who all understand our efforts and can-do spirit .
What are the advantages of India as an exhibitions destination ? India is the biggest market for the world and needs to host mega international events and trade shows to give a long-term boost to industry and the economy . Yashobhoomi is a big catalyst for this growth .
Furthermore , the Yashobhoomi venue is near to the hub of government in New Delhi .
This area also has many global corporate regional HQs including Samsung , EY and others , and many MSMEs ( micro , small and medium enterprises ), all of which is shaping a great momentum for trade shows .
How is Yashobhoomi / IICC now delivering on its promise ? Previously , the lack of such a facility like Yashobhoomi , meant that the mega international events and trade shows were taking place in neighbouring countries . Now , global organisers can host their biggest international events and trade shows in India .
Informa Markets , RX , Messe Stuttgart , Messe Nuremberg , Messe Frankfurt , Clarion , DMG Events , Messe Esang and KINTEX
Above : Phil ( Hyung Phil ) Chung
are among the organisers bringing shows to our venue all year round , and we have bookings for the next 10 + years .
What is the event mix at the IICC ? In the first year of operations , from October 2023-October 2024 , Yashobhoomi hosted more than 200 + events – a good mix of international and domestic trade shows , conferences and corporate and government events . International brands such as Ad : Tech , WHO Conventions , World Investment Summit , P20 ( Parliament 20 ) Speakers Summit , SAMSUNG Unpack and Rotary Conventions are just some of those events .
Which economic sectors are proving the most promising for your business ? Which are your largest trade shows and congresses ? Machinery and technology exhibitions are doing great in India and are growing very fast . Yashobhoomi has successfully hosted the country ’ s largest Plastic Machinery Expo ( Plastfocus ), Food Machinery Expo ( Snack Bake-tech and Annapoorna ), and in January 2025 we will be hosting the country ’ s largest Auto Component Show ( Bharat Mobility ).
Furthermore , SIAL / Vine Expo by Comexposium / Interad , Milipol India ( Comexposium / Interad ), Fintech Festival ( Constella group ), the Korea- India industry exchange show called KoIndex ( KINTEX , Messe Esang and both governments ), International Warehousing Expo ( RX India ), India Energy Week ( DMG Events ) and DIDAC ( Messe Stuttgart ) are other major events in the pipeline .
How is Yashobhoomi / IICC working on Net Zero policies ? Yashobhoomi ’ s premises areIGBC Platinum Certified Premises . We are working towards achieving the
48 Issue 6 2024 www . exhibitionworld . co . uk