KEEPING UP WITH KINTEX
Andrea Seo , head of international business for KINTEX , shares how the Korea International Exhibition Center is forging its renown as a global venue operator .
What is KINTEX and its brand shows ? Korea International Exhibition Center ( KINTEX ) is the largest event venue in Korea . It was established by joint investment of three government bodies , Gyeonggi Province , Goyang City , and KOTRA ( Korea Trade Investment Promotion Agency ) with an aim to promote Korea ’ s exhibition industry .
KINTEX III ( 70,000sqm ) is currently being added to our existing 108,000sqm . Through the successful implementation of the expansion initiative , KINTEX will be home to approximately 180,000sqm of indoor exhibition space by 2025 .
For the last two decades , KINTEX has been organising various exhibitions ( in 2019 , the number reached more than 30 ), and some of them are globally recognisable : Seoul Motor Show and Asia ’ s 4th largest food industry exhibition , Seoul Food , are good examples of international exhibitions which are organised by KINTEX . In recognition of these efforts and our global presence , KINTEX received the UFI Marketing Award in 2019 and the ICCA Best Marketing Award in 2020 – each of which is considered the most prestigious commendation in the exhibition and convention industry , respectively .
What efforts has KINTEX made so far to become a global venue operator ? As a professional venue operator , KINTEX was selected as the official operator of IICC ( India International Convention and Expo Center ), India ’ s largest and newest exhibition venue ( 300,000sqm ) in New Delhi , by winning international open bidding in 2018 . Therefore , KINTEX will handle the overall operation of IICC for the next two decades .
By being selected as the official exhibition venue operator of Seoul Jamsil MICE Complex ( 120,000sqm ), located in the centre of Korea ’ s capital , KINTEX has proven its capabilities as a professional venue operator by contributing more event business opportunities both at home and abroad .
Once IICC and Seoul Jamsil MICE Complex are completed , in 2024 and 2030 respectively , KINTEX will become a global venue operator managing around 600,000sqm of exhibition and convention space . This will help KINTEX to make an even larger contribution to the development of the global exhibition industry
Where do you see KINTEX in the future ? KINTEX is not only the largest exhibition space in Korea , but it is also already showing the highest performance level nationwide . As the Korean exhibition market is somewhat saturated by multiple small-size venues established in other provinces , KINTEX aims to expand its business internationally for further potential growth .
In 2022 alone , KINTEX has signed a business agreement to open the Korean version of ‘ Sonar Festival ’ in 2023 , originally held in Barcelona , and one of the most popular cultural festivals in the world .
To establish a solid international network between key players in the Asian exhibition industry , KINTEX has signed multiple new MOUs ( memorandum of understanding ) with national representative venues and organisers including CNCC ( China National Convention Center ) in Beijing , Tokyo Big Sight , and TAITRA ( Taiwan External Trade Development Council ) in Taipei .
KINTEX ’ s vision for international recognition has only taken initial steps . With its new initiatives for international affairs , KINTEX will become a global player in the industry in the near future .
www . exhibitionworld . co . uk Issue 5 2022 59