MICE industry leaders in South Korea say the development of two new major convention and exhibition venues in Seoul will provide welcome relief from overflowing demand for large event spaces in the capital.
Dongdaemun Design Plaza and Exhibition Centre, a futuristic venue designed by architect Zaha Hadid, will open in Seoul’s leading fashion district on April 5, 2013. The Seoul Station Convention Centre (also referred to as Korail Centre) will open in 2015.
Korea Convention Society president, Kim Chulwon, said: “If South Korea wants to meet its tourism arrivals target of 200 million by 2020, there must be sufficient MICE facilities and hotels to cater to these people.”
“MICE demand from Japan and China is growing, and Seoul does not have enough facilities to accommodate these groups and events. The additional facilities will not only help to serve the growing demand, but their novelty will also build greater awareness of Seoul and South Korea as a whole.”
Esmond Oh, president of Korea MICE Association and president – business strategy, Ioconvex, said the lack of convention and exhibition space was not limited to Seoul. He explained that there were only 12 convention centres across South Korea, offering 200,000m2 of space.
However, Malaysia-based DiscoveryMICE president/CEO, Lee Choon Loong, is hoping that Seoul will upgrade its software as well, pointing to service standards and suppliers’ attention to details that are “sometimes not on par with other MICE destinations”.
