According to the 2013 country and city ranking statistics report by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), Seoul is ranked 9th place – moving up eight places from the previous year. The city of Seoul (Seoul Metropolitan Government), Seoul Tourism Organization and Seoul Convention Bureau invited media representatives from Australia, China, Czech Republic, Japan, Malaysia and United States for a four-day media tour of Seoul, a city not only known for its preservation of cultural and historical heritage, but fast becoming a preferred destination for meetings and conventions.

First on the agenda of the tour was a press conference with Greta Kohler, senior vice president for Global Development of ASAE (The Centre for Association of Leadership) and Nancy Carfrae, vice president of UIA, in counjunction with the UIA Round Table Asia 2014, hosted by the city of Seoul.

Attended by industry partners from around the world with presentations from invited speakers, the UIA Round Table is aimed at promoting and facilitating the work of international associations through learning and networking opportunities. What the UIA does for the meetings industry is to offer collaboration and partnership with entities in the meetings industry through associate membership, with the main focus in promoting and networking between association and industry bodies.

This was followed by a cultural experience at the Korea House which is designed to showcase traditional local culture to visitors, managed by the government affiliated Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation – a venue offering guests to enjoy traditional Korean royal cuisine, arts and performances.

Next, was a visit to COEX Convention & Exhibition Centre located in the heart of Gangnam, a business district of Seoul. After which a tour of Korea’s first artificially created island, the Some Sevit on the shores of the Hangang River in Southern Seoul, which is actually, a unique venue comprising of three islands that are linked and, has a convention hall, restaurants, shops as well as a floating stage called the Media Art Gallery.

An interview session with Seoul MICE Alliance Members was held at JW Marriott. The SMA members consist of professional conference organisers specialising in the planning and management of international association conferences and conventions, travel and destination managers, professional exhibition organisers, and IT solution providers.

The tour also included a site inspection of Korea’s state-of-the-art convention venue the DDP (Dongdaemun Design Plaza) of a futuristic design that is eco-friendly which opened its doors on March 21. It is a multi-purpose cultural facility with a total floor area of 84,368 square metres, designed by the renowned architect Dame Zaha Hadid of United Kingdom.

Media Representatives from America, Australia, China, Europe, Japan and Malaysia

UIA Associations Round Table Asia 2014 Hosted by the City of Seoul

Presentation on MICE Plans for Lotte Hotels & Resorts

Enjoying Korean Cuisine

Learning to Cook Korean Dishes

Interview Session with Seoul MICE Alliance Members at the JW Marriott Seoul

Site Inspection of MICE venues in – Some Sevit, Dongdaemun Design Plaza and COEX Convention & Exhibition Center

Shopping Experience in the Bustling City Centre

Street Scenes in Seoul

Farewell Dinner organised by Seoul Tourism Organization and Seoul Convention Bureau

MICE in Asia would like thank the hosts: Seoul Metropolitan Government; Seoul Tourism Organization; and Seoul Convention Bureau for inviting the managing editor to be among the international media representatives to tour the city of Seoul. We would also like to extend our appreciation to Lotte Hotel Seoul for their kind hospitality and exceptional service.