The city's convention bureau has worked closely with a number of industry stakeholders and Seoul MICE Alliance (SMA) members (pictured) to ensure a comprehensive response to Covid-19. Photo Credit:Seoul Convention Bureau
Seoul Convention Bureau (SCB) has spun a new definition for MICE:
Meet Innovatively with Cooperative Energy — to reflect the destination's
relative success in restarting events during Covid-times.
Everything boils down to one keyword for the year: Collaboration.
SCB consulted with the private sector and members of the Seoul MICE
Alliance (SMA) members to understand how to best fortify the MICE supply
chain; distributed personal protective equipment, including face masks
and sanitisers; and created digital marketing activities to keep the
destination top-of-mind.
These collaborative efforts were duly recognised by the International
Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), as the bureau scored the
ICCA Best Marketing Award - Special Edition 2020 at last month's 59th
ICCA Congress, where Seoul was one six regional hubs powering the hybrid
event.
“The focus was to build stronger connections with the key players of
the industry as well as the outside. As we all know, the year 2020 has
been a special one, bringing consistent challenges and changes to the
MICE industry. Of these, the biggest influence... was no doubt the
implementation and advancement of meeting technology,” said Don Byun,
executive director, SCB.
To connect with a world that has all but gone online, the Virtual
Seoul platform became a destination marketing tool offering
e-conferences, virtual tours, live discussions, gamification options,
cultural activities, and promotional booth. One example: The Union of
International Associations (UIA) Associations Round Table – Asia-Pacific
2020 which recently took place in Seoul, featuring a virtual city,
complete with historical buildings and landmarks, which mirrored the
South Korean capital.
SCB has also made it easier for event planners to access its PLUS
SEOUL support programme by lowering the minimum number of participants
required to access funding and bidding support.
There is also an Infection-free Zone and Reassuring Package
available; events can be held in a designated Infection-free Zone that
will be sanitised for the duration of the event in Seoul. The Reassuring
Package provides comfort and care services for delegates, from arrival
through to departure.
Korea Tourism Organisation, meanwhile, also upgraded its MICE Support Scheme.
Events with more than 1,000 persons can now receive up to US$180,000
in financial support. Events with 500-1000 can access US$43,600; those
with 50-500 persons are eligible for up to US$13,000, while events with
less than 50 guests can access US$870.