Grand Hyatt Seoul surges ahead towards recovery

Since reopening the country to fully vaccinated travellers with no quarantine requirement in April, South Korea has signalled its intention to ramp up its MICE offerings. In March, the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Convention Bureau announced a total budget of US$2.2 million to support the MICE industry’s recovery.

The funds will go towards promoting Seoul as a safe environment for events, digitising exhibitions and providing special Seoul experiences to international delegates. Events taking place in Seoul this year include the 26th General Assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) and Frieze Seoul, a new international art fair.

Adrian Slater, area vice president - Korea, and general manager of Grand Hyatt Seoul, reported that the second quarter of this year is looking healthy, with both local and international groups confirmed for meetings at the hotel, representing a combination of new bookings and rescheduled events.

He also noted that lead times for proposals and events have become shorter, particularly for small- to medium-sized meetings, which have resumed sooner than larger conferences and gatherings.

In the coming months, however, due to the travel uncertainty, “organisers are still cautious about the international conferences, and most of the leads are coming from the same region – APAC”.

“The different situations across countries, rather than an element of caution, are holding back demand,” he added.

To stay connected with MICE organisers, Grand Hyatt Seoul has developed virtual tour assets which will be finalised in the second quarter of this year. This tool exists already for top suites, and will be extended to all room types, event spaces, public areas and restaurants.

“We also have specialised meeting planner recognition programmes pre-, during and post-events. Going forward, offers will be customised for each group, depending on the meeting size and requirement.”