Selected as an Institution Overcoming Crisis and Pursuing New Change and Innovation
First in Asia in 8 Years Since Taiwan in 2012
[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] Amid the global MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, Exhibitions) market facing significant challenges due to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the Seoul Tourism Foundation has been selected as a leading institution that overcomes the crisis and pursues new changes and innovations.
On the 5th, Seoul City announced that the Seoul Tourism Foundation received the 'ICCA BEST Marketing Award' at the '2020 International Congress and Convention Association Congress (ICCA Congress 2020)' held simultaneously online with Kaohsiung, Taiwan on the 3rd.
Founded in 1963, the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) is a MICE-related international organization with 1,272 member companies across 93 countries worldwide, collecting information on international meetings and publishing statistical reports. The ICCA BEST Marketing Award is a prestigious award given annually by ICCA to institutions that conduct noteworthy city marketing, often referred to as the "Oscar of the international conference field."
Reflecting the special circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, ICCA set this year's award criteria as "leading institutions that overcome the crisis and pursue new changes and innovations," and awarded the 'ICCA BEST Marketing Award' to five outstanding institutions. The "Top 5 Leadership Pursuing New Changes in 2020" includes the Seoul Tourism Foundation, Belgium's Flanders Bureau, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, India Hotel Corporation, and KINTEX.
Seoul City explained that this award is especially meaningful as it is the first time in eight years that an institution in the Asian region has received it since Taiwan's MICE industry promotion organization (MEET Taiwan) in 2012.
Since last year, Seoul City and the Seoul Tourism Foundation have promoted Seoul globally as a bleisure city?ideal for both business and leisure activities?under the slogan "PLan with US PLay with US, PLUS SEOUL." However, the unexpected impact of COVID-19 this year has severely affected the MICE industry.
To overcome this, the city and the foundation have been working with the MICE industry from the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak to enhance Seoul's sustainability through initiatives such as the "Seoul MICE Industry Crisis Overcoming Project," support for venue disinfection and provision of safety insurance, and the establishment of the 'Virtual Seoul' platform realized in 360-degree 3D.
Byun Dong-hyun, Head of Tourism and MICE at the Seoul Tourism Foundation, said, "Since last year, we have been promoting various marketing efforts aiming to submit for the '2020 ICCA BEST Marketing Award.' Although there was the variable of the COVID-19 pandemic, this rather allowed us to confirm the sustainability of Seoul's MICE industry coexisting with the industry," expressing his thoughts.
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