‘HAEVENUE Busan’ ... Largest National Funding Secured for International Conference Complex District Public Contest Project

Busan City, in collaboration with Busan Tourism Organization and BEXCO, participated in the 2023 International Conference Complex District Revitalization Contest conducted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (hereinafter ‘MCST’) and secured 550 million KRW in national funding, an increase of 130 million KRW compared to last year.

This contest saw fierce competition among seven cities, including Busan, Goyang in Gyeonggi Province, Incheon, Gwangju, Daegu, as well as two additional cities, Daejeon and Gyeongju in North Gyeongsang Province, all vying to secure budgets for international conference complex districts. As a result, Busan secured the largest budget among the seven local governments.

The ‘International Conference Complex District Revitalization Contest’ is a project promoted by the MCST since 2019 to strengthen international conference competitiveness and industrial development.

According to Article 15-3 of the ‘Act on the Promotion of the International Conference Industry,’ the contest targets metropolitan local governments overseeing designated international conference complex districts, supporting the utilization of international conference spaces and infrastructure development within these districts, fostering the industrial ecosystem of the international conference complex districts, supporting international conference aggregation facilities, and enhancing convenience within the districts. Busan’s Haeundae International Conference Complex District was designated in 2020.

Over the past three years, the city has established a foundation for attracting international conferences by implementing projects such as installing LED systems in BEXCO Convention Hall, setting up MICE information centers, and creating video consultation rooms and MICE studios. Additionally, to establish a unique identity for the Haeundae International Conference Complex District, the city developed an original brand called ‘HAEVENUE,’ focusing on promoting not only Haeundae but also Busan’s excellent MICE infrastructure.

The brand name ‘HAEVENUE’ is a portmanteau of Haeundae and Avenue, symbolizing a paradise on earth for MICE.

'Haeundae International Conference Complex District' Brand Trademark Registration Application Completed.

Furthermore, through storytelling in the development of unique designs and souvenir production, the city has instilled interest among domestic and international MICE participants and cultivated an image of Busan as an international conference city that visitors want to return to.

Mayor Park Hyung-jun stated, “Going forward, we will develop various resources and infrastructure to attract international conferences, making Busan a city with conditions and infrastructure rarely found worldwide?more splendid than Dubai and more beautiful than Singapore as an international conference city.”

During the COVID-19 non-face-to-face era, Busan consistently attracted international conferences through video consultations. Currently, to revitalize the local economy, the city is enhancing its status as an international conference city by hosting advanced industries and securing the ‘2025 World Anti-Doping Agency General Assembly,’ which will be held in Asia for the first time with participation from 191 countries worldwide.