Inspection Meeting Led by Mayor at 2 PM on the 19th for Success of Korea's First Convergent Exhibition Convention Project
October 1-8, 'Siwol Village' Base Space for Staff and Visitor Exchange to Operate at BEXCO Outdoor Parking Lot
On the afternoon of the 19th at 2 PM, the city of Busan held a comprehensive progress review meeting presided over by Mayor Park Hyungjoon to ensure the successful hosting of 'Festival Shiwol,' a convergence exhibition and convention project being attempted for the first time this year.
The global MICE industry has seen intensified competition among countries to attract events in the post-COVID era. In response, the city planned 'Festival Shiwol,' a convergence exhibition and convention project, to overcome the limitations of demand creation in the existing MICE industry and to align with the national MICE strategy that promotes large-scale international events through creative combinations of various MICE types.
This meeting was attended by the heads of organizations hosting the 17 individual content events of 'Festival Shiwol,' who will focus on reviewing cooperation matters such as joint branding for Shiwol and other collaborative efforts.
Specifically, a total of 13 organizations are participating: ▲Busan International Film Festival (Busan International Film Festival, Asia Contents & Film Market) ▲Busan Culture & Tourism Festival Organizing Committee (Busan International Rock Festival) ▲Korea Music Content Association (K-Music Season Good Night Concert Busan) ▲Busan Textile & Fashion Industry Association (Korea-ASEAN Fashion Week) ▲Busan Economic Promotion Agency (Craft Beer Masters Challenge) ▲Busan Design Promotion Agency (Design Festival Shiwol) ▲Busan Cultural Foundation (Busan International Performing Arts Market) ▲Korea Foodservice Industry Association Busan Chapter (International Food Expo & Marina Chef Challenge) ▲Busan IT Industry Promotion Agency (Global Webtoon Festival, AI+X Conference) ▲Busan Technopark (Asia Startup Expo) ▲Busan Tourism Organization (World Creative Festival) ▲BEXCO (co-organizer) ▲ReConvention (co-organizer).
On this day, the main points of review will include ▲joint use of the Festival Shiwol integrated brand identity ▲integrated ticketing system ▲support for fam tours for major international invitees by event ▲joint use of the application ▲participation in Shiwol Village content ▲collaboration by event.
In addition, from October 1 to October 8, 'Shiwol Village' will be operated at the BEXCO outdoor parking lot as a central space to support networking among event staff and visitors.
It will be operated under the theme of a 'Convergence Village' for the exchange among staff and visitors of the 17 participating events.
'Shiwol Village' is divided into seven zones: ▲National Pavilion ▲Theme House ▲VIP Lounge ▲Food & Beverage Pavilion ▲Convention House ▲Stage ▲Convenience Facilities. From 11 AM to 10 PM, there will be ▲44 types of performances ▲15 types of content exhibitions ▲6 types of international conferences.
Especially during the festival period, from 7 PM to 10 PM, a unique networking party called the 'Silence Music & Dance Festival' will be held on a temporary stage within the village.
This will be Busan's first silent dance party using individual headphones, offering participants a unique experience outdoors at BEXCO together with famous musicians such as NewJeansnim.
Additionally, during the same period, a 1,260-square-meter 'Shiwol Pavilion' will be operated at the BEXCO outdoor plaza for integrated promotion of the participating events, and detailed programs for each event will be provided through the Shiwol application.
With approximately 450,000 visitors expected to visit Busan during the 'Festival Shiwol' period, the city’s relevant departments and agencies have established special measures for urban tourism accommodation, including hygiene, lodging, transportation, and safety.
In particular, due to the temporary holiday for Armed Forces Day and the Chinese National Day holiday, a large influx of tourists is expected during the Festival Shiwol period.
Accordingly, from September 23 to September 30, special hygiene inspections will be conducted across the city for ▲multi-use facilities ▲restaurants ▲lodging establishments, along with checks to prevent price gouging in the lodging industry.
Furthermore, until October 11, the city will work with local districts and the tourism association to intensively monitor inconveniences for tourists and promptly address any issues that arise.
In anticipation of increased transportation demand in areas where individual events are held, a traffic control team will be formed around major venues to systematize traffic management and strengthen enforcement against illegal parking during the event period.
For visitor safety management, joint inspections with relevant agencies such as the police and fire departments will be conducted for key events such as 'K-Music Season Good Night Concert Busan' and 'Busan International Film Festival.'
The city expects that this 'Festival Shiwol' will serve as a new leap forward toward the era of 3 million foreign tourists and the goal of becoming a 'global tourism hub city.'
The aim is to ▲increase the total number of visitors for each participating event and ▲create new business opportunities through convergence, thereby establishing the brand of Asia’s top convergence MICE city.
To this end, the city plans to expand urban tourism demand while maintaining the identity of individual content, utilizing content with strong tourist appeal such as the 'Busan International Film Festival' and 'Busan International Rock Festival.'
Mayor Park Hyungjoon stated, “We will make thorough preparations to ensure that the objectives of the first-ever Festival Shiwol are achieved,” and added, “We will make comprehensive preparations so that domestic and international tourists visiting Busan during this period can comfortably experience 'a city you want to stay and live in.'”
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