While the global MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions) market is suffering greatly with the COVID-19 pandemic, strenuous efforts to overcome the crisis in South Korea paid off. The MICE industry offers tourism services which are aimed at bringing together top professionals from every sector and dedicated to planning, booking, and facilitating conferences, seminars, and other events. While the international conferences and exhibitions which are big money makers in the travel industry were disrupted by the pandemic, two South Korean players were highlighted as the key role in transformational leadership throughout the world.
On November 3rd, the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), the largest international association in the convention industry, honoured five of its members with the Best Marketing Award 2020 at the global hybrid 59th Congress in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. In the light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the theme of this year’s award was “Recognizing Leadership in Transformation.” which was a special edition of the Best Marketing Award to spotlight the best examples of transformative action to overcome the crisis. Among all those who applied, five of the initiatives were awarded: KINTEX (South Korea), Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (Malaysia), Seoul Tourism Organization (South Korea), The Indian Hotels Co., Ltd (India), VISITFLANDERS Convention Bureau (Belgium).
The fact that two of the winners were from South Korea━Seoul Tourism Organization and KINTEX━ is more meaningful in that the “ICCA BEST Marketing Award” is conceived as prestigious as the Oscars in the field of international conferences.
The Seoul Tourism Organization was given high marks for creating a series of practical initiatives and supports to underpin their campaign ‘Stand Strong Together’ and totally revitalized the local MICE community. The judges gave high marks on KINTEX for creating a comprehensive and innovative framework for re-opening a venue during the pandemic, which has subsequently been adopted in different parts of the world as the go to standard.
Nobody knows when the New Normal without covid-19 will really begin. But one thing is evident: recent trends in the MICE industry, such as the rise of social media, tailor-made experiences, will shift towards virtual and augmented elements, and demand for non-traditional event spaces propel the global MICE industry. It is noteworthy that acceleration, empowerment, and innovation of business transformation with diverse IT solutions in South Korea now can lead the global MICE industry.
Kayla Hong
Asia Journal
(Los Angeles Times Advertising Supplement)
