Seoul shifts focus to incentives

HAVING established a forte in hosting international conventions, Seoul now wants to build up its incentive muscle and will do so by forging close links with DMCs and event planners.

Maureen O’Crowley, vice president of the Seoul Tourism Organization (STO), said: “Seoul has done well with the conventions and exhibitions business, having maintained its fifth position on the UIA’s charts (of top international meetings cities for the third year running) and yet with a 10 per cent growth in qualified events.

“Conventions and exhibitions will continue to hold strong for Seoul, so now it is time for us to shift our focus to incentives. The great thing about incentives is that such events materialise much faster than conventions and exhibitions, which take years to prepare and happen.”

O’Crowley said STO would “work closely with DMCs and event organisers” to attract more incentive groups.

“China is also on our radar now, and we plan on getting more incentive business from that market, which is why we participated in IT&CM China this April,” she added.

When asked if the convention city would have to develop new and fun products to appeal to incentive clients, O’Crowley said it was more important to work creatively with what the city already offered.

“It is very interesting how groups are coming up with great activity ideas themselves. In April we had a group from a pharmaceutical company in China and an activity the participants had to do was to take photos that captured determination, confidence and passion – the three key traits of Korean businessmen that the company’s CEO liked. A 150-pax group from McDonald’s in Singapore created their own version of Running Man (a popular Korean TV game show) in Lotte World amusement park.”

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