Strong government support for overseas organisers contributed in part to the thriving MICE sector with the East Asian nation being the business events destination of choice for various large-scale international events and conferences this year
Brought to you by Korea Tourism Organization (Singapore office)
South Korea’s MICE industry has seen business return in full swing post-pandemic, with no sign of slowing down. Robust government support for overseas organisers and planners was instrumental for the thriving sector when it played host to numerous large-scale corporate events and international conferences in 2023.
One stood out with a massive turnout of a record 25,000 participants – the 12th World Choir Games (WCG) Gangneung 2023.
This year’s edition has returned to South Korea after 20 years. The city of Gangneung, located in the Gangwon province, is the second South Korean city after Busan in 2002 to host the international event.
Founded in 2000, the WCG is the world’s largest choir competition, taking place once every two years on different continents and organised by Interkultur, a German-based foundation.
President of Interkultur and founder of WCG, Günter Titsch, had expressed confidence that their South Korean counterparts would “deliver a highly successful, flawlessly organised, and truly unforgettable event for all attendees”.
“From our perspective, the collaboration with the local team has been nothing short of exceptional.”
Experienced in hosting major international events, Gangwon-do was the venue of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang previously, which went down in history as the “Peace Games” due to the joint appearance of North and South Korean athletes.
The 12th WCG Gangneung 2023 welcomed 25,000 participants from choirs worldwide coming together to celebrate their love of song – with 324 teams, including 95 teams from 33 foreign countries, partaking in competitions and other activities in six venues citywide over 11 days.
Host city, Gangneung, is known for its breathtaking location by the sea in front of awe-inspiring mountainous scenery.
To allow the overseas delegates to explore the surroundings with ease, Gangneung Cultural Heritage Night Tours were provided at the Gangneung Local Government Office and Yeongwol Seobu Market.
Besides, daily street performances were also staged at Wolhwa Street, Gyeongpo Beach, Jumunjin Market, Jeongdongjin Station and Gangneung Church, to add to the enjoyment of the participants.
On the sporting front, the East Asian nation also hosted the Asia-Pacific Masters Games 2023 Jeonbuk Korea for the first time in May. The nine-day event was staged across 14 cities and counties in Jeollabuk-do.
An international sports event held every four years, this year’s edition saw about 3,000 delegates participating in 25 sporting events including archery, badminton, baseball, bowling, cycling, golf, swimming, triathlon, and wushu.
Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) assisted organisers by operating welcome desks at Incheon and Gimpo Airports to receive overseas participants.
During the Games period, a Jeonbuk shuttle bus was deployed to provide connectivity from the stadium to the province’s major tourist attractions. Various tours were also provided for delegates to explore neighbouring places of interest easily during their stay.
Other major events in 2023 include the 10th International Electric Vehicle Expo in May which attracted 7,380 attendees; and the 56th Asian Development Bank Annual Meeting in the same month welcomed 5,000 delegates.
Thousands more took part in the 2023 Global Marketing Conference and 28th TCTAP, recognised as the best international academic conference in the field of interventional cardiovascular medicine in the Asia-Pacific region.
This November, Seoul will host the 2023 Annual Global Meeting of the International Gynecologic Cancer Society, as well as one of the mega events in eSports, the League of Legends World Championship. Both events are set to welcome about 2,000 and 12,000 respectively.
This year’s stellar showing can be attributed to KTO’s MICE Bureau’s various attractive initiatives directed at inbound business events.
Among others, business events organisers and planners can obtain financial assistance, as well as marketing and liaison support, with the actual amount of financial support dependent on the event size and scope.
Assistance ranges from complimentary accommodation (subject to conditions); cost defrayment on items payable to local contractors; subsidies for cultural entertainment and bidding expenses; to customisable souvenirs.
The bureau will also ensure overseas prospects are updated on the latest happenings in the business events sector, help with coordination with local suppliers, as well as organise site tours and orientation trips.
KTO’s spokesperson added: “With the end of the pandemic, competition to attract MICE events has fully resumed. With the resumption of offline events, demand for special experiences has increased, and with it, the need for event planning that is unique in terms of location and content.”
Interested in organising your next event in South Korea?
Find out more about the support and assistance available here.
