The city of Seoul and the Seoul Tourism Organization (STO) took part in IT&CMA - Asia’s largest meetings industry exhibition - this month to showcase the city as an exciting MICE destination with world-class facilities and a dynamic cultural scene. The activities in Bangkok for this year’s expo included an evening event spotlighting the city’s vibrant contemporary culture, such as house music and b-boying.

Incentive Travel & Conventions Meetings Asia, or IT&CMA, is held annually in the Thai capital and attracts buyers from around the world - especially from the world’s largest and most populous continent. Held from October 5-7, some 2,000 delegates from over 60 countries, including exhibitors, buyers, corporate travel managers, conference delegates, and international and local media, were in attendance.

At the exhibition, the STO operated an 81-square-meter booth, its largest ever at an IT&CMA event. There, the STO held meetings with buyers to promote Seoul’s MICE facilities, including world-class accommodations, state-of-the-art venues and modern public transportation, as well as outline the services offered by the organization for meeting planners. The booth included five companies from the Seoul MICE Alliance, a recently-formed association of nearly 50 corporations dedicated to strengthening the city\'s competitiveness in the meetings industry.

The centerpiece of Seoul’s activities at IT&CMA 2010 was “Seoul on the Move: Sound and Flavor”, held on October 6 and aimed at allowing delegates to experience the city’s popular music and arts scene as well as sample Korean cuisine.  During the event, which took place at the Grand Centara Hotel, around 500 delegates were served a buffet of popular Korean dishes, including barbecue favorites and street food from Seoul’s nightlife districts. The attendees then had the chance to enjoy music and dance from some of the city’s top young talents, including Expressions Crew, one of the world\'s most famous b-boy crews, electric violin sensation Sue Son, a semifinalist on the TV show Britain’s Got Talent, and House Rulez, a house music DJ and performance group. The energy of the performances left a strong impression on the delegates, with one buyer from the U.S. saying that he had until now been unaware of the city’s appeal and that the event inspired him to visit Seoul in the future.     

Seoul on the Move signified a shift in theme from “Seoul Soiree”, held by the STO as part of its activities during IT&CMA 2009. The event last year featured traditional Korean music, fashion, art and cuisine, as well as the city’s cultural attractions and MICE facilities.

Through events such as Seoul on the Move, the STO promotes awareness of the Korean capital as a convention city and tourist destination, while forging industry contacts and boosting Seoul’s profile in new markets. Earlier this year, it took part in GIBTM 2010 in Abu Dhabi, IT&CM 2010 in Shanghai and IMEX 2010 in Frankfurt. The organization also held two European roadshows this year, one in Brussels on May 28 and the other in London on July 12. 

The Seoul Tourism Organization is a joint public/private venture launched by the city of Seoul and private enterprise in February 2008. The Seoul Convention Bureau, a division of STO, represents Seoul’s meetings industry and business tourism interests. 

For more information please contact Eugene Choi of the Seoul Tourism Organization at 82-2-3788-0827 or jkchoi@seoulwelcome.com .