The year 2011 continues to be one of major recognition for Seoul as a business events capital with the city recently receiving the ‘Best BT MICE City’ award at the 22^nd Annual TTG Travel Awards this month. The achievement underscores Seoul’s rise and increased prominence in the Asian meetings industry market. This follows the announcement three months earlier by the Union of International Statistics that Seoul now captured 5^th place worldwide for the number of conventions hosted in 2010.

The event was held on October 6^th at the World Ballroom in the Centara Grand & Bangkok Conventions Center. It formed part of the 2011 IT&CMA trade show, in which Seoul is actively participating with a promotional booth and promotional road show. Receiving the award on behalf of Seoul was Seoul Convention Bureau vice-president Maureen O’Crowley, who expressed the city’s pleasure over the acknowledgement of its efforts.

“Seoul is very proud to receive this prestigious award. It is very gratifying to receive recognition by the industry for all the hard work the city has undertaken to promote Seoul’s assets to the world.”

The annual TTG Travel Awards, presented by TTG Publishing, recognizes and honors the finest

luminaries in Asia-Pacific’s travel industry. Every year, a city is selected for the ‘Best BT (Business Travel)  MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, Exhibitions) City’ award for outstanding efforts in promoting that city as a business events destination. TTG’s criteria for this award are as follows:

a.       Best services and facilities catering specifically to the BT-MICE market.

b.      Most professional sales and marketing team in terms of innovative ideas and servicing the BT_MICE market.

c.       Most desirable and attractive incentives and value-added services to business travelers and MICE planners.