The Seoul Convention Bureau (SCB) will participate in the Europe Incentive Business Travel & Meetings (EIBTM) expo 2011 being held from November 29 - December 1 in Barcelona, Spain, to promote the Korean capital as a key meetings industry destination and continue the city's inroads into the lucrative European meetings market. The expo is Spain's largest meeting, incentive, convention and exhibition (MICE) industry event and one of the biggest on the continent. It is a return appearance for Seoul, whose attendance in 2010 generated significant interest among attendees and the media.

This year's EIBTM is expected to draw over 14,000 participants, including representatives from about 100 countries and 6,000 buyers. Exhibitors will include airlines, national and regional tourism authorities, major hotels and travel agencies.

The SCB will operate a 36m² booth at the three-day exhibition, along with 3 members of the Seoul MICE Alliance, a public-private partnership of 72 of the city's major meetings infrastructure corporations, ranging from convention centers and organizers to travel agencies, transportation organizations and top business hotels. Attending members will include Coex, Seoul Design Foundation (the group supervising the Dongdaemun Design Plaza set to open in 2013), and the Grand Hilton Seoul.

In addition, booth visitors will have the opportunity to participate in a special social media promotion. Those who upload photographs of themselves at the booth and upload the images on the SCB Facebook will go into the running to receive a prize. Full details of the promotion will be on www.facebook.com/miceseoul, which visitors can easily access by scanning a QR code at the booth.

For Seoul, EIBTM is a major means of forging inroads into the European market, and the SCB hopes to build upon the success it achieved during last year’s event.

On that occasion, with the city having recently played host to the 2010 Seoul G-20 Summit, turned the Korea MICE Expo into a major international trade show, and dubbed ‘World Design Capital’ and ‘UNESCO Creative Capital of Design’. The city’s high profile made its inaugural EIBTM presence a stand-out affair. The SCB giving five presentations on Seoul, numerous buyer consultations, interviews with major industry magazines, and participated in the EIBTM CEO Summit.

Visit Seoul at Booth D500. For more information on Seoul at EIBTM, please contact Ms. Diane Kim at dianekim@seoulwelcome.com