Seoul has won hosting duties for the 2020 World Conference on Non-Destructive Testing (WCNDT), which is expected to bring 1,500 foreign participants from 90 countries. The world top-5 convention city, with its proven track record for hosting large congresses, has been chosen by the Korean Committee for Non-Destructive Testing (KCNDT) to be the host city. The bid itself showcased the many virtues of Seoul as a meetings capital and was completed with the help of the Seoul Convention Bureau bidding clinic.
The International Committee for Non-Destructive Testing declared Korea as the next host country during the organization’s General Assembly on April 19th. Prior to delivering the bid, the KCNDT worked closely with the Seoul Convention Bureau to develop the best possible presentation. After announcing Seoul as the 2020 host city, the assembly commented that the KCNDT had delivered the best presentation, and lauded it for being well-prepared with an excellent array of publicity and informational material.
“Our bidding clinic is one of the big ways in which we’re able to help congress organizers win international meetings and events for Seoul,” says Jin-Hyeok Park, Senior Director of Seoul Convention Bureau.
“We work closely with them on every aspect of their proposal, from the presentation judges will see on screen to helping them determine which of Seoul’s meetings assets are best emphasized. The city’s high-tech infrastructure is a good example of this, and something that tends to convince many to choose Seoul for their event. Our competitive financial support package, made possible thanks to strong local government support, is also a strong draw.”
Recent conferences won with the support of the bidding clinic the include 20th Triennial Meeting of the International Association of Forensic Science (IAFS) in 2014, the 19th Confederation of Asian and Pacific Accounts (CAPA) Conference in 2015, and the 25th World Road Congress in 2015.
Seoul’s WCNDT success is further underscored by the expectation that 2020 would see the conference return to the Americas, with the committee also considering proposals from Mexico City and Rio de Janeiro. Despite the congress having been held in Asia as recently as 2008, Seoul secured the majority vote from the General Assembly in the first round of voting.
The WCNDT is a quadrennial event focused upon the practice of evaluating the properties of a material, component or system without causing damage.
WCDNT Seoul is currently scheduled for October 2020 at the Coex convention and exhibition center, venue of the recent Seoul Nuclear Security Summit.
For more information on the Seoul Convention Bureau’s free bidding clinic, please contact smile@seoulwelcome.com
The Seoul Convention Bureau (SCB), a division of the Seoul Tourism Organization, is the official government-sponsored body representing and promoting the city overseas as a prime venue for meetings, conventions and exhibitions. The SCB is in charge of international marketing and public relations for Seoul as a convention city. The Seoul Tourism Organization (STO) is a joint venture launched by the city and private enterprises in February 2008 with a core mission to promote Seoul as a convention and tourism destination.
In the most recent set of UIA rankings, Seoul was ranked 5th in the world for number of international conferences hosted in 2010. |