Interview: Kwon Jong Sool, Executive Director of the Korea MICE Bureau, KTO

What is the current state of MICE in Korea? Are major events and conferences making a comeback?

Kwon Jong Sool - Korea is actively working to resumption of face-to-face events. KTO (Korea Tourism Organization) actively supports the hosting of international conferences andincentive operationsand thanks to the selection of "Korea Unique VenuesAs part of the Korea MICE programme, it is preparing MICE decision-makers from around the world to organise successful events in Korea. Several medium to large-scale events are already planned, including the 10th DPI World Assembly in 2023 and the World Conference on Doping in Sport in 2025. At the same time, we are actively carrying out promotional activities to attract the public to Korea."Expo 2030 à Busan.

You mentioned the "unique places" programme: what does it involve?

Kwon Jong Sool - Through the "Korea Unique VenuesKTO selects venues that allow visitors to experience the unique charms of the country, and by promoting the selected venues, aims to promote Korea as a MICE destination. Korea Unique Venues" are selected on the basis of a pool of places recommended by each region. They have to pass a selection process, including an on-site visit to the facilities. All in all, 39 sites are currently selected as "Unique Venues". For MICE decision-makers, the "Korea Unique Venue" brand should identify special programmes and venues that can only be experienced in Korea.

How important is Europe, and the French market in particular, for the MICE industry in Korea?

Kwon Jong Sool - According to a survey of attendees at MICE events in 2019, so before the border restrictions, the average number of visits to Korea from Europe was the second highest with an average of 1.77 visits, and the length of stay was also the second longest with an average of 7.63 days. As these results show, French and European participants travel to Korea on several occasions and for long periods of timeThis makes them one of the leading countries in the Korean MICE sector. Although there is a history of academic conferences organised in conjunction with Korean universities, there are not yet many French-based industries or academic associations organising independent events in Korea.

What are event organisers looking for in Korea: the modernity of a big city like Seoul or the traditional resources of the hinterland?

Kwon Jong Sool - Korea's charm works differently in different regions. In the case of major cities such as Seoul and IncheonPublic transport is very practical and makes it easy to enjoy the destination. Outside the major cities, these are a more local experienceI'd like to give you a real Korean experience. I'm thinking in particular of the gastronomy using local products, the experience of the hanoks and the ecological parks. All these elements explain the popularity of MICE operations in Korea. And with Korea's well-established transport infrastructure, it's easy to get from one place to another. combine an event in a major city with a stay in another part of the country. For example, in the case of the "Korea MICE Expo 2022" organised by KTO next November, the exhibitions will be held in Incheon, and the trips for foreign buyers afterwards will take place in Gyeonggi and Busan/Ulsan. The longest journey, between Incheon and Busan, can be made in less than 3 hours on the KTX high-speed train. Participants can therefore discover both the charms of a major metropolitan city and those of neighbouring towns during a single event.

Korean culture is everywhere, through K-Pop, K-Tech, K-Food... Are you taking advantage of this "hallyu", this cultural wave, on the MICE market?

Kwon Jong Sool - With the growing influence of Korean content, the demand for experiences has increased. Incentive trips allow participants to experience Hallyu-related content up close, and as part of this, visitors can visit K-drama or film locations, or take part in cultural experiences such as the traditional Korean games featured in Netflix's hit series, Squid Game. This makes for an even more diverse programme.

What does your commitment to sustainable development mean in concrete terms?

Kwon Jong Sool - Sustainability in the MICE sector has become a major factor and KTO is promoting various projects in this direction. We recently published the ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) Guideline to Hosting MICE Events, which measures the carbon and waste emissions resulting from an event, including the transport of participants, and provides an overview of the implementation of environmentally friendly practices in detailed aspects throughout the operation. This guideline will be piloted at the Korea MICE Expo 2022. Through this guideline, we plan to redefine the duties and roles of event organisers and participants for a more sustainable MICE industry, and actively encourage members to realise various social values such as environmental protection as well as symbiosis with local communities.

Are you planning to inaugurate new event infrastructures in the coming months, or are you relying more on the hybrid formats that have emerged with the crisis?

Kwon Jong Sool - During the health crisis, faced with the difficulties of travelling, we made breakthroughs, particularly in the field of hybrid events with the help of technology. But this episode also highlighted the crucial nature of face-to-face interaction in MICE. Indeed, now that international travel has resumed, demand for face-to-face events has surged in Korea. In terms of infrastructure, we are preparing to attract more diversified and larger-scale events, with theopening of the second exhibition hall at the Daejeon convention centre in early 2022 and the forthcoming expansion of KINTEX (Korea International Exhibition Centre). It was difficult to organise events in person for two years, but the Korean facilities, infrastructure and companies took advantage of this period to reorganise and bounce back. Today we are ready to welcome MICE participants.