South Korea's Old and New Event Offerings

It's a special destination that preserves its history while keeping up with the latest innovations, be that in fashion, music, or technology. In a relatively short period of time, South Korea worked its way out of the poverty and devastation of the Korean War to the prosperity on display at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Now the same energy and determinatiion the country showed throughout the 60s and 70s is bolstering its meetings and events infrastructure, due in no small part to the forthcoming 2018 Winter Games. In addition, Buddhist temples, dynastic palaces, large swaths of mountains, and complex and delicious food add to this destination's allure for groups.

There were 1.17 million visitors last year, a 30 percent increase from 2015, reports Bae Ho Kim, director of KTO's Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions (MICE) planning and coordination team. "But we need more awareness," he says.

Although tensions between the United States and North Korea have heightened in recent weeks, the issues surrounding North Korea should be addressed but shouldn't be a deterrent for groups traveling to South Korea, says J. David Rozsa, chief executive officer of McLean, VA--based Metacred, an association management company that specializes in credentialing. "Whenever we plan a meeting in a place that has experienced a recent tragedy, we get one or two people who question the potential risk, and we tell them we can't predict where lightning will strike and you can't live your life worrying about it," he says. "We feel the same way about South Korea. When planning a meeting here, we will take all the necessary precautions one takes when planning any meeting."

Rozsa was in the country in June attending the Korea MICE Expo 2017 at the Incheon Songdo Convensia, a state-of-the-art convention center 17 miles outside of Seoul. During the expo, Rozsa met with representatives from many of the country's convention and visitors bureaus and was impressed with the multitude of state-of-the-art congress centers to choose from and their accessibility.

Seoul, the capital of South Korea, is a business-minded city with a commercial hum, but also dotted with gardens, shrines, palaces, and hanoks -- traditional houses often built around courtyards. The city's Gyeongbokgung Palace, the oldest and grandest of five Joseon Dynasty palaces with a history that dates back to 1394, is surrounded by majestic, glistening modern buildings, as well as trendsetting restaurants and galleries that are a stroll away.

"A commitment to excellence is universal here and hospitality is an inherent part of the culture," says Rozsa. "There is a very harmonious integration of traditional values of excellence, modesty, and hospitality combined with sophistication and worldliness that is very hard to find these days. Just look at its flag."

A taegeuk sits at the center of the country's flag -- a design inspired by the Chinese yin and yang, in blue and white, intertwined as one. It is a fitting symbol for a destination balancing old and new.

"The country has done a really good job of modernizing without giving up their heritage in a way other countries have struggled," says Rozsa. "The initial impression of Korea on the global stage doesn't do it justice."

Meetings Powerhouse
Historically the heart of Korea, not only is Seoul an economic hub driving cultural innovation, but it's a meetings powerhouse. According to the Union of International Associations (UIA), it was the third-most-popular city for international meetings last year.

On the national level, Korea ranked first by hosting 997 international conferences, 53 percent of which were located in Seoul, followed by Busan and Jeju Island.

Seoul's largest convention center, Coex, opened in 1979 as the first convention and exhibition center in Korea, with the aim of providing a venue for global trade and cultural exchange. The center includes 12 exhibition halls and 93 meeting rooms. The World Trade Center, which houses Coex, is also home to Asia's largest underground shopping center.

As a world leader in technology, Korea boasts some of the fastest Internet speeds in the world, both wired and wireless. Seoul's city-wide Wi-Fi coverage allows connectivity everywhere. The city is also the center of Asian pop culture and has propelled brands like Samsung and Hyundai around the world.

Seoul is graced by the Hangang River that flows through the center of the city as well as majestic mountains. Public parks of all types and sizes are scattered throughout the city. One of the newest is Seoullo 7017, named after a Seoul Station overpass that was built in the 1970s and that today is a pedestrian promenade with more than 24,000 indigenous plants in a variety of colors, a foot bath, and trampolines for the young. Another area in Seoul perfect for a stroll is along the Cheonggyecheon Stream. Set 15 feet below street level, this green oasis in the midst of the city features serene waterfalls, nearly two dozen overhead bridges, art installations, and street performers. It's hard to believe that the original stream was paved over in the late 1950s.

The 123-story Lotte World Tower, which recently opened in Seoul, is Korea's tallest building, boasting the world's highest glass-bottom observation deck -- definitely not for the faint of heart. A mall, aquarium, cinema, and concert hall join the world's highest swimming pool that is housed on the 85th floor, and the world's fastest elevator whisking visitors to the top in one minute. For groups, Signiel Seoul, a 235-room luxury hotel set in the World Tower, has the world's highest ballroom and function spaces.

Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), a futuristic building that opened in 2014, has quickly become one of Seoul's most striking landmarks. Event facilities housed here include two Art Halls, the Design Exhibition Hall, and a Green Showroom with a rooftop lawn. But as with so much in this city, the modern is juxtaposed with the traditional: the DDP sits beneath the slope of scenic Naksan Park and next to the ancient Dongdaemun, the East Gate.

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This article appears in the September 2017 issue of Successful Meetings.