Late last year, exhibition and conference industry professionals gathered in Seoul for the annual Korea MICE Expo and co-located Seoul MICE Forum, taking place in the Coex conference and exhibition venue.
On the opening day of the event, North Korea responded to joint military exercises by the South and the USA by shelling the small island of Yeonpyeong. The violence killed two marines and at least two civilians, and put the peninsula directly in the international spotlight.
International visitors to the Expo would never have guessed anything like it was taking place. Everything went on smoothly, as planned. The only deviation from the programme was when Samuel Koo, president and CEO of the Seoul Tourism Corporation, called for a moment of silence during his opening speech out of respect for the dead. If not for this, then all the visitors – EW included – could have wined, dined, networked, and been driven back to their cosy hotels without any idea of what was going down.
Visitors wanted to know if their hosts are about to go to war. However, it took professional stoicism to stick to a rigorous schedule at a time when people would be forgiven for thinking more about their families than the job at hand. This attitude to finishing the task at hand despite extenuating circumstances is exemplary of the work ethic which has brought Korea forward so quickly in the last few decades.
However, the same cultural importance placed on doing one’s duty can also impede the growth of the events industry. According to Martin Sirk, CEO of the International Congress and Conference Association, the people in client-facing positions are reluctant to make decisions for themselves for fear of undermining their superiors. The result is that every decision has to be channelled back up through the ranks and then sent back down, leading to losses of adaptability and responsiveness, both crucial for hosting live events.
By hosting the G20 summit late last year, Korea hoped to boost its profile as an international events destination, and spotlight Seoul as the new high-tech events centre with the newly-expanded 36,000sqm Coex at its exhibition heart. Seoul’s offer is a good one: the city has plenty of venue space, good transport links to Incheon airport, and over the last 10 years has poured a lot of money into rejuvenating central areas of the city. Traffic is difficult however, and pollution can be a problem. Also, there is a lack of sufficient quality hotel rooms to accommodate large numbers of up-market business visitors.
Despite the wealth of venue space, high business levels and top-notch technology, a shortage of trained professionals faces the maturing Korean MICE sector. According to Koo, low starting salaries make it difficult to bring qualified new graduates into the exhibition sector.
“All the regional, local and national tourism organisations are looking for trained people,” he said, “but at the same time the wage level isn’t high enough so it is difficult to attract people to the industry.” An undefined career path in exhibitions or conferences is also discouraging young Koreans from committing themselves wholeheartedly to the industry.
Korea, like any country, faces challenges. However, organisers underestimate the small peninsula at their peril. When the country brings its dominant work ethic to bear on events, it will leap forward with the same speed as it has in other fields like information technology.
Korea’s major venues
Kintex, Gyeonggi-do: 53,975sqm (54,508sqm as of September 2011)
Coex, Seoul: 36,027sqm
Bexco, Busan: 33,183sqm
Kotrex, Daejon: 29,195sqm
Exco, Daegu: 22,716sqm
