National MICE Festival Opens at Suwon Convention Center

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Seo Dong-young] '2019 Gyeonggi MICE Day' and 'Republic of Korea MICE Awards and Conference' held their grand opening on the 5th at the Suwon Convention Center.

MICE is a term derived from the initials of ▲Meeting (corporate conferences) ▲Incentive travel (incentive tourism) ▲Convention (international conferences) ▲Exhibition (trade shows), referring to a convergence industry.

The MICE industry, with its diverse related industries and significant economic ripple effects, is called a 'smokeless golden industry' and a 'goose that lays golden eggs.' It creates high-value-added effects including regional economic revitalization, linked tourism boom, and improved city image. There is a global trend of fostering the MICE industry.

The Gyeonggi MICE Day, now in its 9th year, and the 'Republic of Korea MICE Awards and Conference,' now in its 17th year, jointly hosted by Suwon City, Gyeonggi Province, and the Korea Tourism Organization with sponsorship from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, were held simultaneously for the first time in commemoration of the opening of the Suwon Convention Center.

The event brought together not only MICE professionals from Gyeonggi Province but also around 400 MICE industry leaders from across the nation representing Korea's MICE business. They took stock of the 2019 MICE industry and explored ways to strengthen the competitiveness of Korea's MICE industry.

The 'Republic of Korea MICE Awards and Conference,' held under the theme of 'Expanding the Application of Meeting Technology Using ICT (Information and Communication Technology) and Activating Green MICE,' proceeded with keynote speeches and exhibitions by IT companies applicable to the MICE field. There were also awards for those who contributed to the MICE industry over the past year.

The Gyeonggi MICE Conference consisted of business consultation meetings between around 30 overseas buyers from 8 countries including China, Taiwan, and Singapore, and domestic sellers.

Prior to the main conference, on the 4th, a welcome banquet for overseas buyers was held at the Suwon Convention Center at the invitation of Suwon City.

At the opening ceremony, Mayor Yeom Tae-young stated, "When the affiliated facilities including hotels, department stores, and aquariums open one after another next year, the Suwon Convention Center area will become a true 'MICE complex.'" He added, "Furthermore, the Asia-Pacific Environmental Ministers Conference to be held next year will be an opportunity to showcase 'Environmental Capital Suwon' to the entire world."