Conference & Meetings World Supplements Seoul Supplement | Page 7

Seoul Meet with success in Seoul F rom Seoul’s best meeting venues to the city’s most experienced service providers, the Seoul MICE Alliance (SMA) has everything the event planner needs to make their international gathering a success. Created in 2011, the SMA is a partnership between the Seoul Metropolitan Government and 195 meeting industry businesses. Formed to enhance the city’s global competitiveness, the alliance is operated by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Convention Bureau, with the joint aim of better promoting Seoul’s meetings infrastructure and advantages to buyers around the world. Members include local convention centres, hotels, and unique venues, as well as PCOs, DMCs, transportation services, event service and equipment providers, selected retail outlets, entertainment agencies, and local organisations. Companies participating in the SMA work closely with the city of Seoul to carry out overseas marketing activities. Meanwhile, event planners and organizers that utilize SMA member companies receive additional benefits if they obtain public assistance in attracting, holding and promoting events.In September, the SMA welcomed 28 new members to the fold, creating even more incentives for international event planners to choose Seoul. Heon Kang, a senior director at the Seoul Convention Bureau, who also oversaw the 2015 SMA Annual Meeting, said that the alliance’s core mission is to make Seoul “more competitive for international business events through local cooperation”. CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD 7