Seoul, with its 600 years of history, is a city that stands firm between the time of the ancients and the speeding technological juggernaut of the 21^st Century. It is a nexus point between past and future ages, while its ever-growing commitment to become one of the world’s top convention cities has already earned the confidence and trust of many international organizations, including the G20, which held their 5^th summit in November at Seoul

Seoul is a recognized world-class venue for meetings, conventions and exhibitions. It ranked 9^th worldwide among international meeting cities with 151 conferences held in 2009, and No. 2 in Asia behind Singapore, according to the research statistics of the Union of International Associations (UIA). Seoul’s ranking underscores its strength as a meetings venue, bringing its quest to become one of the ‘top 5 convention cities’ worldwide closer to reality.

For all conventions, conferences and meetings great and small, Seoul’s facilities have it covered -

COEX: One of the city’s top convention and exhibition facilities, providing 437, 221m² of space.  It houses 4 exhibition halls and a total of 51 conference rooms (the total number of subdivisions possible). The complex features 2 luxury hotels, a casino, multiplex cinema, and 100 restaurants featuring local and international cuisine. 

Seoul Trade Exhibition & Convention Center (SETEC): Another main meeting facility, SETEC covers some 34,600m² of floor space overall, with 15,630m² of adjustable floor space available for exhibitions and conventions. The facility provides 4 main meeting rooms and 3 exhibition halls. 

Voted ‘World’s Best Airport’ by Airports Council International for 5 years running, ‘World’s Best Airport 2009’ by Skytrax, and ‘Best Airport Worldwide’ at the first Airport Service Quality Awards, Incheon International Airport is an acclaimed standard bearer in air travel. Due to its unique location, it is able to offer the shortest flights between Asia and both Europe and the United States. 

Seoul makes it simple to get around. An extensive subway system that criss-crosses Seoul provides connections to all of the city’s facilities, from major convention centers and hotels to the two major airports. Color-coded buses take the guesswork out of public transport, while smart bus stops supply the traveler with routes, travel times and ETAs. Taxis with multiple fare-paying options and special taxis operated by English-speaking drivers make your trip through Seoul easy. High-speed rail makes intercity travel a breeze, thanks to the new KTX-II, a deluxe train providing travel in comfort and style. 

The city has numerous super-deluxe convention hotels in convenient locations capable of handling events and conferences of varying sizes, including: JW Marriot, The Westin Chosun Hotel, Lotte Hotel Seoul, Shilla Hotel, COEX Intercontinental Seoul, Grand Hyatt & Millennium Hilton. Seoul offers approximately 24 distinct types of international cuisine in restaurants across the city.

The city has numerous attractions including Palaces, Temples, Museums of Traditional History & Contemporary Art. The buildings of Seoul are a treat to eyes as they are aesthetically designed to meet the standards of 'The Design City'. Set amidst the scenic mountains by the beautiful Han River, Seoul offers a fascinating experience to the travellers looking at a complete travel experience.

The Seoul Tourism Organization 

The Seoul Tourism Organization is a public-private firm, driven primarily by government funding and launched by the city in February 2008, which was set up in order to promote the city’s general and business tourism industries. The STO works to improve and champion Seoul’s many attractions as a tourist destination by liaising with the various sectors of the local tourism industry and conducting promotion campaigns designed to raise global awareness of what the city has to offer. The STO is the city’s primary source of information for overseas tourism markets, developing and distributing materials in connection with city promotions. 

Locally, the organization assists with the development and planning of domestic tourism facilities, including accommodation, transport, entertainment and restaurants. It also actively supports other forms of tourism, including medical, sport and cultural performances. 

The Seoul Convention Bureau 

The Seoul Convention Bureau is a division of the Seoul Tourism Organization. Now in its third year of operation, the SCB’s core aims are to market Seoul abroad as a prime destination for meetings, conventions and exhibitions, and to provide support for event planners and business tourists.

The SCB also provides valuable services to event planners wishing to hold corporate meetings or exhibitions in Seoul, ranging from financial support for meetings to expert volunteers able to assist at the event. The organization provides assistance in airport welcoming services, transport facilities, site inspections, bidding proposals and cultural familiarization services to help business tourists adjust to the local environment. It is also a key information resource for planners and business professionals on everything from accommodation to transport and points of interest. 

Seoul wants your international meetings and is prepared to go the extra distance to make it happen. For meetings with a minimum of 50 participants, the Seoul Metropolitan Government will provide event planners with up to 100 million won (USD 83.6 thousand). Meanwhile, event planners for Small and Medium Enterprises will receive subsidies of up to 30 million won (USD 25.1 thousand) if their event will be attended by 30 or more participants staying in Seoul for at least 2 days, and if the meetings are already scheduled.