The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Wednesday announced subsidies to groups winning bids to host international events that will be attended by at least 50 foreign participants.

It will also offer consulting and other education on organizing global events and offer welcoming services to incoming foreign visitors.

The city said these and other measures will be implemented to foster the MICE (Meetings, incentives, conferencing, exhibitions) industry with a goal to become of the three best MICE cities in the world by 2018.
 

The city plans to win bids to host such large-scale global events such as the World Forestry Congress in 2021 that will be attended by some 10,000, the annual International Trademark Association conference in 2010 (with participation of some 9,500), and International Congress of Psychology in 2024 (about 8,000 attendees).  

Organizations that host international exhibitions will be given subsidies of up to 150 million won ($121,000) depending on the number of participants, use of accommodation and others. Those that host company conferences or incentive tours will be eligible to receive subsidies of up to 100 million won.

Those who host such events for the first time will be given training on how to cater to foreign visitors and prepare various materials in English.

For foreign visitors attending Seoul’s global events, welcoming kits, tour consultations and translation services will be offered.

The city said it is also operating a special taskforce to support the opening of the International Rotary Conference to be held in May this year.

Other plans included linking job seekers with MICE businesses to boost employment.

“Seoul has great potential as we were selected as the world’s best MICE city by Business Traveler U.S. and Global Traveler last year,” said the city’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Headquarters chief Kim Ui-seung. 

(khnews@heraldcorp.com)