Prevue September-October 2013 - (Page 66)

Korea MICE 2013 [ON LOCATION] JOHN ANDERSON A journey through Seoul, Daegu & Busan There was a heady bustle around the lobby of the 653-room InterContinental Seoul COEX as everyone gathered for the opening ceremony of Korea MICE Expo 2013. It echoed through the high ceilings of the Philippe Starck-inspired lobby lounge, with its massive lamp shades dangling above oversized brown leather couches and plush purple chairs matching the lights overhead. From there, everyone proceeded from the lobby through an underground corridor to the 4.8 million-sf COEX Convention & Exhibition Center next door. Overall, there was a palpable sense of optimism at this year’s MICE Expo with attendance from international hosted buyers higher by more than 50% over 2012. Maureen O’Crowley, vice president of Seoul Tourism Organization, took the stage to welcome the crowd. She stated that Seoul is now the fifth most popular incentive travel destination in the world, up from 11th place just three years ago. Last year, the country hosted 563 conventions. O’Crowley says credit goes to both the private and public sectors in making the city a world-class meetings destination, including in the addition of the 434-room Conrad Seoul in November 2012, and the opening of the 155-room JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul in December 2013. That positive vibe carried over to the evening’s welcome dinner for 500 attendees, hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Seoul Tourism Organization in the Harmony Ballroom of the InterContinental. The four-course meal included seafood japchae—a modern update of a classic Korean glass noodle dish with sautéed seafood and veggies— followed by a light and creamy sweet pumpkin porridge topped by a drizzle of sesame oil, and finally grilled and marinated short ribs for the main course. InterContinental COEX offers 36,000 sf of meeting space and great views of Han River and the upscale Gangnam district—popularized in the mega-viral Gangnam Style video. 60 | prevue magazine 60-63_Korea.indd 60 9/4/13 10:45 AM

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Prevue September-October 2013

Planner's Pick: Orlando
Fresh Meets: Omni Nashville
Bureau Buzz: Puerto Rico
Good Business: Prevue Visionary Awards
Sea Shores: Crystal Cruises
Innovation & Inspiration
On Location: GMIC 2013, Chicago
Special Section: The West USA
Green Luxury
On Location: Club Med Rio Das Pedras
On Location: La Playa, Naples, FL
Stockholm
Korea
On Location: US Virgin Islands
On Location: Starwood New Orleans
Torchbearers 2013
On Location: Westin Snowmass/Aspen
On Location: Paradisus, Dominican Republic
Check Out: Christchurch, New Zealand

Prevue September-October 2013