The Coex Convention and Exhibition Center in Seoul, South Korea has revealed a project to develop an international convention venue network.
Coex has appealed to convention centres worldwide to build a network of knowledge sharing and bid support. Its representatives have already made deals with ICE Jakarta representatives and the Indonesia Convention Exhibition (ICE), Jakarta. Coex also reports that it has signed agreements with convention centers in Canada, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, and Japan.
The agreements include stipulations to help benchmark services such as catering, and facility operations, as well as measures to improve the overall service of each participating venue based on client needs.
“As the MICE industry is continuing to evolve with technology and a younger generation, it’s very important for our services to grow with them,” said Bo Kyung Byun, president and CEO of Coex. “Establishing a partnership network is key in ensuring that we all stay on the cutting edge of the meeting service industry.”
In addition to benchmarking services and sharing knowledge, Coex has agreed to support its international partners in securing bids for events it has held in the past by sharing bid documents and providing letters of recommendation to event organisers.
“As technology continues to evolve, so too are the needs of meeting planners,” said Kyung Byun. “Now more than ever it is important for venues to re-evaluate their offerings and work together to better serve their clients in 2017 and beyond.”
Current trends, according to Bo, show the use of technologies including mobile apps, registration systems, and social media is of growing importance to meeting planners.
An emphasis on food and beverage, and the associated increasing costs are also having a big impact on the needs of meeting planners in 2017. He adds that the normalisation of the sharing economy, it is a critical time for venues.
