Incheon Metropolitan City, Republic of Korea, is emerging as a hub city in Northeast Asia. The reason is that Incheon is coming into the limelight as the fastest gateway city to Korea and a beneficiary of the government’s economic development policy. In particular, along with the completion of Incheon Songdo International Conference Complex Zone (ICCZ), Incheon is strengthening its position as a core city of the MICE (Meeting Incentives Convention Exhibition) industry.
Incheon is only 28 km away from Seoul, the capital of Korea, and thanks to this geographical advantage, both the air and sea routes are available, providing an optimal transportation environment. Incheon has secured a traffic network in all directions, such as the Incheon Port, the Incheon subway line, and the Incheon International Airport. Currently, Incheon is connected to 52 countries, 88 airlines, and 173 cities. Thanks to these advantageous points, Incheon continues to grow by building various industrial and logistics complexes, tourism and leisure complexes and new residential complexes, expanding expressways and increasing educational and cultural facilities.
Furthermore, Incheon won the title of the safest city in the world in 2016 by the global statistics website ‘Numbeo’. This is thanks to the 24-hour monitoring smart city system, and Incheon is able to provide the safety service in all areas, including traffic, crime prevention, and disasters. Also, there is a specialized hospital for foreigners, so emergency medical services can be provided regardless of where patients come from.
Smart MICE is also a big strength of Incheon. Smart MICE is substantialized by more than 219 advanced Internet of Things (IoT) data-collecting sensors to collect and analyze the flow of tourists throughout Incheon, including tourist areas. This is used as basic data for the development of the MICE industry. Moreover, real-time monitoring solutions are in operation through state-of-the-art information-collecting sensors and environmental information-collecting devices. The core idea is to highlight the merits of the MICE industry by constructing a systematic control system with an immediate response. Smart digital signage platforms also contribute to the development of the MICE industry, such as indoor multimedia, KIOSK, outdoor rotating media board, bus information terminal, and a guide robot ROMI.
In 2018, Incheon established the Five-Year Plan for fostering and promoting the Incheon Songdo International Conference Complex Zone. Incheon has been promoting the complex district project with an emphasis on creating an ecosystem for the MICE industry and building infrastructure. Accordingly, the ICCZ has been in the spotlight as a specialized district to foster the international conference industry, which will lead the MICE industry in Incheon. Accommodation, shopping, and cultural facilities are concentrated around Songdo Convensia, providing one-stop service to international conference participants.
In the ICCZ, there are new and fascinating venues like Art Center Incheon, mega shopping malls like Hyundai Premium Outlet, and Songdo Triple Street, tourism accommodations like Sheraton Grand Incheon Hotel, Oakwood Premier Incheon, Orakai Songdo Park Hotel, Holiday Inn Incheon Songdo Hotel, Songdo Sky Park Hotel, and Songdo Central Park Hotel, proving Incheon’s competitive edge in attracting international conferences.
Incheon is also showing its determination to prepare an institutional basis and systematic approach for fostering the Incheon-specific international conference industry in the future. Incheon aims to lead the growth of the MICE industry of Korea through these efforts.
