STO, KTO end partnership for Korea MICE Expo

 Karen Yue, reporting from Korea MICE Expo 2013, Seoul, June 26, 2013

SEOUL Tourism Organization (STO) has ended its joint partnership with the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) in the management of the 14th Korea MICE Expo (KME), which opens today.

This year's MICE tradeshow, held over three days at COEX in Seoul, is organised by KTO and supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Speaking to TTG Asia e-Daily, KTO president and CEO, Charm Lee, explained that budget cuts had resulted in STO's withdrawal from the event sponsorship.

STO vice president, Maureen O'Crowley, said: "We are disappointed not being able to support KME. We have had it for the past three years, and had done such an exceptional job in turning it into an international business events show.

"While we are not able to support the event this year, we do try to maintain a strong presence at the show. We probably have the largest booth here, with 33 sellers in the Seoul pavilion."

Min Hong Min, executive director of KTO's MICE bureau, said considerations were being made to host KME in other South Korean cities, although he declined to name which ones.

"Plans are still being drawn so we can't say which city will host KME next. We should move the event around to spread the tourism benefits to other destinations. Any city in South Korea has ready infrastructure to host KME."

Sourced: ttgasia