Seoul Convention Bureau Launches New Promotion, Steve’s Complete Convention Plan
The Seoul Convention Bureau (SCB) looks to capitalize on its new online network of over 5,000 friends and followers with its new social media campaign, “Steve’s Complete Convention Plan”. This marks the SCB’s next step in expanding its online reach to a wider audience, including its target market of the meetings industry. Running until the end of November, the promotion invites visitors to follow a new weekly web comic about Seoul’s meetings industry, encouraging participants to help the comic’s protagonist experience the ideal convention itinerary in Seoul.
Light, meetings-oriented content and sponsored partnership of several Seoul MICE Alliance members is expected to help draw a broad range of interest, especially from those considering visits to Seoul for business and tourism. The SCB’s growing online network attracted the participation of a wide variety of businesses, including Lotte Hotel Seoul, Intercontinental Seoul COEX, Premium Pass International, N Seoul Tower, Samcheonggak, Platoon Kunsthalle, Club Freebird, Min’s Club, and O’ngo Food Communication.

The web comic was launched on the Bureau’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/miceseoul) on October 31st, and spotlights Steve, a fictional business traveler who has flown into Seoul for the 2011 UNESCO Creative Cities Network Conference. During his 4-day stay, he discovers a variety of unique meetings facilities and experiences some of Seoul’s many attractions. Similar to the SCB’s past social media events, the promotion will continually promote and educate fans about Seoul’s world-class meetings infrastructure and service.
At several junctures in the story, fans are asked to help Steve choose between the many options available to him, made possible through interactive use of Facebook’s tagging features. Fan votes help complete the story and finalize an actual itinerary. One lucky participant of this promotion will win 2 roundtrip flights to Seoul and other prizes related to the web comic.
The new promotion seeks to build upon the success of the Seoul Sizzling Sweepstakes, a month-long promotion in August that involved over 25 local businesses and over 700 contestants. The social media marketing campaign was run from the SCB’s official website, www.miceseoul.com, and featured daily advertisements for top attractions in Seoul. Sponsors offered prizes for international visitors to the website, Facebook page, and Twitter www.twitter.com – the bureau’s social networking sites seeing a 900% increase in friends and followers over the course of the promotion.
Through the new event, the SCB continues to seek new ways of reaching out to key industry professionals through social media. Aside from real-time updates on Seoul’s convention and tourism industries, the SCB’s social networking platforms aim to further boost the city’s branding as a leading meetings destination.
To find out more, visit: www.facebook.com/miceseoul
The Seoul Tourism Organization (STO) is a joint venture launched by the city and private enterprises in February 2008 with a core mission to promote Seoul as a convention and tourism destination. The Seoul Convention Bureau, a division of the STO, is the official government-sponsored body representing and promoting the city overseas as a prime venue for meetings, conventions and exhibitions. The SCB is in charge of international marketing and public relations for Seoul as a convention city.
In the most recent set of UIA rankings, Seoul was ranked 5th in the world for number of international conferences hosted in 2010

