First in the world to receive the marketing awards of UFI and ICCA
ICCA – the International Congress and Convention Association – announced that KINTEX was recognized for the ICCA Best Marketing Award. With this honour, KINTEX became the first company in the world to receive marketing awards from ICCA and UFI, the most prestigious associations in the global exhibition and convention industry.
ICCA, established in 1963, is the largest international association in the convention industry, with 1,175 organizations and companies from 92 countries participating as members. The ICCA has awarded the ICCA Best Marketing Award to recognize the excellence and outstanding achievements of organisations in their effort to market their destination or product.
This year, in consideration of the socio-economic situation caused by Covid-19, five members were recognized for each field under the theme ‘Leadership in Changing Times,’ and revealed at the ICCA Congress held in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, on November 3. KINTEX was recognized in front of convention industry leaders from around the world and Frank Yang, director of convention marketing of KINTEX presented its innovative framework for re-opening the venue during the pandemic which has been used in many other venues and destinations around the world.
“We are once again being recognized as a leader in the global convention and exhibition industry”
KINTEX presented a case of wisely overcoming the negative effects of the Covid-19 pandemic through an ‘innovative framework’ in a crisis situation. The judges gave high marks for creating a comprehensive and innovative framework for re-opening a venue during the pandemic, which has subsequently been adopted in different parts of the world as the go-to standard. In particular, KINTEX’s quarantine system was adopted as a model example in the Covid-19 quarantine manual jointly issued by UFI(The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry), ICCA(The International Congress and Convention Association) and the AIPC(The International Association of Convention Centres) and presented as the global standard.
Earlier this year, KINTEX received global attention by safely and successfully holding an exhibition for only the second time in the world amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Although 89 exhibition and conventions were held from May 8th to August 17th which drew 330,000 visitors, no confirmed cases of Covid-19 occurred due to a thorough quarantine system. KINTEX’s infection prevention system was adopted as a best practice by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(KCDC).
Lee Hwa Young, CEO of KINTEX, stated, “Following last year’s UFI Marketing Awards, we are once again being recognized as a leader in the global convention and exhibition industry upon being recognized for the Best Marketing Award by ICCA, in which the leaders of the global convention industry participate. KINTEX became the first company in the world to win both the UFI and ICCA Marketing Awards, and through these awards, the status of the Korean convention industry, which wisely coped with the Covid-19 crisis, has received the international spotlight.”
