[Edaily Reporter LEE MINHA ] On the 3rd and 4th, when “Seoul Meta Week” (SMW) was held, the COEX Grand Ballroom in Gangnam-gu, Seoul—the venue for the event—was bustling with crowds day after day. The conference floor, where expert lectures continued nonstop, was so packed throughout both days that it was hard to find an empty seat. Even the area at the back of the venue was filled with people standing to listen to the presentations because they couldn’t find seats.
Kim Bit-na, Assistant Manager at Chris & Partners, the event’s co-organizer and a professional conference organizer (PCO), assessed that “the pivot strategy of shifting the theme to artificial intelligence (AI) last year proved highly effective,” adding, “This year, the number of paying attendees increased to about 1,700—a rise of approximately 40% compared to last year.”

◇ Transition to a Multi-Stage Event Following the Shift to a Paid Model
Seoul Meta Week has demonstrated the potential for success as a “paid” conference. This comes five years after the event adopted a paid model in 2022. The organizers explained that this success resulted from differentiating the program by emphasizing the “application” of AI—specifically, how AI technology can be applied in daily life and the workplace—rather than focusing on highly complex AI technologies. While the event’s theme centered on AI expertise, the program was thoroughly tailored to appeal to a broad audience.
In fact, several attendees described Seoul Meta Week as an event that “scratched where it itched” and “quenched their thirst for AI.” Lee Su-min, a working professional met at the event, commented, “These days, there are so many AI-related events—‘flood’ doesn’t even begin to describe it—but the content is often too difficult and the scope too broad to apply directly to practical work.” She added, “This event was the most satisfying because the content was practical, and I could choose to attend only the lectures I needed.”
Seoul Meta Week first launched in 2021 as “Metacon,” a technology conference focused on the metaverse and Web3. The following year, in 2022, the event expanded in scale and was renamed “Seoul Meta Week,” earning recognition for its potential by being selected as a “Seoul-Based International Event (S-BIC)” that year. The “S-BIC Incubation Project,” operated by the Seoul Tourism Foundation, is a MICE support program that identifies “homegrown” events held in Seoul with the potential to grow into international events and provides up to 500 million won in funding over five years.
Now in its final year of S-BIC support, the event has embarked on new initiatives every year. In 2022, its first year, the event declared a “full transition to a paid model” to establish its own revenue stream; last year, it “completely shifted” its theme to AI to optimize the event in line with current trends. Furthermore, this year, the event’s structure and operations have shifted from a format where multiple themes rotated at a single venue to a “multi-stage” format, where lectures by field are held simultaneously at various locations.
The two-day event was held on two stages (Stage A and Stage B) set up inside the COEX Grand Ballroom and was divided into three programs: “Metacon,” covering business and AI topics; the “AI Marketing Summit,” addressing the use of AI in marketing; and “AI Investcon,” exploring AI-related stock investments. While the first day’s Metacon focused on corporate AI transformation (AX) strategies, the second day centered on individual use of AI, featuring sessions where attendees could witness live demonstrations of AI coding and development processes. Assistant Manager Kim Bit-na said, “We selected the programs and speakers based on ‘who wants what,’” adding, “Since content from star speakers is already widely available online, we prioritized practicality over name recognition when selecting speakers.”

◇To Be Held in the U.S. During Next Year’s CES
In line with the event’s new structure, the ticket sales policy was also revised. While maintaining the program’s expertise and depth by dividing sessions into categories centered on AI, ticket prices—which had previously been in the 500,000 won range—were diversified into price brackets of 50,000 to 200,000 won per session to reduce the financial burden and expand options for attendees. The result was a resounding success. The AI Marketing Summit sold out all 600 seats well in advance. The number of general attendees—which stood at 620 last year, or 50% of the total—nearly doubled this year, increasing their share to 70%. The organizers attribute this to the clearer agendas and target audiences resulting from dividing the event into specialized tracks.
Plans are also underway to expand into the U.S. market. The organizers plan to hold an event in Silicon Valley, San Francisco, timed to coincide with CES—the world’s largest information technology (IT) exhibition—which will take place in Las Vegas, Nevada, from January 6 to 9 next year. It is a rare endeavor in the domestic MICE industry for a homegrown event—organized by a private company in a convention format—to be held overseas under its own brand.

The ultimate goal of Seoul Meta Week is to become a “platform.” The decision to retain the name “Meta Week” even after the metaverse craze had subsided was a strategic choice to preserve the event’s growing scale of participation, accumulated brand recognition, and brand equity. Rather than changing the event title every time trends shift, the strategy is to carry on the legacy of the existing event while continuing to function as a “technology platform.” In addition to the event, the company is preparing to establish a dedicated AX (Artificial Intelligence Transformation) team to improve its internal structure and increase the utilization of AI.
Deputy Director Kim said, “From the very beginning, Seoul Meta Week was designed not as a single event but as a platform,” adding, “We will continue to expand the range of technology conferences that can be held under the broad umbrella of Seoul Meta Week, growing it into a must-attend event for any tech company.”