The “Bio Plus·Interphex Korea” (BIX) event, organized by the Korea Bio Association and set to take place at COEX in Samseong-dong from October 28 to 30, has also expanded in scale this year. Last year’s event, held in the C Hall exhibition space and conference rooms on the 3rd and 4th floors of COEX, has expanded this year to include the Duffelplatz exhibition space and Studio 159 on the 2nd floor. The number of conference sessions, which stood at 17 in 2019, doubled to 34 last year, while the exhibition—which featured 80 booths—grew sevenfold to 550 booths. This marks the largest scale of the event since its inaugural edition in 2015. In 2020, the association formed a partnership with RX, a global exhibition specialist, and added the “Interphex” trade show to its program, which had previously consisted solely of conferences.
◇“AI Summit Seoul & Expo” Sees 7.5-Fold Surge in Attendees
“ConfEx” events—which combine conventions (international conferences) with exhibitions and trade shows—are establishing themselves as a new trend in the MICE market. This is due to the successive success of industry exhibitions and trade shows held in conjunction with conferences and academic meetings regularly organized by associations, academic societies, and the industry.
This is the result of concurrent conventions and trade shows evolving beyond generic, token side events to the point where they can be held independently, thereby increasing the events’ visibility and competitiveness. It is widely recognized that convention events—such as conferences and academic meetings—which possess expertise in their respective fields, market influence, and stable participant demand, are emerging as the solution to the challenge of “internationalizing” domestic trade shows.
“Conplex” is a term referring to “multi-format” events where convention events—such as conferences and forums—are held simultaneously with exhibitions and trade shows in related industries. Representative examples of Conplex events include CES in Las Vegas, USA, and MWC in Barcelona, Spain, where hundreds of convention events—including conferences and seminars of all sizes, as well as new product and technology launch events—take place during the period of large-scale industrial exhibitions and trade shows. Demand for Conpex events is growing, and their significance is increasing as the temporal and spatial gaps in the adoption of new technologies and the development of new products—where research and development outcomes from academia and industry are immediately commercialized—are narrowing.
One common feature of recent successful Conpex events is the addition of industry-related exhibitions and trade shows to existing convention events, such as conferences and academic meetings. Both the “AI Summit Seoul & Expo,” which opens on the 19th of next month, and “Bio Plus·Interphex Korea,” scheduled for late October of this year, have added exhibitions and trade shows to their existing convention formats centered on lectures and panel discussions. CEO Park commented, “This was tailored to the needs of participants who want to see in person what they heard in the lectures,” adding, “With the addition of the exhibition and trade show, the number of lectures has increased from 80 to 120, clarifying our identity as a ‘tech business event’ and strengthening the program structure.”
“ASLS Korea,” held annually in the spring and fall by the Korean Society of Aesthetic, Plastic, and Laser Surgery (ASLS), has also become a successful Conpex event after expanding from a conventional convention into an exhibition and trade show. In 2021, the society added an exhibition and trade show titled the “Aesthetic Medical Device Expo” to the academic conference it had been holding periodically since its founding. As the event format expanded from a convention to an exhibition and trade show, the venue was also shifted from hotels to specialized facilities such as the aT Center in Yangjae-dong and COEX Magok in Magok-dong. The event held at COEX Magok this past April drew approximately 4,000 medical professionals in the aesthetic and plastic surgery fields, as well as 170 domestic and international companies. An RX Korea official stated, “Following the spring event in April, we are preparing the fall event in November as a ‘Conplex’ event that also incorporates an exhibition and trade show.”
◇“Con-ex Events Are a Hit; We Should Encourage Regional Hosting”
Another notable trend is the increasing collaboration with professional exhibition organizers (PEOs) as programs expand to include exhibitions and trade shows. To maximize the benefits of program expansion in the short term, conventions—which require a high level of expertise—are handled by relevant associations and academic societies, while exhibitions and trade shows, which have a strong business event component, are managed by specialized companies. This contrasts with the previous practice of expanding programs independently or organizing separate events on a “go-it-alone” basis, which was often complicated by sensitive conditions—such as event ownership and revenue sharing—and complex conflicts of interest.
The “AI Summit Seoul,” previously organized solely by DMK, saw COEX join as a new organizer last year with the addition of an expo. RX Korea has also established exhibition and trade show partnerships not only with the Korea Bio Association but also with the Korean Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and Laser Medicine. Hwang Ju-ri, Director General of the Korea Bio Association, stated, “Since RX Korea joined, the event has been experiencing rapid growth compared to when it was held independently.”
These success stories and trends in Conplex are also drawing attention as solutions for developing homegrown international MICE events and revitalizing regional MICE industries. In regional cities where securing events has emerged as an immediate challenge following the development of exhibition and convention centers, there are calls to encourage regional hosting by expanding well-known and influential conventions—typically held in Seoul and the greater Seoul area—into “Con-Pex” events through institutional and policy measures. There are also arguments that, to offer a clear incentive for relocating events to regional areas and ensure their rapid establishment, the government and local authorities should prioritize selective and concentrated support rather than worrying about overlapping funding.
An official at a regional exhibition and convention center advised, “From the perspective of securing stable participant demand—the biggest hurdle and limitation for events held in regional areas—Conpex is a highly attractive alternative,” adding, “One approach would be to increase the number of Conpex events across various industries, either by having them tour different regions for a basic period of 3 to 5 years or by alternating between the Seoul metropolitan area and regional areas on a biennial basis.”
