ASIA – The Gwangju Convention and Visitor Bureau says the construction of the new extension of the Kimdaejung Convention Center (KDJCC), in Korea, will commence in August 2012 and be completed by April 2013.
The US$60m extension will provide a 18,000sqm convention and exhibition space for the international convention centre, which is set to host such events in the future as 2011 Gwangju Summit of the Urban Environmental Accords Cities, 2013 Asia Pacific Conference of the Junior Chamber International and World Hydrogen Energy Conference 2014.
Once completed, the centre will be 53,000sqm in total with 26 conference rooms, several large scale convention halls, 9,072sqm of exhibition space and a multi-purpose auditorium holding 3,000 delegates with a theatre seating 1,100.
The Director of Marketing at Gwangju Convention and Visitor Bureau, JeongSuk Jeong told CMW during a site visit that the centre hosts on average 850 events a year. Of these, she says, 30 association conventions are held here per year with an international delegation and last year the centre hosted eight international exhibitions with four receiving UFI, the global association of the exhibition industry, certification as an international exhibition.
“We have fallen short of the medium-sized conference rooms and function rooms needed since we only had one convention hall which accommodates 1,200-1,500 delegates,” she adds. “After completion of extension, we will no longer have a hard time to hold a conference and functions for more than 1,000 together at KDJCC. So, we could have better flexibility to host various conferences.
“Moreover, with a multi-purpose auditorium holding 3,000 with a variable-form theater seating 1,100, it will make us easy to host a large-scale concert, performances and events.”
The KDJCC is the only public convention facility in Korea.
Gwangju is the political hometown of former President and the Nobel Peace Laureate, Kim Dae-jung, after whom the centre is named. Since the opening of the KDJCC and the launch of the Gwangju Convention and Visitors Bureau, Gwangju City has hosted major international events such as the Gwangju Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates in 2006 and the World Women Peace Forum in 2007.
The ‘city of light’ is located in the south-western part of Korea and in 2007, the Korean Government designated Gwangju as one of the six international convention cities in Korea.
Another events development in the city is the Asian Culture Complex, which is to partially open in 2012 and will be completed in 2014. The development, whiich will have event and meetings facilties, aims to preserve the traditional cultures of Asia and, at the same time, play an important role in the creation, distribution, and commercialisation of a wide variety of cultures. The city already hosts the Gwangju Biennale and the Gwangju Design Biennale annually.
As of yet, the city does not have an international airport but the closest is only 30 minutes away from the city.
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