Daegu City and EXCO held a groundbreaking ceremony at the construction site for the EXCO second exhibition hall on July 2. About 500 people attended the ceremony, including residents, organizations, and corporate representatives.
Korea’s third-largest city, Daegu is the center of tourism and culture in Korea’s Southeastern region. With its own international airport and easy access from Seoul by high-speed KTX train, the city has had success in hosting multiple international events, including the 2013 World Energy Congress and 2015 World Water Forum. The city’s main industries include fashion textile, machinery, metal and automobiles.
Established in 2001, EXCO is Daegu’s major exhibition and convention center. As Korea’s first provincial convention center, EXCO led the exhibition and convention industry when it first opened. However, the convention facility faced limitations and criticism due to lack of exhibition space. With Daegu City’s winning bid to host the World Gas Conference in 2021, demand for expansion escalated and Daegu City gave the long-awaited approval to begin the expansion project.
The new exhibition hall will boast a total of 40,471 square meters with one underground and two above-ground floors. The tentative completion date is set for February 2021, with estimated construction costs of $269.4 million. With the new expansion, EXCO’s total display area will exceed 30,000 square meters, satisfying requirements for hosting large-scale international events.
“With the expansion of the second exhibition hall, EXCO will now have the capacity to become an exhibition and convention center of international scale. We will use this opportunity to further develop the regional MICE industry’s competitiveness,” says Kwon Young-Jin, mayor of Daegu City.
Further in the works is Daegu’s EXCO metro line, scheduled to open in 2027. The new metro line, in conjunction with the expanded exhibition space, will contribute greatly to Daegu City’s MICE industry. Daegu City anticipates the new expansion will foster lodging, tourism, food, manufacturing and logistics industries associated with the MICE industry, as well as create new jobs and boost the local economy.
Under the Korea Tourism Organization, KMB aims to establish Korea as a top meeting and incentive travel destination. KMB serves as liaison to local convention bureaus, venues, PCO and DMC to ensure an organized planning and successful execution of events. For more info, visit www.koreaconvention.org.
