The design of brand identity of Festival Shiwol / Courtesy of Busan Metropolitan Government By Jung Da-hyun Busan is set to make a significant stride in the global MICE — meetings, incentives, conventions, exhibitions and events — industry with its upcoming festival. Scheduled for early October, the festival will showcase 17 diverse international events, marking a bold effort to elevate the city’s status on the global stage. Busan Metropolitan City unveiled, Monday, the name of its inaugural integrated exhibition and convention project, "Festival Shiwol.
" Set to run from Sept. 30 to Oct. 8, the nine-day festival will feature 17 international events spanning six sectors — music, film, culture, food, business and technology.
Aiming to bolster its status as a global convention city, Busan is focusing on developing a private-led industrial ecosystem and fostering innovation. Highlighting the need for a global convergence festival, the city has introduced this groundbreaking project for the first time this year, under the theme "October's Wind and Busan’s New Wish." The city plans to leverage the "Shiwol" brand for coordinated marketing across international events, aiming to establish the city as a must-visit global hub this October.
A poster for the drama "Vigilante" is displayed at the Busan International Film Festival in Haeundae District, Busan, Oct. 8, 2023. Korea Times file The festival will feature diverse events such as the Busan International Film Festival, Asian Contents and Film Market, Busan Rock Festival, World Creator Festival, Busan International Food Expo, ASEAN-Korea Fashion Week and the Data Insights and Visualization Event.
To streamline access and boost tourism, organizers will implement joint marketing strategies for the 17 events featured in the festival. These tickets will provide access to all 17 festival events as well as a complimentary silent music party outside BEXCO, which will be held during the festival period. These tickets will be available through the official Festival Shiwol app and the websites of 11 participating hotels, starting Aug.
30. In addition, Busan will offer exclusive tourism products for foreign visitors, combining the city’s Visit Busan Pass with integrated Festival Shiwol tickets. These packages will be available through Ctrip, a major online travel platform in China.
This initiative is aimed at capturing the National Day holiday season in China, which runs from October 1 to 7. During this period, a large number of Chinese travelers typically visit Korea. "This event is designed to concentrate a diverse range of activities within a single period, offering visitors a variety of choices and fostering natural interactions among participants to stimulate private-sector business opportunities," Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon said.
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