2021 Hamyang Sansam Anti-Aging Expo Concludes Successfully... A Successful Expo Achieving Both Quarantine and Popularity

Successful Outcome with Over 440,000 Visitors During Expo Event Period

County Governor Seo Chunsu's Thank You Speech at the Closing Ceremony of the 2021 Hamyang Wild Ginseng Anti-Aging Expo.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Soon-kyung] Gyeongnam Province and Hamyang County concluded the 31-day grand journey with the official closing ceremony of the '2021 Hamyang Sansam Anti-Aging Expo' on the 10th.

This expo, the largest nationally certified event held amid the COVID-19 pandemic, achieved successful results with a total of approximately 440,000 visitors during the event period.

September, when the Hamyang Sansam Anti-Aging Expo opened, was a period when COVID-19 cases were increasing daily and strict social distancing measures were implemented, causing the quarantine guidelines to change and escalate several times right before the event.

Although the expo was held during a difficult time when attracting group visitors was unthinkable, the fact that more than 440,000 visitors attended without any cluster infections or regional spread until the end is highly significant.

The expo organizing committee had already exceeded 80% of the advance ticket sales target by the end of July (advance ticket sales revenue of 1.7 billion KRW, about 280,000 tickets), and through on-site ticket sales revenue, facility rental income, sponsorship projects, and banner projects, achieved a total self-generated revenue of 3 billion KRW, resulting in a profitable expo.

Above all, by reallocating the already confirmed budget to quarantine measures and online content development due to COVID-19, and considering minimizing business losses in case the expo could not be held due to the pandemic, the project proceeded in a way that brought it one step closer to a successful expo.

Additionally, by strengthening online content and significantly increasing outdoor content that allowed social distancing, the expo became a healing place like a comfortable resting spot for visitors. Word spread that the venue was safe, attracting nearly 440,000 visitors, and the number of visitors who accessed the expo through the official website and online platforms reached 2.3 million.

Considering that the expo was held both online and offline, it was exposed to approximately 2.7 million visitors in total.

In particular, the landscape lighting and Goun Starry Path, which were featured as specialized programs during the night opening hours from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., became popular on social media, attracting about 70,000 visitors who were not counted in the official visitor numbers, contributing significantly to the local economy.

The expo organizing committee focused on operating the expo safely by minimizing excessive crowding of visitors through managing simultaneous capacity and introducing a reservation system for exhibition and experience events, in accordance with strict social distancing policies.

Furthermore, the entire venue was meticulously divided, and at a total of 34 locations including gates, exhibition halls, performance and event venues, electronic entry logs such as ARS Safe Call and temperature checks were conducted. One hundred ten CCTV cameras were installed to secure movement paths, and enhanced quarantine measures such as daily disinfection after venue closure were applied.

In addition, not only indoor exhibition and fair staff but also outdoor facility operators were proactively required to be fully vaccinated or confirmed negative by PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests to operate the venue.

The Hamyang Sansam Anti-Aging Expo presented various contents, including academic events involving domestic and international scholars, to enhance understanding and competitiveness in the anti-aging industry along with the value of Sansam (wild ginseng).

At 10 exhibition halls including the Sansam Theme Hall, diversified content was offered, such as viewing experiences of Hamyang’s natural environment, stories of Simmani (ginseng harvesters), Sansam specimen displays, and media galleries, as well as VR experiences.

Moreover, the expo showcased academic approaches to Sansam, including its components and efficacy, and shared information for actual cultivation of mountain-cultivated ginseng, providing visitors with practical information to reaffirm the usability of Sansam in daily life.

Online export consultation meetings were held eight times with 36 countries including the United States, China, Russia, and India. A total of 110 participating companies, 202 buyers, and 520 consultations were completed. The export consultation amount reached 17.47 million USD, achieving 349% of the initial goal of 5 million USD.

An official from the expo organizing committee stated, "In the upcoming ‘With Corona’ situation starting next month, the 2021 Hamyang Sansam Anti-Aging Expo is being recognized as a successful expo that sets new quarantine standards and serves as a benchmark for local governments and private organizations nationwide."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.