Junwoo Jeon, CEO of EXCO: "Now Is the Time to Create New Value on the Global Stage"... 30th Anniversary Ceremony

EXCO, South Korea's first regional exhibition and convention center, is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2025 by reflecting on its growth over the years and reaffirming its commitment to becoming a global MICE hub.

Since its incorporation on July 24, 1995, and its opening in 2001, EXCO has established itself as a key platform leading the development of local industries and expansion into global markets through domestic and international exhibitions and conventions. Today, it has grown into a representative regional MICE hub in South Korea, hosting more than 2,000 exhibitions and conferences annually and playing a pivotal role in revitalizing the local economy.

EXCO executives and employees are taking a group photo at the 30th anniversary ceremony.

In its early days, EXCO hosted only 12 small-scale exhibitions with an exhibition area of 11,617 square meters. However, with the expansion of the West Hall in 2011 and the opening of the East Hall (Second Exhibition Hall) in 2021, it has developed into a large-scale, multi-purpose exhibition space with approximately 120 exhibitions annually, an exhibition area of 37,183 square meters, a convention hall with 4,000 seats, and 23 meeting rooms.

Over the past 30 years, EXCO has attracted major international events, elevating the Daegu-Gyeongbuk brand on the global stage. Notable examples include the 2001 JCI Asia-Pacific Conference, the 22nd World Energy Congress in 2013, the 7th World Water Forum Daegu-Gyeongbuk in 2015, the 14th International Congress of Parasitology in 2018, and the 28th World Gas Conference in 2022.

Among its self-organized exhibitions, those with global certification include the International Green Energy Expo (UFI certified in 2008) and the International Fire Safety Expo (UFI certified in 2015), attracting global participating companies to Daegu every year. UFI certification: The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI), headquartered in Paris, is the world's largest exhibition industry association and operates a certification system for international events. EXCO is an active full member of UFI and currently holds two UFI-certified exhibitions.

In addition, EXCO hosts numerous events that engage with citizens and integrate industry and culture. Representative events include Beauty Expo, Daegu Flower Show, Daegu Pet Show, Daegu Food Show, Baby Fair, and Daegu Contents Fair.

On its 30th anniversary, EXCO is striving to evolve beyond a conventional exhibition hall to become a platform for citizen engagement, community interaction, and industry exchange. To achieve this, it is focusing on enhancing global competitiveness, digital transformation, and sustainability. In response to rapidly changing external environments, it is concretizing its future growth blueprint through the following three core strategies.

First, the advancement of industry-specialized content aims to expand exhibitions and conferences linked to regional strategic industries such as future mobility, medical, energy, and ICT, establishing EXCO as a global industrial hub. Second, the strategy for creating eco-friendly and smart exhibition halls includes plans to build smart venues utilizing advanced technologies and customer-friendly exhibition environments. Third, to establish a sustainable operational system, EXCO is working to create a sustainable MICE ecosystem by implementing ESG practices, achieving carbon neutrality, and introducing eco-friendly exhibition models.

In the second half of this year, the Future Innovation Technology Expo (FIX), aiming to become the "Korean CES," will be held in October. The Korea Future Airport Expo will be newly launched in November in preparation for the opening of the new Daegu-Gyeongbuk airport. Additionally, overseas joint pavilion projects to help local companies in machinery, IT, future mobility, and the food industry enter foreign markets are being conducted a total of seven times in the United States, Japan, and the Middle East.

Changes in EXCO's internal and external infrastructure are also noteworthy. The expansion of meeting rooms in the Second Exhibition Hall (East Hall) is scheduled for 2026, while the opening of Subway Line 4 (EXCO Line) in 2030 and Line 5 (Circular Line) in 2035 are expected to further improve public transportation access.

A view of EXCO located in Bukgu, Daegu

Junwoo Jeon, CEO of EXCO, stated, "EXCO has grown together with the region over the past 30 years as a leading exhibition and convention center, and now it is time to create new value on the global stage. We will continue to move forward as a sustainable platform connecting citizens, businesses, and the world."

Meanwhile, ahead of its foundation day on the 24th, EXCO held a company-wide anniversary ceremony on the 23rd with all employees participating, along with a community service activity distributing "Summer Kimchi" as part of a local coexistence initiative. By organizing foundation day events that benefit the local community, EXCO added further meaning to its anniversary.

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