In late August 2023, the international ICESS conference (The 15th International Conference on Electronic Spectroscopy and Structure) was held in Oulu. The conference, that was held in Finland for the first time, gathered 190 participants from 24 different countries.
News of Associations and Members
News from sources other than the UIA. International organizations listed in the Yearbook of International Organizations, and UIA's members may add their own public news items.
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Visitors who come to Busan for MICE events also look for opportunities to experience the city’s culture and natural beauty. Every year, the Busan Tourism Organization (BTO) discovers and designates Busan Unique Venues, which are distinctive MICE assets found only in Busan. In 2023, three new Busan Unique Venues, each with its own unique charms, were selected to be the face of Busan’s MICE industry.
Busan is a leading marine city that is growing into a global MICE center thanks to its rich natural heritage of beaches, mountains, and rivers, not to mention an advanced infrastructure that is only befitting of the second largest city in Korea. Over the past 20 years, Busan has successfully hosted a string of international events. Today, the city is working to qualitatively improve its MICE standing and enhance the value of its core industries.
The 35th European Congress on Molecular Spectroscopy was organized in Jyväskylä, Finland in August 2023.
Jan Lundell, Chair of the Local Organizing Committee, shares his thoughts after the congress:
If you’re planning to visit Busan for business or other events, don’t forget to bring along your loved ones! Busan offers a wide array of attractions and entertainment options for travelers. In this newsletter, we will introduce you to a broad range of tour courses—from kid-friendly family activities and seaside tours filled with colorful buildings to dazzling nightscapes that are perfect for a romantic date.
The Busan Tourism Organization hosted seminars and familiarization tours (FAM tours) during the second week of September, which was the designated official promotional period for MEET IN BUSAN 2023. Some 20 MICE event officials from Europe, Asia, and other parts of the world attended the promotional events, designed to show off Busan’s many advantages as an ideal host city for global MICE events.
The Busan Tourism Organization (BTO) has once again demonstrated the allure of Busan as an attractive MICE destination by securing both the hosting rights of the Asia Pacific Tourism Association (APTA) Annual Conference 2025 and the World Statistics Congress (WSC) 2027 for the city. The APTA is an international academic society that includes some 450 tourism experts and professionals from 25 countries in the Asia-Pacific, including Korea, the US, China, and Canada.
The 45th Annual Congress of the European Accounting Association was organized in Espoo, Finland in May 2023.
Seppo Ikäheimo, Chair of the Organizing Committee, shares his thoughts after the congress:
The congress was a success. The Finnish local context was very much present in the congress as we treated the delegates with local food like fish, vegetables and reindeer sausage.
A “Unique Venue” is a venue other than a convention center, hotel, or other conventional MICE venue that offers exclusive features and represents the city or country in which it is located. Event planners typically choose a venue based on the theme or purpose of the event, and many planners prefer Unique Venues over hotels and convention centers because they offer a special atmosphere and come with their own special stories.