Mayor Oh Se-hoon Heads to CES 2024 to Encourage Seoul Companies' Sales and Investment

SEOUL, South Korea, Jan. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Mayor Oh Se-hoon of Seoul went to the United States to attend the world's largest ICT (Information and Communication Technology) exhibition, CES 2024.

 During his four-night, seven-day stay from January 8th, Mayor Oh visited Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, encouraging companies participating in 'CES 2024 Seoul Pavilion,' examining the latest global technological trends, and devising plans for attracting investments and creating a "Charming Special City." Since 2020, Seoul has participated in CES, operating the 'Seoul Pavilion' to support the sales and investments of Seoul-based companies.

 During this trip, Mayor Oh not only visited CES 2024 but also presented the mid-to-long-term roadmap for 'Seoul Smart Life Week,' discussed cooperation with the International Business Manager of MLB regarding the hosting of the '2024 MLB World Tour Seoul Series' in March, and inspected the advanced performance facility 'MSG Sphere' to support Seoul companies' sales and formulate plans for the 'Charming City Seoul.'

Visited CES 2024 and Various Meetings, Including Discussions with MLB International Business Manager

 During the two days (January 9th to 10th) at CES 2024, Mayor Oh visited the 'Seoul Pavilion' and various booths of major domestic and international companies (Samsung, LG, Hyundai Motor, etc.) and startups. He also attended the 'Seoul Innovation Forum 2024.' On January 9th, Mayor Oh participated at the 'Seoul Pavilion opening ceremony at 'Eureka Park' in 'Tech West,' where 81 Seoul-based startups and 13 organizations, including Seoul Bio Hub and Seoul AI Hub, participated. The ceremony welcomed Mayor Oh, Gary Shapiro, the CTA Chairman, and representatives of participating companies.

 Later, Mayor Oh had a luncheon meeting with representatives of companies that won the CES 2024 Innovation Award, discussing their global expansion and business development experiences. He also toured various international startup booths, including Japan Pavilion (J-Startup Pavilion), Netherlands Pavilion (NL Tech Pavilion), and France Pavilion (La French Tech), to explore the latest technological trends and collaboration opportunities. Of the 81 Seoul-based companies participating in 'Seoul Pavilion,' 18 won the CES 2024 'Innovation Award,' and two received the 'Best Innovation Award,' given to only 1% of participating companies.

In the afternoon, Mayor Oh met with the International Business Manager of MLB to discuss the successful hosting of the '2024 MLB World Tour Seoul Series' in March at Seoul's Gocheok Sky Dome and enhance the ongoing partnership between Seoul and MLB. The first official opening game of the 2024 MLB regular season (2 games) will take place in Gocheok Sky Dome from March 20 to 21 (Hosted by MLB, Sponsored by Seoul).

 At 5:30 PM local time on January 10th, Mayor Oh attended the 'Seoul Innovation Forum 2024' at CES, where he unveiled the mid-to-long-term roadmap for 'Seoul Smart Life Week,' scheduled to be held in October at COEX.

 On January 10th, Mayor Oh also explored exhibition booths at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) Central Hall and West Hall, discussing how to apply the latest global industries and technologies that will change the future of Seoul citizens in policy.

Visited to Las Vegas Tourism Authority and Inspection of MSG Sphere

 On January 11th, Mayor Oh continued his schedule to strengthen Seoul's status as a global city and elevate Seoul's charm.

 In the morning, Mayor Oh visited the 'Las Vegas Tourism Authority,' which operates the Las Vegas Convention Center, among other facilities. He listened to Las Vegas's tourism and marketing strategies. The Las Vegas Tourism Authority owns and operates large-scale event facilities and transportation methods (monorail, etc.). It attracts around 39 million tourists annually (including 5 million meetings and incentives visitors), contributing an economic impact of approximately $79.3 billion (about KRW 104 trillion) ('22 Las Vegas Tourism Authority).

 In the afternoon, Mayor Oh inspected the advanced performance facility 'MSG Sphere,' which has garnered global attention since its opening last year. He considered ways to enhance Seoul's tourism competitiveness and charm along with the development of Korean Culture. The Sphere is the world's largest spherical performance venue, with a height of about 112m and a diameter of about 160m, located on approximately 72,800m² of land. It boasts direct and indirect economic effects through an 18K ultra-high-resolution screen covering about 53,000m² installed on the exterior of the building.

 On January 12th at 10:50 PM local time, Mayor Oh concluded his business trip to Las Vegas and boarded the return flight.