What Will Korea MICE Expo 2026 Show Planners About Event Technology?

Korea MICE Expo opens on November 17 at Coex Magok in Seoul, and this year the show floor carries two new things: a MICE Tech Zone and the first MICE Tech Awards. If you buy event technology, that matters, because AI tools will sit next to a jury and a set of stated criteria instead of only a sales pitch. Here is what has been reported so far, and what I could not find.

When and Where Is Korea MICE Expo 2026?

Most trade reports give November 17 to 19, 2026, at Coex Magok in Seoul. One TTG MICE article published after the 2025 edition lists November 18 to 20 instead, so check the official site before you book flights. Sisa News, a Korean outlet, also reports a November 17 opening. The Korea MICE Association hosts the show, with support from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Korea Tourism Organization.

What Is New This Year?

Meeting Media Group reports a dedicated MICE Tech Zone for AI based MICE companies and a first MICE Tech Awards, meant to put technology providers in front of the professionals who run events on the ground. A Korean report describes the awards as judging solutions on innovation, readiness for use on site and potential to scale across the industry. TTG MICE adds that the organisers want 20 to 30 more international booths on the floor this year.

How Big Is the Show?

The 2025 edition drew more than 5,000 industry professionals and about 4,000 business meetings between buyers and sellers, according to TTG MICE. I did not find exhibitor or buyer numbers for 2026, a shortlist for the awards, or a list of companies in the Tech Zone. Treat anything that claims those numbers before the show opens with caution.

What Can Planners Do With This?

This part is my reading, not something the organisers said. Awards criteria are a free checklist. Innovation, field readiness and scalability are the same questions you should put to any vendor, so ask for them in writing:

• Has the tool run at a live event, and how many attendees did it handle?
• What broke on site, and how fast was it fixed?
• Which languages does it support, for attendees and for your own team?
• Where does attendee data go, and who can export it?
• Does it connect to your registration, budget and rooming list, or does someone retype the data?

If you are not travelling to Seoul, watch for the award winners and ask those companies for a reference event in your region. A prize says someone judged the product. It does not say it will work for your group.

Key Takeaways

• Korea MICE Expo 2026 runs at Coex Magok in Seoul, reported as November 17 to 19. One earlier source says November 18 to 20, so confirm the dates.
• The show adds a MICE Tech Zone for AI based companies and its first MICE Tech Awards.
• Reported award criteria are innovation, on site readiness and industry scalability.
• No 2026 exhibitor, buyer or shortlist numbers were published in the sources I found.
• Use the criteria as a vendor checklist, whether or not you attend.

Data sources: TTG MICE, Korea MICE Expo 2026 heads to COEX Magok this November, TTG MICE, Korea MICE Expo 2026 targets international growth as global planners seek stability, TTG MICE, Korea MICE Expo 2025 concludes; announces 2026 dates, Meeting Media Group, Korea MICE Expo 2026 to put business outcomes and MICE tech in focus and Sisa News (in Korean). Figures and dates are as reported by those outlets in early November 2026.