SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — AdAsia 2023 Seoul, the largest advertising and digital marketing festival in Asia with 65 years of tradition, will be officially launched at COEX in Samseong-dong, Seoul on October 25.
Hosted by the Asian Advertising Federation (AFAA), organized by the Korea Advertising Federation, and sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, and the Ministry of Public Administration and Security, as well as the Seoul Metropolitan Government, AdAsia 2023 Seoul will continue for four days until October 27, starting with the welcome reception on October 24 followed by the official opening ceremony on October 25.
First held in Tokyo, Japan, in 1958, AdAsia has been held biennially. AdAsia 2023 Seoul marks the third time the event has been hosted in Korea, following Seoul in 1984 and Jeju in 2007.
The theme “Transform•Play•Connect,” which now encompasses the digital sector, signifies that the value of marketing and advertising extends beyond promoting goods. It further emphasizes the importance of bringing joy to consumers and connecting the world through these efforts.
The event is highly anticipated as a venue where world-class experts and companies in the content field, as well as the advertising and digital marketing field, gather to share innovative ideas and best practices in the era of digital transformation. It is also viewed as an excellent opportunity to boost overseas expansion for Korea-based digital advertising companies.
The official emblem of the Seoul event was designed by applying a traditional Korean patchwork pattern to the Korean initial consonants – ‘ㅇㄷㅇㅅㅇ’ – of AdAsia. This unique approach, using the letters of the host country for the first time in AdAsia’s history, underscores the strength of K-advertisement and K-content in the global arena.
The welcome reception will be held at DDP in Seoul on October 24, followed by a diverse program featuring speech sessions, conferences, workshops, and related unit events with 130 participants scheduled at COEX in Seoul from October 25 to 27.
AdAsia 2023 Seoul is distinct from previous events, which primarily featured general conferences and workshops. It stands out by providing a platform for active networking, and fostering new business opportunities for IT, Ad-Tech, and big data startups in Korea and Asia. To offer practical support to corporate participants, the event includes Biz Market, offering IT-based advertising marketing companies in Asia the chance to showcase their products and services and receive exhibition consultations.
AdAsia’s upcoming conference will feature a significant number of world-class speakers from diverse industry fields, including K-content, digital transformation, digital marketing, and creativity. Mickey Iwamura, Chief Marketing Officer at Google Asia Pacific, will be one of the speakers at the conference. Additionally, globally renowned speakers who have set trends and led paradigm shifts such as Wesley ter Haar, Founder of MediaMonks, Kevin Swanepoel, CEO of The One Club for Creativity, and Josy Paul, Chairman of BBDO India, will provide insights on diverse best practices.
Jong Hyun Kim, CEO of Cheil Worldwide and widely regarded as the best digital marketer in Korea, will be a featured speaker. Jung-woo Ha, Head of NAVER AI LAB, will participate in the event to share insights into how generative AI will transform the advertising marketing industry. Additionally, Nirote Chaweewannakorn, Head of Talent at Gushcloud International, the largest influencers group in Asia, and Yongtae Kim, CEO of The SMC Group, a leading expert in the field of creator commerce in Korea, will discuss the impact of creator commerce and its innovative approach to advertising.
Won-jin Lee, President of Samsung Electronics, one of the companies representing Korea, will discuss how Samsung Electronics is driving innovation in content and media strategy, particularly from the perspective of devices in the digital era. Additionally, Sang-yup Lee, Vice President at Hyundai Motor Company, will deliver a speech on heritage branding in the digital era.
Seung-hwan Song, known for his role as the Creative Director of the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, will also participate as a speaker to share the secret of incorporating the success of K-content, which has gained worldwide popularity, into advertisements. Additionally, Hoon-hee Lee, CEO of Starship Entertainment, a next-generation K-culture entertainment company famous for promoting idol groups like IVE and MONSTA X, will also speak during the conference.
Other programs, including the Changemakers for Good (CMG) Awards and the Asia Young Creators’ Award (AYAC), also draw attention. The CMG Awards, in particular, are being established in Seoul for the first time at AdAsia. During the ceremony, the Asian Federation of AFAA will honor organizations, companies, and individuals who have made significant contributions to creating a better society or lead communication that changes the world with creative ideas.
Around 2,600 individuals from the advertising, digital marketing, and content industries are expected to attend the event. Among these attendees, 600 participants will come from 27 different foreign countries, including Japan, China, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, Singapore, and India. These individuals will have the unique opportunity to witness and experience the latest trends in the advertising and marketing fields, which are currently undergoing a massive transformation due to the rise of advanced digital technology.
AdAsia 2023 Seoul has already grabbed the attention of many even before its start date by appointing distinguished personalities from various fields as promotional ambassadors. Some of these notable figures include “Figure Skating Queen” Yuna Kim, actress Tae-hee Kim, short-form video creator Wonjung (ox_zung), and Virtual Idol MAVE. During the opening ceremony, Yuna Kim will be responsible for delivering the opening declaration alongside committee chairman Nak-hoi Kim.
