Event 60th International Astronautical Congress
Client International Astronautical Federation
Organiser Ezpmp
Venue Daejeon Convention Centre and Kotrex Exhibition Centre, Daejeon Korea
Delegates 4,000 from 72 countries
Date October 12-16, 2009


The brief
The International Astronautical Federation (IAF) was looking for a member city with extensive convention facilities to host its 60th congress. It needed a venue that could host 3,000 for the opening ceremony and 500 for a gala banquet, along with 17 session rooms, 20 small-sized meeting rooms, a press conference site and exhibition facilities near the congress site.

Challenges
The Korean city of Daejeon was up against Shanghai and Prague, and the Congress and Symposia Advisory Committee initially awarded the event to Prague. However, IAF members decided to put the selection to a vote at the 2006 International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Valencia, Spain.

The Daejeon hosting committee, consisting of the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, Korea Aerospace Society, Daejeon City, Daejeon Convention & Visitors’ Bureau, and the Korea Tourism Organization, was subsequently awarded the event.

Communication between delegates and local service providers, such as hotel staff and public transport staff, was a concern because of the language barrier, so the city recruited in more than 1,500 volunteers to act as interpreters.

Execution
The congress was open to local residents and divided into the IAC Congress and the IAC Festival. The convention centre, which opened in 2008, hosted the congress, the Kotrex Exhibition Centre housed an exhibition and the festival was held at the ’93 Daejeon Expo Site.

Korean president Myung-bak Lee spoke at the opening ceremony, emphasising the importance of space technology and promising strong support. The ceremony was hosted by the first Korean astronaut, Dr So-yeon Yi, and visitors included astronauts from the US, Japan, Russia and NASA.

Each day’s programme followed a theme: Agency Day, Industry Day, Climate Day, Exploration Day and Peace Day. The congress also included a Young Professionals Programme, which gave those starting out in the industry the opportunities to network and learn from experts in their field.

The exhibition and festival featured astronaut-related activities and displays alongside the congress. These were open to the public.

A schedule of evening functions included a cultural night, a space night and a fun night, which featured dancing and an array of traditional Korean activities. The gala dinner closed the programme.

Comment
IAF president Berndt Feuerbacher was impressed by Daejeon’s ability to cater for such a large group. “I was surprised and impressed by the Korean IT and the perfectly organised congress, particularly as we had the highest number of delegate participation yet at this congress,” he says.