* The forum was held at the Suwon Convention Center on Saturday, December 17, with lectures by author Jo Seong-yeon, Professor Yoo Hong-jun and others.
* More than 700 provincial residents (555 pre-registered attendees and 150 on-site visitors) participated, fueling brand interest and enthusiasm.
* Participants were able to enjoy various activities at the festival, including Gyeonggi resident card creation and character coloring, as well as visits to city/county brand PR booths.

The 1st Gyeonggi Province Brand Forum took place on December 17 at the Suwon Convention Center with the participation of 700 provincial residents to discuss the past, present and future of Gyeonggi brands.

Under the theme of ‘Opportunity to Change with Brands,’ experts, entrepreneurs, city/county officials, members of the public and representatives of various fields gathered to discuss Gyeonggi brands. A total of 555 attendees pre-registered for the event, demonstrating their considerable interest in Gyeonggi brands, while a further 150 visitors registered on-site, marking a total of 700 participants who took part in the brand festival.

In the first session, titled ‘Change,’ Gyeonggi Province Vice Governor Oh Byeong-kwon offered congratulatory remarks before author Jo Seong-yeon, a humanities writer and YouTuber with 1.48 million subscribers, delivered a lecture on ‘Characters of Landmark Cities and Regional Branding.’

In addition, City Planning Assistant Deputy Director Park Jong-yeon of Gwangmyeong City presented best practices in city branding under the theme of ‘Brighten Up with New City Branding,’ and Domestic Business Team Leader Jang Hye-jin of the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization also presented best branding practices under the theme of ‘Gyeonggi Dullegil: Connecting Gyeonggi Province and Provincial Residents.’

In the second session, titled ‘Opportunity,’ Professor Yoo Hong-jun delivered a lecture on ‘Gyeonggi Province Cultural Heritage and Branding Plans as Tourism Resources.’ An endowed professor of Myongji University and former head of the Cultural Heritage Administration, Yoo Hong-jun is also the author of My Cultural Heritage Exploration. In addition, Jeong Ji-hee, an entrepreneur in Gyeonggi, delivered a lecture under the title ‘Sea of Opportunities: How to Survive in Gyeonggi Province,’ while Song Yoon-ju, a social enterprise entrepreneur in Gyeonggi, presented a lecture under the title ‘Dreaming of a Society for Everyone.’

The winners of the provincial resident participation contest also presented ideas for Gyeonggi Province brands. Kwon Se-ri, winner of the Change Award in the public writing category, made a presentation under the title ‘Running in My City,’ while Kim Bo-mi, winner of the Opportunity Award in the youth painting category, delivered a presentation under the title ‘Pride of Gyeonggi Province.’

Residents of Gyeonggi Province who attended the festival commented that it was an opportune time to think about and reflect on brands of the province in which they live through various best practice cases and in-depth lectures.

This forum, in which provincial residents, city/county representatives, and experts joined together to discuss brands, also featured additional attractions: PR booths showcasing 31 different city/county brands from Gyeonggi Province, personal color analysis, Gyeonggi Province resident card creation, Gyeonggi mascot “Bongongi” coloring, and more.

Gyeonggi Province’s Public Relations Planning Bureau plans to publish a booklet containing the proceedings of the 1st Gyeonggi-do Brand Forum and will continue discussions on creating a Gyeonggi Province brand that evolves further based on the opinions of residents.