Coex

Name

Coex

Legal name

Coex

Website

https://coexcenter.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Convention & Exhibition Venue Services

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (711310)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Convention & Exhibition Centers (Public Convention Centers, Civic Centers) (THAHAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Conference Centers & Dedicated Meeting Venues (THAHAAAB), Exhibitions, Trade Shows & Booth Management (HSACADAH), General Consumer Expos & Trade Shows (MPAGAFAA), Hotel & Resort Convention Venues (Convention Hotels) (THAHAAAC), Convention Center–Adjacent/Connected Hotels (THAGALAD)

Keywords

• Convention venue rental
• Exhibition organization services
• MICE event hosting
• Conference facilities management
• Trade show venue operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Kangnam

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Venue Rental and Lease: Primary revenue from leasing exhibition halls, meeting rooms, and event spaces to organizers. Payment structure includes 10% deposit for reservation, 40% middle payment 3 months prior, and balance 7 days before event.
2. Exhibition Organization: Coex organizes over 25 exhibitions annually in Korea and abroad including China, Indonesia, and Vietnam, generating revenue from booth sales, visitor fees, and sponsorship.
3. External Venue Management: Professional management services for external convention centers including Changwon Exhibition and Convention Centre (CECO) in Gyeongnam province and World Trade Centre Binh Duong New City Expo in Vietnam with Becamex IDC.
4. Event Services: AV equipment, staging, catering, live streaming, furniture rental, and digital branding services provided to event organizers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Coex operates Korea's leading convention and exhibition center in Seoul's Gangnam district, providing venue rental for exhibitions, conferences, meetings, and large-scale events across 36,007 sqm of exhibition space and 100 meeting rooms. The company also organizes over 25 exhibitions annually in Korea, China, Indonesia, and Vietnam, and provides professional venue management services for external convention centers including CECO in Korea and WTC Binh Duong New City Expo in Vietnam. Supporting services include AV equipment, live streaming (Coex Live), catering, modular backdrop systems, and hybrid event planning through studio159 broadcasting studio.

Product overview

Coex is Korea's premier convention and exhibition center offering a comprehensive MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions) platform. The core offering centers on the COEX Convention Center in Seoul's Gangnam district, complemented by the newly opened Coex Magok Lewest venue. The portfolio includes venue services (XPACE digital signage, AV-Drop modular backdrops, Coex Live streaming, hybrid event planning, catering, and furniture rental), managed external venues, and organized exhibitions such as Food Week Korea, Coffee Expo Seoul, Seoul International Book Fair, Character Licensing Fair, and Kiaf Seoul art fair. The company positions itself as a full-service events partner with both physical venues and supporting services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Coex Magok: MICE venue located in Gangseo-gu district, Seoul, featuring exhibition halls and meeting facilities.
• Coex Magok Lewest
• The Platz
• studio159
• Xpace
• AV-Drop
• VOMO Smart
• Good Plan
• Green Coex
• Coex Urban Park (CUP)
• Coex Live

Products and services

• COEX Convention Center
• Coex Magok Lewest
• The Platz
• studio159 Broadcasting Studio
• XPACE Digital Signage & Branding
• AV-Drop Modular Backdrop System
• Coex Live Streaming
• Hybrid Event Planning
• External Venue Management
• Food Week Korea
• Seoul International Book Fair
• Kiaf Seoul & Frieze Seoul
• Catering Service

Quantifiable outcome

• 35 million visitors annually with average 100,000 daily visitors
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• INCONcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Memorandum of understanding with INCON, a global partnership network of professional conference organizers with offices in 70 countries that oversees roughly 11,000 MICE events annually. Partnership scheduled to be signed during IMEX Frankfurt 2026 as part of Seoul's push to attract international events.
• Korean Publishers Association (KPA)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Co-organizer of Seoul International Book Fair 2025, held in Coex Halls A and B1. Joint collaboration for Korea's biggest book-related exhibit.
• Seoul Tourism Organization (STO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 September 2021MOU signed to build sustainable MICE environment and promote smart green MICE industry. Cooperation on environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) management initiatives.
• World Trade Center Binh Duong New CitymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Vietnam's second-largest convention center with 22,000㎡ total space. Coex provides professional management services under 3-year contract until 2024.
• ReedPOPmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2017Organizer of Comic Con Seoul, held at Coex. World-renowned brand showcasing comics, movies, video games, cosplay, and anime.
• Korea International Trade Association (KITA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization since 1988. Coex is part of the World Trade Center Seoul complex operated by KITA. KITA and Coex jointly operate WTC Binh Duong New City Expo in Vietnam.
• Becamex IDCmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVietnam's investment and development corporation partnered with KITA and Coex to operate World Trade Center Binh Duong New City Expo. Coex advised on facility design in 2019.
• Coex MICE Cluster (13 businesses)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation between 13 businesses at World Trade Center Site Seoul including hotels, tourist attractions, transportation, entertainment, and shopping facilities. Provides bundled services for business travelers and event planners.
• Changwon Exhibition and Convention Centre (CECO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoex manages CECO in Gyeongnam province, demonstrating expertise in venue management and exhibition industry promotion.
• Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoex is the first Korean organization to obtain UFI certification (2020), demonstrating world-class exhibition hosting capabilities.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Informa Markets: Global exhibition organizer with a vast portfolio of B2B trade shows; comparable to Coex's self-organized exhibitions (Food Week Korea, Coffee Expo Seoul, Korea Hotel Show) and a potential partner/competitor for organizer relationships.
• Messe Frankfurt: Global exhibition organizer and venue operator; competes with Coex's self-organized exhibitions and attends Coex as both a venue customer and competitor for trade shows across consumer and industrial verticals.

Direct peers

• Singapore EXPO: Singapore's largest convention and exhibition venue and a leading Asia-Pacific MICE competitor; targets the same international association and trade-show organizers Coex is courting.
• KINTEX (Korea International Exhibition & Convention Center): Korea's other flagship exhibition and convention complex located in Goyang, directly competing with Coex for both domestic Korean exhibitions and international association congresses targeting Seoul/Gyeonggi catchment.
• Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center: Taipei's flagship convention and exhibition facility; comparable scale and profile, competing for North Asia-hosted international exhibitions and trade shows.
• Tokyo Big Sight (Tokyo International Exhibition Center): Japan's largest convention facility and a major Asia-Pacific MICE competitor; competes with Coex for international congresses and high-profile trade exhibitions across the region.
• BITEC (Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre): Bangkok's primary exhibition and convention venue and Southeast Asia MICE hub; competes with Coex for regional association congresses and exhibitions, especially those with ASEAN exposure.
• Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC): Hong Kong's flagship waterfront convention venue; competes for Asia-headquartered international association events and large trade shows targeting NE Asia audiences.
• BEXCO (Busan Exhibition & Convention Center): Busan's main MICE venue and the second-largest in Korea; competes for domestic exhibitions and is an alternative for organizers seeking a regional Korean city versus Seoul.

Regional players

• ICC Sydney (International Convention Centre Sydney): Australia's leading integrated convention, exhibition, and entertainment venue; comparable in scale and integrated-mixed-use positioning to Coex, though geographically focused on the Australasia market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/coexseoul
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coex

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Coex