Demonstrating Technical Capabilities and Competence Through Multiple Events Including AFC Awards Ceremony
GroundK (CEO Dong-won Jang) has received the Korea MICE Association Chairman's Award in recognition of its contributions to the digital transformation of the MICE industry.
GroundK announced on the 11th that it received the Korea MICE Association Chairman's Award in the 'Digital MICE' category at the 22nd Korea MICE Awards ceremony held at Songdo Convensia on the 6th. Established in 2016, GroundK has been providing IT-based mobility services needed by businesses and institutions. Even during the global pandemic crisis, they continued investing in IT technology while identifying technology demand trends. As a result, they successfully developed 'T-RiseUp', a B2B mobility solution.
CEO Jang explains that the 'T-RiseUp' solution was developed to manage B2B services with complex requirements, rather than for public transportation like taxis and city/intercity buses that have already completed digital transformation. While there are numerous IT solutions for transportation management, taxi-based IT solutions only match nearby vehicles in real-time, and city/intercity bus management solutions only handle operating schedules, making them unsuitable for B2B mobility services. Therefore, GroundK recruited their own development team to create 'T-RiseUp', an asset management solution that can handle complex data including reservations, dispatch, vehicles, and drivers all at once.
It's also noteworthy that they are advancing their secured IT solution by utilizing it internally. They are creating powerful synergy in the MICE industry by combining it with their unique service capabilities. Starting with the '2019 Korea-ASEAN Special Summit' in Busan, they have participated as a key partner in all domestic summits up to the 'Korea-Africa Summit' held at KINTEX this May. Beyond summits, they are building external trust by providing perfect transportation services at MICE events such as high-level government meetings, academic conferences, conferences, and exhibitions.
GroundK is also standing out in the international sports events market. Starting with the transportation management for the '2024 Busan World Table Tennis Championships' in February, they have contributed to the success of events including the 'Audi Summer Tour' and the recent 'Asian Football Confederation (AFC) 2023 Awards Ceremony' in October. The Asian Football Confederation particularly expressed amazement at GroundK's technical capabilities, giving them a thumbs up.
Meanwhile, GroundK is pursuing scale-up starting with partnerships with local operators in Thailand and the Philippines. Southeast Asia remains a blue ocean untapped by American and European competitors due to growth uncertainties still delaying digital transformation. GroundK stated that they are seeing results in the Southeast Asian market they have been actively entering since last year, and will continue their expansion and investment in the Asian market.
CEO Jang also added, "GroundK will continue investing in technical personnel next year." While many companies in the MICE industry consist of management personnel, GroundK is working towards digital transformation of the MICE industry by continuing to recruit technical staff this year. Unlike general vehicle protocol services, they are advancing their development to perfectly adapt bus models that require management of stops, seats, and schedules for tourism and the MICE industry.
Finally, he said, "Korea's MICE industry competitiveness is being proven in the fierce global market," adding, "We will do our best to ensure that the MICE industry grows through continuous efforts every year to become a driving force for economic growth."
