- Digital Transformation in INTERMOLD KOREA 2021 -

The 25th Korea Int’l Die∙Mold & Related Equipment Online Exhibition (INTERMOLD KOREA 2021 Online)

- Online Exhibition to be Held for the First Time from March 16 ~ 22 -

INTERMOLD KOREA 2021 Online

An online feast of innovations and technologies of the die & mold and related industries

□ Held for the first time in 1981, this year marks the 40th anniversary of Asia’s leading die and mold exhibition (INTERMOLD KOREA), and INTERMOLD KOREA 2021 will be held online for the very first time. Amid the continuity of the global Covid-19 pandemic in 2021, the decision for a full-fledged “digital transformation” came about in light of the need for ensuring the safety of exhibition attendees, boosting the underperformance of participating companies, and curbing the likelihood of the exhibition degrading into a domestic-scale event.

□ INTERMOLD KOREA is organized by the Korea Die & Mold Industry Cooperative (President: Mr. Shin, Yong-Mun) and sponsored by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, the Korea Federation of SMEs, the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency, KOTRA, and the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology. As the world’s first die and mold exhibition with the aim to support the Korean die & mold industry to make a new leap forward and to present a global industrial vision, the 1st INTERMOLD KOREA was held in 1981 and this year will be the 25th INTERMOLD KOREA.

□ On the flip side, the die & mold and related equipment industries are facing challenging times due to unfavorable factors at home and abroad, such as the persistent sluggish domestic market and the globalwide escalation of trade protectionism. The situation further aggravated with the continuation of the global pandemic and its impact since last year.

- Furthermore, marketing activities are being derailed by unprecedented cancellations and delays of face-to-face marketing, such as related industry exhibitions and trade delegations that are pivotal business marketing strategies.

□ Against this backdrop, the Korea Die & Mold Industry Cooperative (KODMIC) organized  a steering committee comprised of item-based flagship companies that decided, after extensive discussion and consideration, to support promotional & marketing activities via an online platform of unrestrained temporal and spatial setting, for the purpose of making Korea’s sole die and mold exhibition, which is anticipated to galvanize industry players suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic, into a substantive exhibition to the extent of adhering to the needs of all participating companies, attendees, and buyers.

Online exhibitions to be held twice in 2021

(1st) March 16 (Tue) ~ 22 (Mon), 7 days

□ INTERMOLD KOREA 2021, which was initially set to take place offline, will be held in an online platform. The 1st exhibition will take place for seven (7) days from March 16 (Tue) ~ 22 (Mon) and 2nd exhibition is slated to be held in September.

□ The online exhibition program will be showcased over the course of one week via the official website, including the opening ceremony, online exhibition halls per company, online export counseling meetings that support companies wanting to tap into overseas markets, technology seminars, and conferences.

- Online booths per company are to be opened within the exhibition site for companies to display digital contents, such as promotional videos of new products and technologies.  Also, consultation and communication with buyers and visitors will be possible on a real-time basis.

- In addition, for the purpose of supporting die & mold and relevant equipment players that are having difficulty penetrating into overseas markets due to the coronavirus pandemic, KODMIC is planning to create and operate all year round an English web page inviting foreign buyers.

□ The first-ever online export counseling meetings with foreign buyers are also worthy of attention. Potential buyers highly interested in Korean die & mold products and related equipment will be sought out and invited to a one-on-one contact-free meeting.

- Additionally, KODMIC is planning to operate an online personnel recruitment center that is to post job openings of participating companies, thereby actively assisting the industry facing manpower shortage in recruiting talented workforce.

□ Meanwhile, other than online exhibition halls, KODMIC is to provide integrated (online + offline) promotional marketing support via its Institute of Die and Mold Technology Education to companies participating in INTERMOLD 2021.

- By utilizing and linking conference rooms, lecture rooms, facility equipment, etc. within the Institute of Die and Mold Technology Education, KODMIC will assist the hosting of technology seminars as well as fully supporting business marketing activities, such as publishing articles in the Die & Mold Bulletin published by KODMIC.

Introduction of a new “global marketing platform” in the post-COVID 19 era

□ The dawn of the untact (contact-free) era due to the persisting COVID-19 pandemic has led to companies increasingly turning to untact marketing strategies via online channels.  Against this backdrop, being the industry’s first-ever to host the exhibition online bears great significance.

- Transition of exhibitions, which are considered as a leading untact marketing method, from offline to online ahead of the post-COVID 19 era is garnering keen interest on the untact exhibition industry’s potential.

□ SHIN Yong-Moon, President of KODMIC, expressed that “In presenting a new untact marketing strategy for the die and mold industry, we are committed to revitalizing the overall industry and further expanding into overseas marketing so that INTERMOLD KOREA 2021 may serve as the new beacon for global marketing by presenting the New Normal for the manufacturing industry.”

□ Meanwhile, for companies interested in participating in the online exhibition, applications will be accepted on a first-come-first-served basis until January 29 (Fri). For details on applications and other related information, please visit the INTERMOLD KOREA2021 website (www.intermoldkorea.com) or contact the Exhibition Project Team of KODMIC (Tel. 02-783-1711).