Michael Gallagher, the President of the Stevie Awards, the world's premier business awards, visited South Korea on Monday, January 22, to discuss marketing activities for the Asia Pacific Stevie Awards(APSA) and The International Business Awards(IBA) in South East Asia and South Korea.
Michael met Hwanjin Choi, the head of the operation of AD Stars, at Korea Press Center on Tuesday, January 23, to exchange ideas of how two organizations can cooperate, and they discussed to conclude an MOU. In the afternoon, he met Haeseon Park, the CEO of Box Media, an entertainment company in Yeoeuido, Seoul, to deliver the Silver Stevie Award for Entrepreneur of the Year in The 2017 IBA. Matilda of Box Media, who have recently debuted, was awarded the Bronze Stevie Award for Communications or PR Campaign of the Year - Global Issues, for the first time among Korean musicians. Michael then visited Vietnam from Wednesday, January 24, until Friday, January 26, to have meetings and attend the Stevie Awards launching event with VIPs and the Stevie Awards Representative in Vietnam.
Successful Launching Event with The Stevie Awards Rep. in Vietnam
In 2018, the Stevie Awards which organize the globally recognized business awards, has build up the Stevie Awards Representative in Vietnam by signing the Letter of Agreement with DigiVision(www.digivision.com.vn), which provides the premium ‘one-stop communication solution’ in Vietnam, under the advisory of The Assistance Centre for SME, North, the subsidiary organization of the Ministry of Planning and Investment in Vietnam. The Stevie Awards Vietnam Rep. will do marketing the Stevie Awards in Vietnam and collect entries as well as assisting Vietnamese enterprises and organizations to make them more globally recognized and branded.
The Stevie Awards Rep. in Vietnam began its official operation by hosting the "First Time Introduction of The Stevie Awards Ceremony in Vietnam" at Hanoi Hotel on January 25. The event was attended by Michael Gallagher, the founder of Stevie Awards, and about 100 other attendees including major newspapers, websites, TV reporters, and experts who will serve on the Stevie Awards jury, important people from the Ministry of Planning and Investment, and business people from the Hanoi Business Association. The event lasted about 2 hours demonstrating various programs. The event began with the video introducing the Stevie Awards and Michael Gallagher's speech and was followed by the video introducing past winners of the Stevie Awards in Vietnam including Viettel and DHL Vietnam, panel discussion session about innovation and Q&A session for business CEOs and the Government officers.
The participants had an opportunity to learn about the expert's view of ‘innovation' and were highly interested in the Stevie Awards programs as it can provide an opportunity to become more recognized globally as well as in Asia Pacific to them. Dang Huy Dong, the deputy Minister of the Ministry of Planning and Investment as well as the judge of Stevie Awards, said "In Vietnam, there are numerous awards to honour Vietnamese enterprises. These awards are organised by Vietnamese authorities to evaluate Vietnamese enterprises based on Vietnamese standards, thus, the evaluation results are not absolutely objective. However, Stevie Awards is the international scene, thus, Vietnamese enterprises will be evaluated according to a more objective, international-standard framework. This is a precious opportunity for Vietnamese enterprises to compete with the international business community."
Michael Gallagher visited Seoul again on Friday, January 26, and met Seokbong Bae, the President of the Stevie Awards Rep. in Korea, Heunggi Kim, the President of Korea Business Communications Association, Jongseon Park, the CEO of BRcomm, Jenny Shon, the CEO of Hanaroadcom and Juhwak Lee, the CEO of SIDM to exchange ideas about promoting Stevie Awards in South Korea.
Michael Gallagher Fell in Love with Korean Culture
Michael Gallagher visited Kim JiEun Oriental Medicine Clinic, which is run by the first female Oriental Medical doctor, Jieun Kim, who has been licensed by both South and North Korea, located at Cheonho-dong, Gangdong-gu, Seoul, on Saturday, January 27, and received general health check-up and acupuncture treatment by Kim. He then saw 「Hi, POP」 exhibition at M contemporary, Le Méridien Seoul located at Gangnam in the afternoon. He visited the National Museum of Korea with Jongseon Park on Sunday, January 28, to appreciate Korean cultural heritage.
He also appreciated Masterpieces of the French Art of the XVII–XIX Centuries from the Collection of the Hermitage at the National Museum of Korea. Michael was then invited by Juhwak Lee, the CEO of SIDM, to dinner at Korea House and enjoyed Korean folk cuisine, and watched he traditional performance " Simcheongjeon” after dinner. He attended an interview during tbs eFM’s program, This Morning with Alex Jensen, in the morning on Monday, January 29. After having a simple lunch with Korean foods such as soybean paste stew, loach stew, and kimchi stew, Michael headed to Incheon Airport to leave Korea for the US. Michael has received a singing room systemic mic as a gift from Juhwak Lee and thanked Lee for the gift and said that it was the most interesting gift he had ever received in Korea.