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The official poster for the 12th ICCBP SEOUL 2018

The Seoul Metropolitan Government and Korea Block Association will hold the 12th ICCBP (International Conference on Concrete Block Pavement) 2018 from Oct. 16 to 19.

The conference is the only of such gatherings related to concrete block pavement on a global scale. Around 700 participants from 30 countries join the conference, where keynote speeches and 40 theses will be delivered by various guests. A total of 58 exhibition booths will also be installed.

Three years ago, the city government successfully won a bid for the conference through aggressive marketing in coordination with Korea Block Association.

The ICCBP was first launched by the SEPT (Small Element Pavement Technologists) in 1980 in Newcastle, England. The SEPT is a group of researchers, professors and associations that pursue the academic and technological development of block pavement. The ICCBP is held every three years. This is the first time Seoul will be hosting the conference.

The city government made a group of 36 persons, partially comprising member companies under the Korea Block Association, in September 2015. They presented the proposal to host the next conference and ran the Seoul exhibition booth at the 11th ICCBP in Dresden, Germany. Through such efforts, Seoul successfully got the bid to host the 2018 ICCBP.

Event organizers will set up an exhibition pavilion to introduce its innovative pavement policies. The city has aggressively implemented relevant policies including the “ten commandments of pavement block” and “ten commandments of sidewalk” under the theme “Walking Seoul.”

They will also introduce its innovative walking and pedestrian-related policies to the world, including “Pavement Block EXPO,” which Seoul has been promoting since 2013. So far, 43 out of 58 booths have been booked by participants from countries such as Korea, the US, Germany and Italy.

Seoul Sidewalk Policy Promotion Center

The opening ceremony will launch on Oct. 17 with opening remarks and a fusion performance combining traditional Korean literature and music. On the last day of the event, participants can take a walk along major pedestrian paths including those along Cheonggyecheon Stream as well as enjoy the cultural experience of various locales.

The conference includes an opening ceremony, exhibition pavilions and symposiums. Companies who want to join the exhibition can apply on the official website until September 14.

By Kim Bo-geun, senior staff writer

Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]