Sheraton Walkerhill Moves in as Coex's New Internal Caterer

Sheraton Walkerhill Moves in as Coex's New Internal Caterer; Center & Vendor Allow Outside Caterers for the First Time

This June, Coex chose the Sheraton Walkerhill Hotel as its new convention and conference catering contractor, promising a new era of quality service and high-end dining for meetings attendees. Walkerhill has brought in a brand-new catering menu and full staff, and has remodeled Coex's in-center restaurants for the convenience of visitors.

Walkerhill’s new catering menu promises the highest quality in catered cuisine. The menu expands Coex's Korean selections, giving more flexibility for banquet organizers. Walkerhill is known locally for being the only five-star hotel in Seoul to operate not one, but two non-fusion restaurants specializing in Korean cuisine. Their Korean catering has made appearances at the Blue House, the Korean presidential residence, as well as at the G20 Business Summit in 2010. With the recently increased global profile of Korean food, the new menu is seen as a valuable opportunity for Korean branding for events at the center. The new catering menu also offers diverse Chinese and Western menus.

The same high-quality theme applies in Walkerhill's two new in-center restaurants, Wizwit and Vizavi. Wizwit Pub & Restaurant on the first floor is a walk-in establishment that offers fresh Northeast Asian and Western fare to convention-goers looking to eat quickly, but in a cool, relaxing atmosphere. Wizwit aims to be a youth-focused hotspot, and serves premium draft beers. Vizavi is a premium buffet that offers a diverse range of high-quality items, from Mongolian barbecue to fresh sushi to grilled-on-the-spot dishes. Both restaurants opened on September 1st.

Coex also remodeled the former Chosun Deli into a new Caffe Bene, Korea's largest high-end takeout coffee chain. Caffe Bene received attention earlier this year for surpassing competitor Starbucks in domestic store volume, despite its relative recent entry into the fiercely competitive Korean cafe market. The polished wood-and-glass stop opened its doors across from Coex's Hall A on August 11.

To accommodate rising volumes of visitors to the center, Coex has also opted to allow non-contracted catering providers for the first time as well. For a higher room cost, visitors can bring in their own caterers, allowing for further event flexibility and a lighter load on Walkerhill.

Coex hosts 1,500 catered events per year.