How Kyeongnam University’s Fashion Marketing Students Redefine Medical Exhibitions at KIMES 2026

At Korea’s largest medical-industry trade show, fashion marketing students from Keimyung University took the lead—planning the exhibition space and running it on-site—proving the real-world impact of their industry-academic collaboration program.

Industry observers praised the project as a hands-on training model that prepares students for the field by partnering them with an actual company.

Keimyung University said on the 25th that its fashion marketing students joined KIMES (Korea International Medical & Hospital Equipment Show) at COEX in Seoul starting on the 19th, where they handled exhibition-space design and on-site operations.

The students partnered with medical functional-apparel specialist Bokwang INT Co., Ltd. to design the booth and manage practical on-site tasks.

The participation was part of the RISE program’s “Revitalizing Local Traditional Industries” initiative, supported by Daegu City and the Ministry of Education.

The program was designed to explore ways to fuse Daegu’s textile and fashion strengths with the medical and functional-wear sectors.

Running for more than 45 years, KIMES is Korea’s flagship medical-industry exhibition, highlighting the latest in devices, hospital equipment, healthcare solutions and functional medical apparel.

The massive show draws more than 72,000 medical professionals each year and again this year attracted hospital representatives and global buyers from around the world.

17 students from the fashion marketing department took part, owning every phase from concept to execution.

They developed a gray-and-white concept anchored in metal materials to reflect the technical and functional qualities of medical apparel while matching the buying preferences of healthcare professionals.

From initial concept and design development to booth structure, display setup and day-of operations, the students demonstrated strong practical skills and professional discipline.

“Designing the exhibition space myself and running it on-site made me feel the standards the industry requires,” said Kim Ju-wan, a third-year fashion marketing student. “Working directly with a real company, beyond theory-based classes, helped me clarify my career path.”

Yeo Eun-ah, faculty advisor for Keimyung’s fashion marketing department, said the RISE-based, industry-linked education helped students develop real-world problem-solving abilities. She added that the university will continue strengthening partnerships that boost the competitiveness of the local textile and fashion industry and train global professionals.

Meanwhile, the fashion marketing department has continued industry-academic activities tied to the RISE program, including joint participation in Germany’s ISPO Munich trade show and hosting a global forum at the Kobe Fashion Museum in Japan.

Building on these efforts, the department is expanding hands-on education and corporate support programs linked to the local textile and fashion industry.