Members of the 5th Annual Global Media Corps gather on Saturday, October 15, 2011, for a press conference at PIC, which welcomed 89 media, and 13 delegates and travel agents.

Guam Visitors Bureau (GVB) welcomed 89 members of the media, and 13 delegates and travel agents from Japan, Korea, and the Philippines for the 5th Global Media Corps Gathering, October 14-18.

The annual event, which coincided with two GVB signature events — the Guam Micronesia Island Fair and Guam Ko’ko’ Road Race — gave international media a chance to explore the island and generate an estimated $1.8 million in coverage for Guam.

The group was comprised of web, TV, radio, magazine, and newspaper media. Media interest in Guam has grown from about 50 media arriving for the gathering the first year to a peak of 108 in 2010.

Horipro, a large Japanese talent agency, brought 10 cast members, two producers, one director, and one talent manager to Guam for the media event.

Sports media played a big role in this year’s event with increased interest in the 6th Guam Ko’Ko Road Race, which attracted more than 1,600 participants.

Ten Korean bloggers, with a combined 48,000 fans, arrived on Guam to write about and photograph the week’s events.

While the groups each visited the GMIF fairgrounds and the GKRR on Sunday, they spent most of their time conducting site visits at hotels, and visiting scenic sites, shopping outlets, restaurants, optional tours, and experiencing the nightlife during their stay.