View this email in your browser (https://us7.campaign-archive.com/?u=abfaacdf3e6aa41803891ddf4&id=e22e97cd5d) https://www.japanmeetings.org/ This Japan Meetings & Events Newsletter is sent to you by the London office of the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO). ** Japan Meetings & Events Newsletter November 2019 ------------------------------------------------------------ In this issue of the “Japan. New Ideas Start Here” newsletter from the Japan Convention Bureau’s London Office, we are pleased to share some updates with you, including our success story of the General Conference of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) which took place in Kyoto recently. ICOM is just one of the many international conventions that have taken place this year, where Japan proudly shared our own insights in the field of cultural heritage and museums. In the coming week, Japan will be at ibtm WORLD which takes place in Barcelona from 19^th - 21^st November 2019 at Fira Barcelona Gran Via. Over the period of the event, we will have destination presentations, a Japan-themed happy hour and a Japanese candy artisan on-site to sweeten your visit. JNTO can provide support for business events groups that meet our criteria, and we will be happy to discuss with you how we can facilitate your business event in Japan. Indeed, we want to precipitate great conversations and start new ideas for your groups in Japan. We would love to see you at our Japan Stand H80. For those who recently visited Japan as an event organiser or as a participant, there is still time to participate in our #LetsMeetInJapan campaign and share your event memories from Japan. The winning entry will get the opportunity to visit Japan again, this time for leisure! Ellen Mitchell Convention Manager, Japan Convention Bureau JNTO London Email: ellen_mitchell@jnto.go.jp (mailto:ellen_mitchell@jnto.go.jp?subject=Japan%20Meetings%20%26%20Events%20Newsletter%20November%202019) www.japanmeetings.org ** See you at ibtm WORLD in Barcelona! ------------------------------------------------------------ JNTO and our meetings industry partners will be at ibtm WORLD (http://www.ibtmworld.com) , Barcelona from 19^th - 21^st November. We look forward to welcoming you to our stand H80 (https://www.ibtmworld.com/en/Exhibitors/6358548/Japan-National-Tourism-Organ...) . Activities scheduled at the Japan Stand are: * Destinations presentations twice per day. * A candy-craft (amezaiku) artisan creating candy art. * A Happy Hour from 5pm on Wednesday 20^th November. Japanese inspired food and drinks will be served. You can find the list of suppliers and destinations joining us on the Japan Stand here (https://us7.campaign-archive.com/?u=abfaacdf3e6aa41803891ddf4&id=e22e97cd5d) . ** #LetsMeetInJapan Campaign for Business Events Participants ------------------------------------------------------------ https://www.japanmeetings.org/letsmeetinjapan JNTO launched its hashtag campaign, #LetsMeetInJapan, for participants of business events in Japan. Through a multiplatform campaign running on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn, posts using the hashtag to show photos or describe experiences as a business traveller in Japan stand a chance of winning a trip to Japan. This campaign will end on 10^th December 2019. We look forward to hearing from you! Follow us on: https://www.linkedin.com/company/japan-convention-bureau/ https://www.facebook.com/japanmeetings/ https://twitter.com/letsmeetinjapan https://www.instagram.com/letsmeetinjapan/?hl=en ** A Very Special Guest – Konnichiwa from Hello Kitty! ------------------------------------------------------------ JNTO offers organisers the chance to invite a Japanese superstar to join your upcoming meetings, events or incentive group – the adorable Hello Kitty! At the recent ABTA travel convention in Tokyo, delegates were delighted by the world famous feline as she took to the stage for a dance performance in a traditional Japanese kimono. “Kawaii” culture is a part of Japan that business events participants are often keen to explore, and what could be more “kawaii” than Hello Kitty? For more details of the Hello Kitty invitation programme, speak to your local representative from JNTO. ** Case Study: General Conference of the International Council of Museums (ICOM), Kyoto, 1^st - 7^th September 2019 ------------------------------------------------------------ In the meetings and events sector, Japan continues to go from strength to strength. The calendar for 2019 was full of large conventions, including the 25^th General Conference of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) in Kyoto. At this first ICOM General Conference ever to be held in Japan, ICDAD (International Committee for Museums and Collections of Decorative Arts and Design), ICFA (International Committee for Museums and Collections of Fine Arts) and GLASS (International Committee for Museums and Glass Collections) had their individual meetings within the ICOM frame. In its call for papers, ICOM Kyoto 2019 linked the official theme, “The Future of Tradition,” with a popular Japanese idiom onko chishin: for artists to be truly innovative, they must have a deep understanding of the work of their predecessors. Presenters were encouraged to use the Kyoto conference as a unique opportunity to examine such ideas, particularly in the context of Japan, China, and other parts of Asia. Read more here (https://us7.campaign-archive.com/?u=abfaacdf3e6aa41803891ddf4&id=e22e97cd5d) . ** Upcoming Major Conventions in Japan ------------------------------------------------------------ Some international conventions include:- * 29^th International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence (2,500PAX / 2020 / Nagoya) * 17^th World Congress on Earthquake Engineering (3,000PAX / Sept 2020 / Sendai) * 22^nd World Congress of the International Federations of Automatic Control (2,500PAX / Jul 2023 / * Yokohama) * XXXIV^th URSI General Assembly and Scientific Symposium (1,000PAX / Aug 2023 / Sapporo) * 15^th International CLEFT Congress (1,500PAX / 2025 / Kyoto) ** JNTO Support for International Business Events in Japan ------------------------------------------------------------ The government of Japan, through JNTO, offers assistance to business events organisers. JNTO’s support covers the following: * Online resources and information * Bespoke free and impartial information and advice * Coordination with local partners in Japan * Familiarisation trips, such as the long-running Meet Japan programme* * Support for individual site visits* * Promotional resources to promote your event and boost attendance are also available (https://www.japanmeetings.org/plan-your-event/promotional-resources/) *subject to eligibility Please discuss with our London Office how we can help you with your business event group/s to Japan. Click here (https://www.japanmeetings.org/assets/docs/toolkit/Japan_Convention_Cities_Gu...) for a copy of the Japan Convention Cities Guide with comprehensive information about local Support for Organisers; Access; Unique Venues for social events; Convention Facilities, Accommodation Capacity and other useful information. http://www.japanmeetings.org A golden sunset casts the torii (shrine gate) of Hachiman Nada Shrine, off the coast of Kitsuki in Oita Prefecture, into stark contrast. Has its cheeky visitor just stopped to rest its wings after a long day, or has the shadowy seagull come to pay its respects? This photo by Juka Sato won the Grand Prize in the Inspiring Business Events: Japan Photo Video Contest – New Ideas Start Here –. “A 2016 study on why people chose Japan as a business events destination shows that the ability to ‘gain flashes of insight’ and ‘as a place where knowledge and talent meet’ were two of the top responses. Other reasons for choosing Japan include safety, cleanliness of the cities and having a good track record in providing quality experiences.” Etsuko Kawasaki, Executive Director, Japan Convention Bureau ============================================================ Copyright © 2019 Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), All rights reserved. Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) 32 Queensway, Bayswater, London, W2 3RX United Kingdom You are receiving this email as a business associate, past attendee of JNTO events or we have exchanged contact information. ** update your preferences (https://gainingedge.us7.list-manage.com/profile?u=abfaacdf3e6aa41803891ddf4&id=531b7b952f&e=3c4bb2f3e7) or ** unsubscribe (https://gainingedge.us7.list-manage.com/unsubscribe?u=abfaacdf3e6aa41803891ddf4&id=531b7b952f&e=3c4bb2f3e7&c=db477eb6ec)