JNTO offers “matchmaking” service for associations

Etsuko Kawasaki

A new campaign and English-language website will be leading Japan National Tourism Organization’s (JNTO) push to attract more association events.

A new campaign for the “New ideas start here” initiative was launched in December to drive branding recognition both at home and abroad, said Etsuko Kawasaki, executive director of the Japan Convention Bureau.

Kawasaki: broad aim to link associations with appropriate cities with relevant industries

The campaign will be ramped up from the start of the fiscal year, in April, with the release of a new English-language website and promotional videos targeted at the associations market, detailing why organisations take their meetings to Japan.

“We have conducted our own research and it is clear that Japan is able to attract a large number of events involving the medical, scientific and industrial sectors, so we are focusing on these areas for our associations campaign,” she told TTGmice.

Kawasaki added that the national government is very enthusiastic about developing unique venues for networking events and for the business events market. Local governments have also begun to follow suit.

Twelve cities across Japan have been designated Global Cities as they meet all the requirements for association events, including accommodation, infrastructure and events. The remaining 40 cities with international convention status are more suited to smaller events and associations that are more modest in size are being channelled towards those locations.

Japanese cities are encouraged to play to their industries’ strengths. The city of Kitakyushu, for example, is strong in recycling industries and companies that develop environment-friendly technologies, and is open to working with associations in the same sector.

“Each city has something unique and special. We are encouraging them to make the most of those cultural assets,” she said.

“We want to link appropriate cities with the appropriate associations. It is almost as if we are providing a matchmaking service,” Kawasaki concluded.

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