As the world flocks back to in-person international conferences, Yokohama is going beyond business as usual to create new experiences and standards for the conferences of tomorrow—all with sustainability at their core.
Brought to you by Yokohama Convention & Visitors Bureau
Open for business
The cosmopolitan city of Yokohama was one of the first places in Japan to welcome back international delegates to conferences as travel restrictions were eased in mid-2022. The precedent for this action was set all the way back in 1859 when Yokohama became one of the first Japanese ports to open to international trade. A positive attitude toward open exchange is very much encoded in the city’s DNA.
This openness was in full display at the recent 8th Asian Congress of Dietetics (ACD 2022), held August 19–21, 2022. Speakers and delegates from across Asia gathered to discuss sustainable schemes and ideas for improving global dietary health.
Sustainability in practice
To complement the topics explored at the conference, Yokohama Convention & Visitors Bureau (YCVB) offered several cultural programs promoting wellness. These experiences and workshops were held in the Exhibition Hall alongside booths and presentation sessions, making them a seamless part of the ACD 2022 conference.
One of YCVB’s flagship programs is its mobile tearoom concept. A Japanese tearoom can be erected almost anywhere in less than an hour, taking the traditional tea ceremony direct to international delegates. The tearoom is crafted using miyadaiku woodworking, which is a protected skill that is inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Miyadaiku-built shrines and temples can be found all over Yokohama, and bringing that culture into the hall was an instant hit with international participants at the conference. The tearoom’s relaxing atmosphere combined with a serving of freshly whisked Japanese tea and a local Yokohama confection was the perfect way for participants to become reinvigorated, enabling them to return to the conference renewed.
Yoga workshops were also held in the hall during the conference, offering people the opportunity to re-center and relax while looking out over Yokohama’s scenic harbor from the comfort of the venue. Available at most conferences, the workshops require no prior experience, and the movements are performed entirely from a seated position, which makes them suitable for people of different physical abilities. They also include useful techniques that participants can use to stay relaxed yet focused throughout a conference.
These kinds of workshops are designed to provide restful breaks for attendees and reinforce the themes of the conference, as well as spotlight Yokohama’s own achievements toward sustainability.
Support as needed
YCVB ensures robust but unobtrusive countermeasures against COVID-19 throughout its venues, and can connect organizers with language support and other services as needed. It also supports conference organizers in fulfilling their own sustainability goals. With programs like Yokohama’s Next Generation Project to empower young researchers, and with the city’s support of the Zero Hunger Challenge, which incorporates sustainable development at the structural level of a conference, an organizer’s priorities can be easily incorporated.
Ultimately, YCVB is committed to providing the support needed to make every convention and conference a success. As we navigate back to in-person events, with YCVB you can take safety, security, and personalized support for granted. But beyond that, by placing a high priority on the needs and theme of each conference, YCVB reminds us of what we have been missing out on during our time apart.
Submit your Request for Proposal, and see what Yokohama Convention & Visitors Bureau can do for your event.
YCVB’s team offers tailor-made consultations for events, conventions, and conferences big and small. Make Yokohama your Destination City.
