After years of Covid disruption, the International Society for Professional Innovation Management (ISPIM) will finally deliver its ISPIM Connects Osaka Conference from December 2-4, 2024.
ISPIM Connects Osaka Conference was initially planned in 2018 for commencement in 2020.
Iain Bitran, executive director at ISPIM, told TTGmice that the years of delay have now created a more tangible link between the conference and the high-profile 2025 World Exposition in Osaka.
“When we planned the event for 2020, Expo 2025 was going to be five years away; now it is just around the corner.
“It means that a lot of the themes at Expo 2025 can also be incorporated into our conference. In fact, we will have a number of Expo 2025 experts coming to speak at our conference,” said Bitran.
With Expo 2025 being a point of appeal for ISPIM Connects Osaka Conference, the association is also working on adding innovation tours to Kyoto and Kobe, cities within the Kansai region.
He said: “Expo 2025 is positioned as a Kansai event, so it makes sense for our conference to also feature activities in the region. It is easy to get around Japan, and both Kyoto and Kobe are so accessible from Osaka. More importantly, these cities have a lot of interesting innovations for our delegates to study.”
Beyond ISPIM Connects Osaka Conference, ISPIM is now looking at anchoring one of its regular events in Japan.
“We have done events in Singapore, Malaysia, and South Korea, and we like coming to Asia, in particular, Japan. This event takes place annually in December and typically attracts about 200 attendees.
“By anchoring it in Japan, we are confident of expanding participation numbers because the Japanese enjoy attending conferences and learning,” said Bitran.
ISPIM is also “keeping an eye out for other Asian destinations for future editions of our annual events”, as the region is active in the space of innovation.
Bitran expressed interest in Vietnam, due to its up-and-coming innovation industry.
