Fukuoka Convention & Visitors Bureau (FCVB) paid a call to Singapore’s community of event planners yesterday, with a full-day seminar that dispensed details of new experiences and products ready for corporate meetings and events.
The trade engagement led by FCVB also offered interaction opportunities with several hospitality and events specialists from Fukuoka, the largest city on Japan’s Kyushu Island.
A dual-track presentation was conducted, where one was tailored for convention organisers, and the other for meetings and incentive travel planners. Attendees were introduced to new activities such as ramen-making workshops, vinegar brewing tours, and samurai team battles, as well as evergreen advantages of hosting business events in the city.
Speaking to TTGmice on the sidelines of the event, Yuko Suga, general manager of FCVB, said the bureau has been investing in more trade engagements to reinforce the message that Fukuoka is ready for international business events of any scale.
Suga shared that a major event win for the city is the 2026 annual meeting of the Asia Oceania Geosciences Society, expected to attract approximately 4,000 participants, with some 2,500 coming from overseas.
The Conference of the International Planetarium Society and the World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations 21st Convention will also descend on Fukuoka in 2026.
Business events in the city have various venues to choose from. There are hotels of international brands and standards equipped with a wide selection of function rooms, as well as unique venue options. Hilton Fukuoka Sea Hawk, Grand Hyatt Hilton, and The Ritz-Carlton, Fukuoka are examples, with representatives presenting their event capabilities to trade buyers at the seminar on December 3 (Tuesday).
Fukuoka most recently welcomed a new unique venue option – the Kego Club by Happo-en, a banquet facility located within the Kego Shrine complex. Corporate groups have the option of chartering both facilities for an exclusive event featuring cultural entertainment and dining.
To raise the destination’s profile among Asia-based organisers of international meetings and events, FCVB has chosen to focus its efforts in Singapore, where there is extensive air connectivity from all parts of the world. Global travellers can easily connect on Singapore Airlines to Fukuoka Airport on daily flights.
“Singapore has a very important role in the commercial world; it is part of Asia but also very connected to the rest of the globe,” explained Suga.
Looking into the immediate future, Suga shared that her team is also aiming for more business events in 2025, when groups can coincide their formal activities in Fukuoka with the Osaka World Expo 2025, which will take place from April to October next year. Osaka is 2.5 hours away from Fukuoka by high-speed rail, allowing business travellers and event delegates a convenient extension before or after their events in Fukuoka.
