Japanese Appeal And Demand Blossoms At Upcoming IT&CM
Asia Showcases 6 Global MICE Cities Ready To Charm
Singapore, 17 July 2018 – Japan’s MICE appeal and capabilities continue to impress and IT&CMA’s largest Japan display to date will feature 6 Global MICE Cities – Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Kobe, Nagasaki, Osaka, Sapporo. Ready to welcome Japan’s presence at IT&CMA, Darren Ng, Managing Director, TTG Asia Media, said, “Besides Japan’s exceptional hospitality, culture and standards of service it boasts a number of cities with their own special characteristics for different types of business events.” JTB Corporation, the organization serving Japan’s tourism industry from over 1,100 offices in 38 countries will also make an entry into IT&CMA. A recent report sees Japan in the top country rankings to maintain its first place in the Asia-Pacific region for a record number of international association meetings held. Fukuoka, Osaka and Sapporo, are among the destinations eager to leverage on IT&CMA as a platform while newcomers Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Kobe, and JTB are intent on making their presence felt at IT&CMA 2018. Of the six participating cities, Fukuoka has retained second place in Japan for the largest number of international conferences held for 8 consecutive years. “Fukuoka’s MICE programmes are modelled towards offering clients a full suite of support services and subventions to customize their itineraries and event management,” said Izumi Shimada, Director of Sales & Business Development, Fukuoka Convention & Visitors Bureau.
The newest MICE city on the block is Hiroshima, which has made Asia-Pacific its latest target market, and hopes to raise the city’s profile at IT&CMA. “We have modified our subsidy programme to tailor to a wider range of needs for international conventions and have been working closely with local stakeholders to move Team HIROSHIMA forward to attract more business events and incentive travel to the city,” said Kazuhiro Tsuji, Chief Supervisor, Hiroshima Convention & Visitors Bureau. Osaka finds itself in the second largest business region in Japan – Kansai – and the birthplace of major homegrown brands such as Suntory, Asahi Kasei, Takeda Pharmaceutical, Sumitomo Electric Industries, Sharp, and Panasonic. Asako Shiomi, Deputy Manager, MICE Promotion Department, Osaka Convention and Tourism Bureau said, “Osaka has been reinventing itself to attract returning visitors especially with the formation of the Osaka MICE Business Alliance. We are also working with IT&CMA to organize a MICE destination FAM trip for buyers at the end of the year to experience Osaka first-hand.” Well known for its beer and a premier winter destination, Sapporo is also one of Japan’s leading districts in IT expertise The island is largely untouched by extensive tourism and a frontrunner of expertise in local food production and self-sufficiency, agriculture, geosciences, arctic research, medicine and veterinary science. Said Ayako Kurosawa, Incentive Coordinator, Sapporo Convention Bureau, “Sapporo Convention Bureau and TCEB have enjoyed a close working relationship since 2013, leading to many fruitful experiences, fresh ideas, and potential prospects through our participation at IT&CMA.”
Kobe has played a key part in Japan’s modernization and visitors can enjoy the world-famous Kobe beef, and other attractions like cruises, hot spring towns, and trips to research facilities. International events such as the 2020 Summer Olympics, Rugby World Cup 2019, 2019 G20 Summit, Tourism Expo Japan, World Buiatrics Congress, Pugwash Conference on Science and World Affairs, Asia-Pacific Intelligent Transport Systems Forum, and more, are some of the major events slated to take place in the next two years. IT&CMA 2018 will be held from 18 – 20 September 2018 at the Bangkok Convention Centre at CentralWorld. It is co-located with the CTW Asia-Pacific – The Leading Corporate Travel Management Conference for the Asia-Pacific. For more information, log on to www.itcma.com | www.corporatetravelworld.com/apac
