Give your delegates a sense of theatre in Tokyo

The Japanese capital is building on big wins to establish itself as a global player on the events stage. Catherine Chetwynd reports.

With the Olympic and Paralympic Games opening in Tokyo this year, the Japanese capital is centre stage, building on its popularity as a meeting, events and congress destination. Evidence includes winning bids such as the 18th World Congress for Esophageal Diseases at the Keio Plaza Hotel from September 26-28, 2022; and the ISDE (International Society for Diseases of the Esophagus) 2022 World Congress, which is expected to attract 1,100 delegates from 40 countries.

The capital will also welcome the 14th ACM SIGGRAPH Conference and Exhibition on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques in Asia (SIGGRAPH Asia 2021), at the Tokyo International Forum from December 14-17, 2021. The success of this event in Tokyo in December 2018 was the determining factor in the decision to return.

And TCVB’s Sustainability Guidelines for Business Events in Tokyo keeps it at the forefront of current thinking. Published last year and available online, it includes a checklist of sustainable practices and facilities. In addition, an overhaul of the TCVB subsidy policy has brought the highest levels of financial subsidy yet to events held in Tokyo.

The convention bureau has also launched a website dedicated to promoting unique venues in Tokyo. And to demonstrate possible uses, last year, the TCVB hosted 100 guests from global companies and embassies in the capital at the Japanese Sword Museum, where they gathered to appreciate the swords and enjoy sustenance made from locally sourced ingredients.

The city’s venues catch the imagination of organisers. “One of many places we love in Japan is Shinjuku Robot. This unique entertainment venue is an assault on the senses and is a great way to the end the night.  It runs every day with mind-blowing shows of robots and dancers, and one of our clients says that he includes this venue in every trip he does to Tokyo, as no two experiences are ever the same,” says client relationship director for BI Mark Taylor.

Tradition also plays an important role. “I believe that one of the finest, most highly refined and elegant traditional Japanese venues in Tokyo is the Kanze Noh Theatre, dating from the 14th century,” says director of commercial events for Connections Micaela Giacobbe. “The lobby makes a remarkable setting for a reception or party, and learning about Noh in the heart of Tokyo is a unique opportunity to immerse yourself and your guests in quintessential Japanese culture.”

And Deacon Ripley, head of conference and incentives department UK for JTB Europe, recommends Roppongi Hills Club, a members-only restaurant, meeting and exhibition space on the 51st floor of the Mori Tower. “We recommend this venue for dinners, product launches, small exhibitions and team building events. The in-house AV production and catering from the restaurants are second to none; we have received only positive reviews from events we have run here and being a members-only club, each event has an exclusive feel.”

With the kudos of holding the Olympic and Paralympic Games, a raft of interesting venues and a high safety rating – Tokyo has again been voted the safest city in the world in the Economist Intelligence Unit Safe Cities Index 2019 – the city is likely to be much in demand in the 2020s.

Case study

• The client: Swiss Insurance company
• The venues: Tokyo Skytree, Monster Café, Odaiba, Bonsai Museum, Volcan Hakone, Hipster area Shibuya, Hotel Gajoen, Hotel Ryokan, Amano-Hashidate
• The event: Annual incentive trip
• Theparticipants: Client’s distributors and sales agents, with partners, about 80 participants in all

The story of the event: The company organises one short-haul and one long-haul trip every year. In a survey the previous year, the client’s guests indicated their preference for Japan; they opted for an eight-day itinerary, with 3 nights in Tokyo, 1 night in Hakone and 3 nights in Kyoto. Activities in Tokyo included a rickshaw tour, visit to Skytree, the world’s second tallest tower; dinner in the Kill Bill restaurant, the Imperial Palace, a robot show, Monster Café and Maid Café, a fish market, sushi classes, a bonsai museum, tea ceremony and shopping. In Hakone the group stayed in a traditional Ryokan Hotel with onsen bath.  The Express train took the group on to Kyoto for a trip to the Golden Pavilion and lunch in a traditional Japanese garden, a bike ride in the Amano-Hashidate coastline region, visits to temples, a bamboo grove and the Geisha district; plus hands-on introductions to martial arts, calligraphy and origami.

Why Tokyo? The client wanted something that would amaze, surprise and delight their winners. Japan does this every time, for first-time visitors and seasoned travellers alike, and it did not fail to deliver.

Any challenges? The client’s image and profile is traditional and conservative European, as were the participants, so particular attention had to be paid to ensure the menus were exotic but not too challenging.

Budgetand return on investment: The budget was sufficient to give the participants a high-end and comprehensive visit to Tokyo, Hakone & the Kyoto region. All services were delivered to the delight of participants and client. The organisation evaluated ROI and was well pleased.

Feedback: It was a successful trip for all guests. For many, it was their first visit to Japan and the programme enabled them to learn about the country’s fascinating culture in a short time.

Updates:

• Tokyo maintained its fifth position in the UIA ranking of international meetings held in 2018 and the city jumped from 18^th to 13^th in the ICCA ratings
• Four Seasons Tokyo opens this year (date tbc) with 190 rooms and three meeting rooms with an aggregate capacity of 600; and Okura Tokyo opened in September 2019 with 508 rooms and five banquet rooms (900 banquet, largest room)
• Tokyo Big Sight exhibition centre opened in July 2019 with 126,666sq.m of space, making it the largest international exhibition centre in Japan
• In July and August 2019, the capital hosted corporate meeting planners, who visited Jindaiji Temple, where they had the opportunity to paint Daruma dolls and make soba noodles, which TCVB described as “a seemingly simple task with a surprisingly rich history and an eye-opening level of technique required”
• New activities include Tokyo Bon Dance, promoting good health through gentle movement; Robohon robot with AI that can be programmed to make him dance, speak or move; and Taiko drumming