Sustainable & Safe Events
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The world is increasingly engaging in sustainability as a vital component of economic
growth. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 to encourage
sustainable practices in every aspect of modern society, including in the MICE industry.
The meetings and events industry, also known as MICE (an acronym for meetings, incentive tours, conventions, and
exhibitions) or the business events industry, is a vital component of modern economies because it brings
together people to cultivate innovation in business, vitalize local economies and communities, and foster
healthy competition among cities and nations. However, the gathering of people, by nature, can create a burden
on the environment with the consumption of different resources. To foster communication between an event’s host
region and contribute back to the local community, it is essential that we work together to implement
environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable practices into the MICE industry.
For this reason, we at the Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau have established the SDGs for MICE Sustainable
Event Evaluation System. This program encourages event organizers, attendees, service providers, and even local
governments to work together to implement sustainable practices at their events. It is our goal that through
this program, event organizers can guarantee safety and peace of mind for both themselves and their attendees,
ensure that the event fosters continued engagement in sustainable practices, and increase the overall value of
the event.
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Receive Expert Advice and Feedback
We have created a detailed Action List for applicants, from which event organizers select the sustainable practices that work best for their event. We then appoint an expert advisor who gives tailored advise that make sustainable practices approachable and practical.
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Showcase Your Accomplishments
Emphasize your initiatives to event stakeholders with the Sustainability Declaration Certificate, which we provide before the event. An expert then evaluates the event’s outcomes, producing an Evaluation Certificate with specific feedback that showcases the event’s accomplishments. This demonstrates how feasible sustainable practices are and encourages future implementation.
On May 9, 2023, the Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau (President: Hiroshi Mizohata) revised the Safe Event
Guidelines for Meeting & Event Planners.
MICE events (i.e. business events such as exhibitions and academic conferences) have long generated business
opportunities and innovation, advanced research and development, and created significant economic effects.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic caused the cancellation or postponement of nearly all MICE events worldwide,
halting business actively and dealing a devastating blow to the economy.
In order to encourage the safe and successful revival of the MICE industry, the Osaka Convention & Tourism
Bureau incorporated information from official government policies, the opinions of meeting and event
organizers, and case studies from the MICE and other industries worldwide in order to launch the first version
of the Safe Event Guidelines on June 3, 2020.
The world is now well on its way to recovery, but the importance of infectious disease risk prevention
measures remains. This is why we have revised these guidelines to focus on basic public health and sanitation
measures that work to prevent all infectious diseases, not just COVID-19.
We recommend that meeting and event planners make use of these guidelines when organizing in-person events in
order to ensure the health and safety for attendees and all involved. It is our hope that the MICE industry
will once again flourish and contribute to economic development.
Safe Event Guidelines for
Meeting & Event Planners
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1. Why We Revised These Guidelines
Infectious disease will continue to remain a considerable risk that event planners must prepare for, much as for natural disasters. It is therefore important to incorporate the experiences gained during the COVID-19 pandemic into permanent guidelines that work to reduce the risk of spread of any new infectious disease.
2. Guidelines Contents
(1) Items to Implement Pre-Event
(2) Items to Implement During the Event
(3) Support for Meeting and Event Planners from the Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau
- PDF Download (English) *Revised 2023/5/9
- PDF Download (Japanese) *Revised 2023/5/9
More Information from Public Institutions
For inquiries regarding these guidelines:
MICE Promotion Department, Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau