MICE News
News
2022.08.09
Osaka MICE Business Alliance Seminar, a Pre-Event for the upcoming MICE Expo in Kansai 2022!
Focus on incorporating sustainability into business event planning.
On July 26, 2022, at Knowledge Capital Congrés Convention Center, the Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau in collaboration with INTEX Osaka hosted a seminar as a preliminary event for the upcoming MICE Expo in Kansai, coming in December. The seminar, open to members of the Osaka MICE Business Alliance and other key players in the business events industry, focused on sustainability in the industry and achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau has created the Osaka MICE Business Alliance, comprised of service providers across a wide variety of industries, to provide event organizers with a one-stop service for all their meeting and event planning needs.
145 people attended the seminar, reflecting the spreading interest and eagerness in Osaka to learn more about how to best implement sustainable practices in events. In addition to opening remarks from the Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau, the event featured speakers from Osaka City, Kansai Airports, and JTB Communication Design, all discussing different aspects of sustainability as well as key examples and success stories. The event itself was dedicated to implementing sustainable practices, such as offering information in a purely digital format.
Opening Remarks
Yoshikazu Tanaka, Director of MICE Policy at the Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau, opened the event by discussing current outlooks for the business events industry. He gave special attention to the Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau’s SDGs for MICE Sustainable Event Evaluation System, the first of its kind in Japan. Tanaka emphasized how initiatives such as this are vital to effectively implementing sustainable practices in event planning.
Seminars
Achieving Status as an SDGs Future City with Positive Impact from Expo 2025
Atsuto Hagio of the Osaka City Policy and Planning Department discussed the city's role and actions in the SDGs into their planning. More information on Osaka's vision for the SDGs is available here.
Starting from Kyoto! Aiming for a Sustainable Society: Combining the SDGs and Resilience
Hiroyuki Fujita, former Vice Mayor of Kyoto City, discussed the concept of resilience and how this buzz word has evolved from an obscure notion to a key facet in Kyoto's initiatives in achieving the SDGs. See information on Kyoto's resilience strategy here.
Kansai's Three Airports: Working Alongside Local Governments to be an Environmentally Friendly Gateway
Namiko Suzuki of Kansai Airports, the operating company of Kansai International Airport, Osaka International Airport (Itami), and Kobe Airport, introduced the organization's main successes in tackling the SDGs, including reducing their environmental impact as well as their technological innovations. Take a look at more of Kansai Airports' sustainability initiatives here.
Tackling the SDGs through the MICE Industry
Shotaro Kobayashi of JTB Communication Design discussed how amid increased concern for environmental impacts, more actions is expected in the MICE industry which involves the movement of people and goods and the consumption of resources. Kobayashi went on to elaborate on success stories in the MICE industry that have made a positive impact with their sustainability initiatives.
SDGs for MICE Sustainable Event Evaluation System
On June 1, 2022, the Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau launched the SDGs for MICE Sustainable Event Evaluation System. This system, applicable for events all across Japan, encourages event organizers to work alongside attendees, service suppliers, local governments, and other stakeholders in order to incorporate specific, sustainable actions into the planning, execution, and follow-up phases of event management. These specific actions are based on the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, and work to bring both environmental and social sustainability into the meetings and events industry.
Check out our SDGs for MICE Sustainable Event Evaluation System here:
About the Venue
Located right in the heart of Umeda, Osaka's primary transportation hub, Knowledge Capital Congrés Convention Center boasts a direct connection to Osaka Station, and features extensive event space for meetings, seminars, trade shows, parties, and more.
See more information here: