MICE News

Wednesday, June 2, 2021 is Global Exhibitions Day. Now in its sixth year, this worldwide day of recognition, celebrated by event planners and industry professionals, brings attention to the importance that exhibitions and trade fair events hold across the globe. UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, has created and facilitates Global Exhibitions Day as a platform for everyone to understand just how vital the exhibitions industry is.

Exhibitions and business events are the fastest of fast tracks to economic recovery.
UFI's key message for 2021

Today, in a world impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and economies on the downturn, safe exhibitions and events are more important than ever. That is why UFI has put forth this year’s message that exhibitions are key to rebuilding economics, and exhibitions and business events are the fastest of fast tracks to economic recovery. Involvement in exhibitions spreads across an incredible variety of industries ranging from catering and dining to AV and media, but the positive impact of exhibitions is not limited to those who are directly involved. Attendees and exhibitors alike produce spending on transportation, dining, accommodations, tourism attractions, and much more. Large-scale events like these have a significant and data-backed impact on the local region, which is why we believe all business events are an engine for economic development and regional activity.

As an example, Osaka was host to the Kansai Hotel and Restaurant Show in July 2020, the first large-scale event in Japan to be held since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only was it a success in terms of safety because of the organizers’ creative ideas to create a safe event, but along with six other concurrent events at the same venue it also injected more than ¥1.6 billion into the local economy, and business talks at the event reached nearly ¥3.1 billion in value.

Opening Ceremony of the 2020 Kansai Hotel & Restaurant Show

Osaka has long been putting into practice UFI’s message of exhibitions being key to rebuilding economies. Since the early onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Osaka has promoted the fact that the MICE industry is an engine for economic development and regional activity, and that it is possible to safely hold events. We at the Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau believe it is vital for everyone, including the general public as well as event stakeholders, to understand the importance of holding safe events. We even rapidly released the Guidelines for MICE Event Organizers for Infectious Disease Control (image on left) in June 2020, among the first of its kind in Japan, which were first implemented at the above-mentioned Kansai Hotel and Restaurant Show. This swift series of actions has ensured that exhibitors and attendees could meet with peace in mind at events.

In line with the importance of the exhibition industry, Osaka is expecting a large event to come to the region in 2021, bringing with it the hope and expectation of a much-needed boost to the local economy.

FOODEX Japan is an international food and beverage exhibition connecting Japan with Asia and the rest of the world, inspiring collaboration among industry professionals and generating new value in the food industry. Described as the “World Cup of Food,” the event is a perfect match for Osaka. Osaka is incredibly proud of its over-the-top food culture and is well known as the city where you “eat till you drop.” With FOODEX making its Osaka debut in 2021, exhibitors and attendees alike can expect an event with unprecedented enthusiasm, and new value for the food industry.