MICE News
News
2023.07.06
Osaka MICE Business Alliance Seminar on MICE Strategy and LGBTQ+ Tourism
Discussing MICE Strategy, Brand-New Subsidy Schemes, and LGBTQ+ Tourism
On June 27, 2023, the Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau (OCTB) held an Osaka MICE Business Alliance seminar at the Hotel Royal Classic Osaka.
The Osaka MICE Business Alliance is a collaborative partnership managed by the OCTB among local businesses who offer a wide variety of services within the MICE industry. The Alliance strives to provide a one-stop service so that organizers of meetings, incentive tours, exhibitions, and trade shows can find success and ease in hosting their international events in Osaka.
Over 100 Alliance members attended the seminar. For the first half of the seminar, the OCTB’s Director of MICE Strategy Yoshikazu Tanaka led a talk on Osaka’s overall economic strategy for the MICE industry, covering key points in the lead up to highly-anticipated Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai. Following the talk, MICE sales manager Asako Shiomi elaborated on the newly-revealed and revamped subsidy schemes that meeting and planners can take advantage of. Hiroshige Mizuno then took the stage to present the SDGs for MICE Sustainable Event Management System and press upon its significance for meeting and event planners, as well as other sustainable event management initiatives in the MICE industry.
Following a networking session, part two of the event focused on LGBTQ+ tourism, with an overview given by LGBTQ Advisor Shintaro Koizumi followed by an outline of the OCTB’s initiatives from IGLTA 2024 Coordinator Jonathan Lucas. Deputy General Manager Yoshiyuki Yamamoto of the Hotel Royal Classic Osaka concluded the event by giving an overview of the hotel as well as explain their diversity and inclusion initiatives.
Opening
Mr. Tanaka opened the event with an overview of the Osaka MICE Attraction Strategy, a radical policy launched in March 2023 by both Osaka Prefecture and the City of Osaka to develop Osaka into a globally-competitive meetings and events destination. The OCTB actively promotes initiatives that enourange more event organizers to choose, and develop measures to have Osaka acheive a status as a top-class MICE destination in the Asia-Oceania region. Mr. Tanaka then discussed the importance of having a close-knit network and team across Osaka in the MICE industry.
Mr. Tanaka's presentation is available to view here in Japanese:
Seminars
Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau's New Subsidy and Support Schemes
Ms. Shiomi took the stage to help attendees understand the latest updates to Osaka’s support and subsidy schemes. The Subsidy for International Conventions in Osaka that Align with Expo 2025 helps cover a portion of the running costs for international conventions that align with the themes and goals of Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai. At the same time, the Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau’s support system has been overhauled to be more competitive and encourage more convention planners to choose Osaka as their event’s next destination.
SDGs for MICE Sustainable Event Evaluation System and Other Sustainability Initiatives
Sustainable event management is key facet in the OCTB’s MICE strategy, and Mr. Mizuno presented on the SDGs for MICE Sustainable Event Evaluation System, the first system of its kind in Japan that the OCTB launched in June 2022.
LGBTQ+ Tourism
Shintaro Koizumi, LGBTQ Advisor for the Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau, gave an overview on LGBTQ+ tourism and the impact and importance of LGBTQ+ marketing in the travel and MICE industries.
Osaka’s LGBTQ Tourism Initiatives
Leading up to the IGLTA’s (International LGBTQ+ Travel Association) decision to host their 2024 convention in Osaka, the OCTB has been actively engaged in LGBTQ+ tourism since 2018. Jonathan Lucas, IGLTA 2024 Coordinator for the OCTB, spoke on the OCTB’s initiatives and goal of becoming Asia’s number one LGBTQ+-friendly destination.
SDGs for MICE Sustainable Event Evaluation System
Launched June 2021, the SDGs for MICE Sustainable Event Evaluation System encourages event organizers, attendees, service providers, and local governments to work together to implement sustainable practices at meeting and events across Japan. 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 their event.
See more information here:
About the Venue
At a prime location in Osaka’s entertainment and shopping district of Namba, Hotel Royal Classic Osaka was designed by renowned architect Kengo Kuma. Formerly the Shinkabukiza Theater, the building was renovated and then inherited the beloved kabuki theater’s façade, and is now fully furnished as a hotel with the latest amenities and the utmost hospitality.
See here for more information:
Creating a Buzz Around the G7 Trade Ministers’ Meeting
The city of Sakai in Osaka is the host destination of the G7 Trade Ministers’ Meeting. To help generate even more attention on the event, the next Osaka MICE Business Alliance Seminar will be on Friday, September 29, 2023, at the Fenice Sacay concert hall in Sakai.
