E-Newsletter

2018 IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition in Tokyo a great success

Last September’s 2018 IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition boasted record attendance. Nearly 10,000 leaders from governments, utilities, academia, private companies and international organizations from 98 countries gathered at Tokyo Big Sight for the event, which provided a strategic platform for the discussion and co-creation of solutions to global water challenges.

Mr. Keith Robertson, Learning & Events Director of the IWA, provided the following comment regarding the Congress and Exhibition as a whole: “Tokyo 2018 has been the biggest and best Congress yet. I feel that with the experience gained from this year’s event and even greater support and involvement from the Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau (TCVB), the next one could be even better.”
Mr. Robertson praised the high level of service and hospitality provided by Tokyo, stating: “The TCVB have been an invaluable help to the IWA. They helped us negotiate some of the cultural differences we encountered, and were always friendly when giving guidance. Sometimes, they even gave advice on what we could do, or what we should not do, regarding issues that were well outside of the scope of their official duties. We were very impressed with this high level of support.”
Mr. Robertson also voiced great appreciation for the volunteer staff at the event: “The volunteers in Tokyo have been excellent. They helped us accomplish so many different tasks. I had the pleasure of meeting many of them, and besides providing excellent support with event work, each volunteer was very engaging on a personal level.”

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) and the TCVB jointly contributed to the success of the Congress & Exhibition by providing welcome desks for arriving attendees at both of Tokyo’s airports, a Tokyo City Information Desk at the event site, Japanese cultural programs as mid-event entertainment, complimentary Tokyo city tours, and support for accessing the city’s many attractions.

A Fabulous Showcase of the Possible Uses for Tokyo’s Unique Venues

This past summer, the Tama area in western Tokyo warmly welcomed 10 meeting planners from throughout Asia. The Tama area is visually stunning and renowned for its abundance of natural greenery. Event visitors had the opportunity to experience this fascinating region for themselves.
As a demonstration of how to take advantage of the area’s unique venues, the group was hosted at the Edo Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum. The participants delighted in riding rickshaws around the area, and at an uchimizu water sprinkling demonstration – an environmentally friendly activity with historical significance. Later, they enjoyed a fascinating presentation on Tokyo’s unique venues put on by the Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture.
The House of Georg de Lalande, located within the grounds of the Edo Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum, provided an atmospheric venue for a productive networking session with local MICE businesses. Tokyo sake was served – the brewery of which can also be visited! Participants also partook of sumptuous dishes made using Tokyo ingredients, including a selection of Halal dishes. The event received glowing reviews from its participants, which validated our conviction that the charms of the Tama area were brilliantly demonstrated during this event.

In early December 2018, the TCVB welcomed another FAM trip – this time from Europe and North America. The TCVB and Tokyo’s MICE suppliers jointly received these guests at a business-networking event at the Tokyo Sea Life Park. The cafeteria was illuminated with blue light in order to create the nautical atmosphere of a deep-sea club. Fresh Tokyo-grown vegetables were served, making for a delicious feast. Meanwhile, text and images, including the TCVB logo and photos from other events at the venue, were projected over the whirling performance of the unique and futuristic stage show put on by the Kaguzuchi team. The participants were thrilled by this unforgettable event.

These are just two examples of the exciting programs on offer at unique venues around Tokyo. Find out about other programs we provide in the Unique Venues Guide.

For more information, please visit: http://businesseventstokyo.org/venues/unique-venues/ or contact TCVB directly

Hotel Okura Tokyo to be reborn this September as The Okura Tokyo - a premier venue for prestigious international conferences.

The highly anticipated opening of The Okura Tokyo will take place on September 12. The new hotel promises to fuse tradition and innovation. It will be equipped with 508 luxury rooms spread across two buildings on the spacious and greenery-filled main site of the Okura Tokyo property.

The larger of the two buildings, The Okura Prestige Tower, will be a 41-story (188 meters) tall structure that combines premium quality amenities accented with refined Japanese aesthetics. Guest rooms will begin on the 28th floor, affording a wonderful, panoramic view of Tokyo from every room.
The smaller building, The Okura Heritage Wing, will be a top-end luxury hotel with a tasteful, classically Japanese atmosphere. The structure will be 17 stories (75 meters) tall and will feature refreshing views of lush gardens and greenery on three of its sides.

The hotel will have 19 splendid banquet facilities to meet every need, from international conferences to intimate parties. One of these will be the “Heian Room” which, at 2,000 square meters in area, will be one of the largest hotel ballrooms in Tokyo. The Heian Room can accommodate up to 2,000 guests for standing style events. Furthermore, event organizers will have the option to combine it with the adjacent foyer and other banquet halls to create a flexible space up to 3,000 square meters in area.
These excellent banquet facilities, along with hotel’s fabulous dining options, should immediately establish The Okura Tokyo as a premier venue for prestigious international conferences.

For more information, click here or contact intlsales2@tokyo.hotelokura.co.jp (for MICE reservations); pr@hotelokura.co.jp (for media inquiries)

Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo continues efforts to provide higher levels of satisfaction to customers with medical and special needs

Shinjuku’s Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo, one of Japan's leading international hotels, recently renovated its ten universal design guest rooms on the 30th floor. Each room is 35.5 sq. m in area, and the hotel has now increased the size of each room’s bathroom, and added furniture with greater functionality and ease of use to suit the needs of a wider range of customers. In addition, special lighting systems and other special features were installed to cater to guests with visual or hearing impairments.

Furthermore, the hotel added three new luxurious rooms, two 47 sq. m and one 67.4 sq. m in area, bringing the total number of universal design rooms to 13.

For more information, click here or contact Public Relations Manager Keiko Kawashima (Ms.) at +81-(0)3-5322-8010 or keiko-kawashima@keioplaza.co.jp

Applications are still open for the Tokyo Educational Trip 2018-2019!

The TCVB Business Events Team is hosting the “Tokyo Educational Trip 2018-2019”, and is currently accepting applications for participation from international association executives and core PCOs involved in the site selection process for international association meetings.

This program is a great opportunity to visit convention facilities, reception venues, and tourist spots, as well as to meet local suppliers, and learn about what makes Tokyo an ideal meeting destination. The program will last four nights and six days, but the dates are flexible, as we want to tailor the program to fit the needs of individual participants. Please inquire soon however, as the number of available spots is limited.

For more information, please visit the links below or contact: businessevents@tcvb.or.jp
For association executives
For core PCOs

Accolades:

This year, Tokyo has received worldwide recognition for the following achievements:

The Best City in the World for the third year running, according to the 2018 survey by the luxury American magazine, Conde Nast Traveler. The magazine summarizes the city as follows: “Tokyo continues to thrill with its contradictions: ultramodern, neon-lit skyscrapers and tranquil temples, unmatchable street style and centuries-old etiquette… It's like a fever dream you don't want to wake up from. This Japanese capital has more Michelin stars than any other place on earth, and is - no surprise - one of the world’s best food destinations…”
For more information: https://www.cntraveler.com/galleries/2014-10-20/top-25-cities-in-the-world-readers-choice-awards-2014

Tokyo’s Haneda International Airport earns a 5-Star rating for the fifth consecutive year from SKYTRAX, the international rating organization for air transport facilities and services. This ongoing streak of stellar reviews cements Haneda’s reputation as a global leader in quality and consistency of service, as well as product and service innovation.
For more information: https://www.airlinequality.com/news/haneda-airport-gains-5-star-rating-for-5th-consecutive-year/

Third-place in the annual Global Power City Index’s top 40 major global cities, a ranking compiled by the Mori Memorial Foundation’s Institute for Urban Strategies. Tokyo ranks behind only London and New York for the second year in a row.
For more information: http://www.mori-m-foundation.or.jp/pdf/GPCI2018_summary.pdf