Tokyo Headlines

Successful Completion of the First Hybrid UIA Associations Round Table Asia-Pacific in Tokyo

26 Oct 2021 PRESS RELEASES

The Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau (TCVB), as the host partner city to UIA, is delighted to announce the successful completion of the 9th UIA Associations Round Table Asia-Pacific 2021 held in Japan for the first time. It was also the first time for UIA to hold its Round Table in a hybrid format. Due to the global pandemic, overseas speakers and delegates were asked to attend online, but the local association executives and industry partners participated in person. On October 21 and 22, more than 70 overseas and local participants joined via a dedicated virtual conferencing platform, OnAIR, and over 40 participants gathered in person at the Congrès Square Nihonbashi.

Over the two-day event, international association executives and industry stakeholders learned practical skills and ways to tackle challenges in branding, funding, communication, and governance in this challenging era. A unique demonstration of utilizing new and exciting telepresence avatar robots was presented during the panel discussions, showcasing one solution in managing hybrid international conferences. The overseas speakers, who joined as avatar robots from Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, and Switzerland, were thrilled to experience the entirely new way of communication with onsite participants, made possible thanks to iPresence.

The most careful attention at the venue was paid to health and safety protocols. In addition to basic infection countermeasures essential to hold safe meetings, TCVB installed a "Safe Gate Solution," which combines automatic temperature measurement and hand/foot mist sterilization.

To promote Tokyo as an attractive destination to visit in person in the future, promotional video content introducing Japanese cultural experiences like sushi and dancing were live-streamed during the two days of the Round Table. The event concluded with an exceptional live cultural experience of green tea and its place in Japanese culture, which appealed to the delegates online and on-site.

About the Union of International Associations (UIA)

The Union of International Associations (UIA) was founded in 1907 in Brussels with the aim of researching international associations, regardless of location or field of activity. Today the UIA is the world's oldest, largest, and most comprehensive source of information on global civil society. The UIA collects, hosts, and provides up-to-date, reliable information on global civil society and maintains the most comprehensive source of information on international associations, their activities and concerns, and their meetings activities.

About the Business Events Team at the Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau (TCVB)

The Business Events Team at the Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau (TCVB) serves as a one-stop shop for meeting/ event planners and organizers seeking assistance in successfully bidding to host international business events in Tokyo.

Please download the PDF version of the press release here.

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