(This article is a reprint of an excerpt from the June 15, 2023 issue of “Trade Fair and Exhibition News” #900.)

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, the exhibition business has been going through a period of major transformation. Therefore, we spoke with President Takeshi Tanaka of RX Japan, a leading Japanese exhibition organizer, to learn about his vision for the near future.

―The determination to continue leading the race―

Thoughts on moving to the new RX Central Station office

In April of this year, we moved our office to the newly completed Tokyo Midtown Yaesu building in front of Tokyo Station. The new office’s concept in “RX Central Station.” Situated in view of Japan’s largest “RX Central Station”, Tokyo Station, it represents the idea that not only RX employees but everyone involved with our company will gather here to embark towards the future.

Furthermore, the office relocation, in addition to being a milestone on our way to the future, also demonstrates our determination to continue to lead the way in the development of the exhibition industry. Currently, the exhibition industry is still not as prevalent in society as other big industries, which makes it difficult to gather good talent. I wish to break free from this status quo. Since assuming the role of president in 2019, I have been working on one initiative at a time and taking on challenges that I believe are necessary, despite the effects of the pandemic. The move to the new office is the first step in embodying my ideas, and this is simply the beginning of what is to come.

Seeking growth ~ A changing business culture

My goal is not to change the existing business culture. I believe that if I continue to desire to make the company better and to improve the company’s performance, then the business culture will naturally change. We have always been at the top of our industry, and I have been a part of it, having worked on many exhibitions and accumulated results. However, when I took over as president, I thought that it would be boring to add to our previous achievements like 1 + 1 = 2, 2 + 1 = 3…

Rather than repeating ourselves and doing what is expected, I want to undertake new challenges and increase our growth rate to higher than ever before. To this end, I have decided to leave a number of duties to our employees in the field. If I interfere in the field, employees will wait for orders. I’ll be anxious at first, but I’ll become able to properly trust them. In doing so, I will stop at advice and leave the rest to them. This way, the field employees, who are the exhibition creators, are now responsible for seeing it through. Aside from exhibitions, I actually entrusted the office relocation entirely to a project team consisting mainly of field employees, and I, myself, was even looking forward to its opening.

I believe that my role is ultimately to facilitate the growth of the company and pass the baton to the next generation. Our company’s business conduct is, for example, simplifying the approval process and creating an atmosphere in which it is easy to express opinions. We are fully committed to building a work environment that is easy for employees to thrive in, such as an evaluation system and encouraging motivation that leads to successful exhibitions.

―The meaning of continuing to invest in the future―

Keeping up with changes in attendees

The platforms that make our lives easier have spread, making not only the business environment but also daily life more convenient. The speed of human traffic and information transmission will likely increase exponentially in the coming years.

In this sort of situation, as a company that will continue to launch exhibitions, we must always stay one step ahead. Instead of creating a desired platform, it is important for us to work ahead, propose a structure that calls out, “Over here, everyone!” and bring people to us. If we do not do this and keep organizing exhibitions with the same theme over and over again, it will start to feel like a class reunion, and visitors will eventually no longer have a reason to attend those exhibitions.

Reception area ~ Automation succeeds in saving time

10 years ago, at an exhibition that I was in charge of, the average time at reception per visitor was 1 minute and 30 seconds. Attendees would come to the registration counter with 2 business cards, then a staff member would staple one business card to the invitation ticket, place the other in a badge holder, and ask the attendee to fill out a questionnaire if they had not already completed it. This resulted in a line of people waiting to be admitted.

These lines would take up visitors’ time and lead to lost business opportunities for exhibitors. Even if an attendee could only stay at the venue temporarily for 2 hours, they might have to wait in line for up to 30 minutes if there were 20 people ahead of them at the reception counter. This calculation induces a matching loss of 25%.

In order to solve this problem, we strived to develop automation and digitalization of the reception counter, and we have finally brought our idea into reality. Automation has not only reduced reception time, but also the amount of trouble caused by irritated attendees, not to mention increased field work efficiency. However, this is merely a reduction in wait time, and I am not at all satisfied. Therefore, we have begun to introduce automation at some exhibitions, but…

(The rest of the interview can be read in Japanese in the back number of “Trade Fair and Exhibition News” Electronic Version)

Creation Exhibition 2023 in NAGOYA ~Asia Fashion & Food Exhibition~, a fashion and food-themed international business matching trade fair, was held from August 9 to 10 in the Fukiage Hall of the Nagoya Trade & Industry Center. The event was organized by Creation Exhibition 2023 in NAGOYA Executive Committee and N’ Show Case.

More than 150 companies from Qindao, China gathered in Nagoya. The majority of the exhibitors had already gained experience in manufacturing products with Japanese trading companies for the Japanese market.

The main advantages of the Creation Exhibition are the opportunity to network with factories in the fashion, food, and beverage industries, the large number of Chinese companies with efficient production technologies, and the attendance of exhibitors with experience in doing business with Japanese companies. Many exhibitors can also provide services in Japanese.

The exhibition consisted of 2 main areas: Fashion and Food/Beverage. The Fashion area consisted of textiles, clothing, suitcases, bags, shoes, accessories, linens, fabrics, beads, and spinning machinery. The Food/Beverage area focused on seafood, processed foods, agricultural products, frozen foods, retort pouch foods, condiments, spices, and edible oils and fats.

Admission was free with pre-registration. Creation Exhibition is a business-to-business exhibition, but students and the general public were allowed to attend.

On August 4, the Japan Ministry of the Environment selected national parks for their “Advanced Model Project for Enhancing the Appeal of Lodging in National Parks” based on their “Policy for Efforts to Enhance the Overall Appeal of National Park Activity Hubs Centered on the Accommodation Business,” which was released on June 29, 2023.

The Ministry will enhance the appeal of activity hubs by establishing a regional cooperative implementation system, formulating a master plan for hubs, instituting lodging facilities that provide unique and emotional experiences in conjunction with nature activities, and creating a mechanism for a virtuous cycle between conservation and use.

Selected National Parks

Amid a rapid recovery in demand for inbound tourism, the Ministry of the Environment has decided to promote lodging and high-value tourism, focusing on emotional experiences in the national parks’ beautiful natural areas. The Study Group for Enhancing the Overall Appeal of National Park Activity Hubs Centered on the Accommodation Business has been studying the direction of high-value use of national parks, as well as how to proceed with advanced model projects to enhance appeal of hubs centered on lodging facilities that provide the unique emotional experience of national parks.

The Ministry of the Environment selected these 3 national parks for the “Advanced Model Project for Enhancing the Appeal of Lodging in National Parks” from a policy perspective, taking into account the opinions of the specialist committee, which included experts in the field.

The selection of the candidate parks was based on the 4 sections of the action policy with a goal for future expansion to other areas.
1. A standpoint of promoting utilization over a wide area
2. Estimated significance and effectiveness of the government’s coordination and implementation of initiatives
3. A framework for building of local consensus, and action plan for utilization, and a foundation for the Ministry of the Environment’s structure
4. Inclusion of specific potential activity hubs for lodging and high-value tourism

The feasibility of the project will be examined during the current fiscal year in the selected parks from the perspective of the promotion system status and the potential of each park to promote lodging and high-value tourism. 1 or 2 activity hubs will be selected from the examination.

FOOMA JAPAN 2023 was held from June 6 to 9 in the Tokyo Big Sight’s East Exhibition Hall.

The Japan Food Machinery Manufacturer’s Association (FOOMA) organized the event. This year’s theme was “Accelerate FOOMA”.

The exhibition’s goal was to create a gathering place for food production solutions to accelerate the resolution of issues present in the food industry. In addition, companies aimed to promote a “prosperous future pioneered by food technology” through the use of cutting-edge food machinery, technology, products, and services.

A record number of 953 companies exhibited this year. The Startup Zone, which was newly instituted the previous year, was expanded to 29 companies, 20 of which were new exhibitors.

In addition, the FOOMA Tokyo Bar, a food plaza for attendee networking during the event, was instituted in a collaboration between Koto Ward and Tokyo’s 11 islands.

106,104 visitors attended the trade fair, 3,178 of which came from overseas.

Exhibition Sectors
・Raw material processing
・Food production / processing
・Snacks / Bread
・Meat / Seafood
・Noodles
・Side dishes / Cooked foods
・Beverages / Dairy products
・Agricultural products
・Tofu
・Fermentation / Brewing
・Other food products
・Engineering
・Robots / IT / Internet of Things / FoodTech
・Freshness control / Quality maintenance
・Packaging / Filling
・Preservation / Shipping / Transport
・Measurement / Analysis / Inspection
・Sanitation measures / management
・Environmental protection / Energy saving / Recycling
・Facility machinery / technology / components
・Consulting / Patents
・Information services / groups
・Startup Zone
・Academic conference (Organizer-run)

Mitsubishi Chemical Engineering proposed new technologies for production facilities, including a smart factory that focuses on environmental friendliness, quality, profitability, and ease of work.

Hitachi exhibited equipment and systems that help realize next-generation smart factory with “total seamless solutions” that resolve issues for digitalization and green transformation strategies, operations management, and manufacturing sites.

Tsubaki Group presented several Tsubaki products that can solve various problems in the food machinery industry under the theme, “Don’t stop our food cycle! Shaping the future of the food industry with ‘mobilization’ technology.”

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries introduced solutions for decarbonization of existing infrastructure in food factories, warehouses, and logistics sites.

Ace System showcased a continuous steam rice cooking system using superheated steam.

Lion Hygiene presented their “Clean Vegetable SaO System” machine, which was a new addition to its unique ozone-based vegetable cleaning solutions. The company also showed their “Rich Foam GB,” a recently released cleaning agent for oil stains used to clean processing lines and equipment in factories.

Toshiba Lighting & Technology Corporation showcased solutions based on the concept of “strong support for food manufacturing sites with UV and AI solutions” in order to solve problems from 3 perspectives: “workplace hygiene solutions,” “production process hygiene improvement solutions,” and “on-site digitalization solutions.”

Japan Railways (JR) Group announced that the price of the Japan Rail Pass has been revised starting on October 1, 2023.

Jointly offered by 6 JR Group companies, the Japan Rail Pass is a convenient, discounted ticket that can be used to travel by train throughout Japan. This special ticket can only be purchased by tourists visiting Japan from abroad.

In addition, starting on the same day, a new Nozomi / Mizuho Ticket (Exclusive to Japan Rail Pass users) went on sale for Japan Rail Pass passengers.

Imaginus, a science facility directly managed by Congrès Inc., has opened in Suginami ward in Tokyo.

Imaginus, which claims to be a “Suginami science lab for building the future” and a “next-generation science education facility”, uses the resources from the site of former Suginami 4th Elementary School. While the outside maintains the appearance of school grounds, once inside, visitors can enjoy the world-famous science show, “Nutty Scientists”, as it premiers in Japan for the first time, as well as experience full-scale science experiments and casual craft activities.

Families from Suginami were invited to the opening event held on October 7, and Suginami Ward Mayor Satoko Kishimoto and Congrès President Noriko Takeuchi joined local children to participate in the Nutty Scientists show. Mayor Kishimoto stated in regards to the facility, “I think people can enjoy an entire day here. I believe that the name ‘Imaginus’ has various meanings, such as imagination, but it also includes ‘Suginami’. I’m glad that we were thought of in this way.” She also spoke about the facility’s main theme, science. “It has an image of being difficult, but science is truly precious to us.” President Takeuchi added, “Sometimes it is said that we are moving away from science, but I want to use this facility to convey: Science is interesting! And fun! Various programs have been arranged for that purpose.”

President Takeuchi expressed her confidence that adults could enjoy Imaginus as well, continuing, “I believe that there is also some nostalgia with the stage being set at an elementary school, so please come visit. There is an abundance of content that even adults can enjoy in various ways, such as the lab, the café, and the science show.”

The facility will have meeting areas that can be rented out for exhibitions and sports events, as well as a video studio for filming and livestreaming. In regards to the possibility of use for MICE, President Takeuchi stated, “There are an assembly hall and a theater in the facility, so the building could be used as a unique venue, as well as for hands-on tours. I feel as though Imaginus is an interesting establishment that can be used for events that aim to foster engagement and motivation, in addition to those for team-building. I am looking forward to hosting various types of MICE programs and projects, so I would like to collect ideas.”

There is also a special exhibition area within the establishment, in which the manufacturing company TASKO is currently holding “Manufacturing Work Exhibition: From the Desks of TASKO” until March 7, 2024.

Admission into Imaginus is free, and prices vary for the experiences and show viewings. The staff aims to bring in 300,000 visitors per year.

On November 25, 2023, the Japan Amusement Industry Association (JAIA) will hold the “Amusement Expo in Tokyo Big Sight” in the convention center’s East Halls 2 and 3.

JAIA has been holding their amusement and entertainment industry exhibition, Japan Amusement Expo (JAEPO), since 2013. However, due to the expansion and development in amusement and entertainment establishments, especially in arcades, demographics who were previously unfamiliar with these facilities have begun to discover their appeal. From the viewpoint of increasing the fanbase being of great importance, the event will be steered in a new direction to be more focused on the general public, while still retaining the features of a conventional business exhibition.

At the venue, 30 companies are expected to exhibit, including manufacturers of arcade cabinets, related equipment manufacturers, and businesses operating amusement facilities. Popular arcade games from various genres will be showcased, such as video games, crane games, photo booths, and medal games, which attendees will be able to play free of charge. In addition to an abundance of events being held at each booth, merchandise will also be available for purchase.

For business visitors, entrance is free with pre-registration. Prices for general admission will be announced on October 25. Children elementary school-aged and younger will be able to enter for free.

On October 6, Japanese travel agency JTB summarized their report on travel trends in a review titled, “People going on trips longer than a 1-night stay over summer vacation (July 15 to August 31).”

The report was calculated based on various economic indicators, industry trends, transportation company activity, hotel reservations, and various customer surveys. JTB has been releasing the travel report since 1969, and this is the 54^th publication.

In 2022, the average cost and expenditures of overseas travel were not announced due to the implementation of border control measures as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

A summary of the report reveals:
● Domestic travelers totaled 72.5 million, which is up 116.9% from 2022, recovering to the same level as before the pandemic.
● International travelers totaled 1.2 million, up 214.3% from 2022.
● International travel trended towards short trips, with increases in travel to Hawaii, South Korea, and Taiwan.

*Total travelers are based on the gross total of people. Average travel cost is calculated as the average cost per 1 person per trip.
*Percentages of previous year values are rounded to the first decimal place.
*Domestic travelers only include those who stay at least 1 night (limited to sightseeing and vacations). International travelers encompass the total number of people leaving the country (including business travelers).
*Domestic travel average cost includes transportation, lodging, souvenirs, and food, among other trip expenses.
*International Travel Average Cost includes fuel surcharges, as well as transportation, lodging, and food at travel destinations.

「Travel Trends Questionnaire: Survey Method」
Survey Period: 6/14~17/2023
Survey Participants: Individuals from throughout Japan, Age 15-79, M/F
Sample Size: Preliminary survey – 20,000 people, Main survey – 2,060 people
(Participants applicable for the main survey were selected from those who answered “Will travel / will most likely travel during summer vacation” on the preliminary survey.)
Survey Content: Travel of 1 or more nights to be conducted between July 15 and August 31, 2023 (Domestic travel is limited to sightseeing and vacations. International travel includes business travel.)
Survey Method: Internet-based questionnaire survey (Research conducted by Macromill, Inc.)

With approval from the Japanese government, admission ticket options and prices have been finalized for the 2025 World Exposition Osaka Kansai, as follows.

In addition to advance tickets, many variations are available, including multiple-entry passes, summer and full-year passes, and group discount tickets.

Advance tickets are expected to go on sale by the end of 2023.

※Prices are shown in Japanese Yen and include sales tax.
※Ages discounts are decided by age on April 1, 2025. Free admission for children under 3 years.
※Advance tickets will be on sale until April 12, 2025.
Super early bird discount sales for one-day tickets ends on October 6, 2024.
Early bird discount sales for one-day tickets will occur from October 7, 2024, to April 12, 2025.
※Admission tickets will be issued as electronic tickets. Tickets can be purchased from smartphones and computers. In addition, for those who may have difficulty purchasing online, tickets can also be acquired through travel agencies and various ticket offices.
※Attendees are required to make a reservation for the date and time of their visit, which can be done up to six months in advance. The reservation process will be announced in the summer of 2024.