Tokyo Metropolitan Small and Medium Enterprise Support Center has announced its initiation of “promotion service for SME Management and technological development”.
The briefing session of “1.Promotion service for the market development” and “2.Promotion service for the development of technology and products” will be held in January.

Outline of the “1.Promotion service for the market development” is when the product was well-accepted by Support Center and being planed to put on display, Support Center will carry part of the financial cost.

Time horizon will be maximum one year and three month[Apr.1, 2013 – Jun.30 2014].
The amount limit of financial aid is three million yen or it will circumscribed to a half of the total cost.

Those writings below will be recognized as a target of financial aid.
1. rental charge for the show space
2. budget for materials
3. transportation charge
4. merchandising expenses[including issue cost of DM and index], advertising expenses
[If participating foreign exhibition, expenses for hiring translator will be also included]

Before applying, enter the Support Center’s web page and check where if applicable or not.

Person in charge of promotion service, Mr. Kuno who is working for Planning and Coordination Department says, “Japanese manufacturing industries are changing its business model from contracted manufacturing to direct transaction. Even at the outside of the company, sometimes business deal was been made by sudden. I hope this promotion service can help participant to gain such a deal at the exhibition.”

Japan External Trade Organization, JETRO, holds a “Seminar for the economic trend in Vietnam” in association with JCIF, Japan Center For International Financial Information Center. The seminor will be held on the 5th floor of its building at 2 PM on 17th of Jan.

This seminar focuses on Vietnam as one of major candidates of manufacturing base, that is China plus one, which reduces risk of overconcentration in China. And both organizations’ investigators in Vietnam illustrate the findings based on overseas postings and business trips. The subjects cover from its economic and political trends, the state of Japanese expanded companies, and business environment in the country, and so on.

Please contact JETRO Research and Planning Division, Information Services Section for application and details.

Tel: 03-3582-5189

Mail: oraseminar@jetro.go.jp

In Decenber 19th 2012, Shizuoka city council held “1st Shizuoka Intercommunion event in Tokyo -Shizuoka Night-” at City Center Hotel in Chiyoda Tokyo.

It was the first time for Shizuoka city council to held intercommunion event in Tokyo.
More than 300 hometowned people from Shizuoka including political and economical affiliate have gathered and they’ve enjoyed Shizuoka’s country dishes and its local alcoholic beverage.

According to Nobuhiro Tanabe the city mayor of Shizuoka, this intercommunion event was to cultivating good relationship with hometowned people who now live in Tokyo, and to expanding information of Shizuoka city through human netwark in Tokyo.
“Shizuoka city will be the producer of fateful encounter!”
He also send us a strong message as city mayor of Shizuoka.

At intercommunion event, many “Shizuoka” celebrated the party guest.
Flower decorations were made of Shizuoka’s homegrown flowers and cuisine was made of Shizuoka’s homegrown ingredients.

According to “City’s Vision 10” from Shizuoka city council, they are planing to proceed the “MICE strategy”.
During the event, city council had introduce TAMIYA a plastic model manufacturer as a main guest for promoting city. Also, NIPPONDAIRA HOTEL which will be the the conference hall of 24th UN conference of Disarmament have made its show space to introduce its service. By introducing them, Shizuoka city council have tried to proof its global competitiveness.

The global association of the exhibition indusry, UFI, annouced programs of “UFI Open Seminar in Asia 2013” which is going to be held at Jakarta Convention Center in Indonesia from February 28th to March 1st of next year.

On the first day, Mr.Cliff Walles, a chairman of Shenyang New World Expo in China, is going to have a speech, after the opening speech by Mr.Paul Woodward, a managing director of UFI. This speach is about “Situation and Evaluation of Exhibitions in Asia”, and he is going to tell his perspective for issues such as sustainable growth of exhibitions’ management and improvement of profitability on the basis of his 17 year experiences at HKCEC.

For more information please visit:
http://evenium.com/pro/fiche/quest.jsp;jsessionid=VcMXL5bsdeLx9E-GFWXI1XZd.gl1?surveyName=Default&pg=programmesm&locale=1&_TIM_=R26802427

The number of the fans on Facebook “VisitKyoto” which Kyoto cultural exchange convention bureau runs breaks through 100,000 members soon. At the bureau, they’ll wage a special campaign for its fans. One set of two people from the fans of the page is invited to the trip “Enjoy fully Kyoto’s winter! Supreme trip” for 4 days and 3 nights from February 19 to 22.

The offer period is until the end of December.
For more information : Department of MICE progress in the bureau of industry and sightseeing of Kyoto.
Kyoto CB Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/visitkyoto

The Tokyo metropolitan government will hold “human resource development program for MICE” at Iidabashi Campus of Tokyo Metropolitan University. It began to accept applications.

This program is held since 2008 with the aim of developing the expertise and the skills necessary to attract MICE.
The instructors who work in the front lines of the industry teach the knowledge about MICE and practical cases. Besides that, the instructors of Tokyo Metropolitan University will give an explanation about the circumstances surrounding the tourism.

On this occasion, a lecture will be held under the theme of “Learning today’s tourism – MICE, frontier of the tour industry – “. Participation fee is 12,000 yen. Enrollment will be limited to 20 participants.

JATA overseas travel promotion department and Hong Kong Tourism Board will co-host “Hong Kong Trade Fair/Exhibition Seminar in Tokyo” on next January 23 and 24 at JATA seminar room in Zen- nittsu Kasumigaseki Bldg. for concerned parties of the travel industry.

They began to accept applications.

In this seminar, they will give an explanation about how to turn exhibitions and trade fairs into the business of travel companies as well as the meaning of participating in the exhibition/trade fair in Hong Kong, and the meaning of buying trip as a visitor.
Hong Kong Tourism Board will provide an introduction to the support system of MICE and to the features of the exhibition/sample fair held in Hong Kong.

The exhibition hosts, Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Global Sources and French Trade Fair Commission (Promosalons) will talk about their support to each exhibition and to the travel industry.

■Brief summary
date and hour: January 23-24, 2013 14：00 -16：00
※ two day’s talks will be the same in content

Venue: JATA seminar room

Presentation (plan): Hong Kong Tourism Board, Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Global Sources and French Trade Fair Commission (Promosalons)

Quota ：50 people (each day)

Closing date for subscription：Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Registration will be closed when all available space is taken.

Chiba Convention Bureau and International Center renewed its homepage. On the renewed one, everyone concerned to MICE can get easily access to the information that they want. The foundation is expecting this renewal to work as a stronger drive to Chiba, a proper place for MICE in order for progress in attracting clients.

The new homepage 1. supports functions of sorting results of facilities and location according to how many they have been used, 2. has enhanced information regarding lodging services, and 3. works with Twitter.

This renewal has been currently applied to the Japanese version only. However, the existing English version and Chinese version under construction are also planned to be updated in the near future.

Chiba International convention Bureau website: http://www.ccb.or.jp/