Member: Congrès Inc. (Japan)
FAST FACTS:
- Meeting: The 60th Annual Congress of the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) 2021: Congress Hub Asia Pacific – Nagasaki
- Dates: 24-27 October 2021 (Nagasaki Hub: 25-27 October)
- Overall ICCA Congress 2021 Theme: “Forward to our Future”
- Format: Hybrid: onsite and online participation
- Host: Nagasaki City.
- Venue: Dejima Messe Nagasaki, Japan and online
- Operating PCO: Congrès Inc.
- Attendance: (overall ICCA Congress) 1200 delegates from 83 countries in total.
- Website: https://icca2021.com/congress-hub-asia-pacific-nagasaki/
This year, the main venue for the ICCA Congress was Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, with 5 additional hubs spread throughout the world. Nagasaki, Japan, was selected to host one of the two Asia/ Pacific hubs, and Congrès Inc. was appointed PCO for the hub. This set-up enabled flexible participation either in-person locally/regionally or online, amidst ongoing border restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Venue: Brand new Dejima Messe Nagasaki
Dejima island in Nagasaki was the only port open to the world for 200 years from 1639 to 1853, bringing in diverse cultures, goods and new ways of thinking to Japan. These values are reflected in the city’s open-minded and cosmopolitan nature today. Nagasaki, as an atomic-bombed city, is also known as the “City of Peace” for its efforts toward peaceful interactions between countries and people. Dejima Messe Nagasaki (https://dejima-messe.jp/en) is Nagasaki’s first full-scale convention center and was selected to host this ICCA Congress global hub just prior to its official opening on 1 November 2021! It will carry on Nagasaki’s legacy of aiming for peaceful interactions and exchange of knowledge between countries and people. Congrès Inc. is also honored to have been appointed as the current facility management company for Dejima Messe Nagasaki.
ICCA Nagasaki Hub’s program: “Transition of the Customer Trends” (conducted by the MICE Innovation Society) panel discussion in the “Consumer Choice” session .
This session was moderated on-site by Hirokazu Tanaka, Corporate Officer, and Tsubomi Nishikawa, Planner, both of Strategic Business Development, Congrès Inc.
The 4 online panelists, representing diverse perspectives on our industry, and who had participated in MICE Innovation Society Meetings organized by Congrès Inc., where key industry players. They shared presentations & demonstrations of both “needs” and “seeds” in event management technology, debated the shifts and trends of purchasing habits and consumer tendencies during the pandemic, and strategies for MICE post-COVID-19.
ICCA AP Chapter Deputy Chair & Treasurer and Senior Researcher at the MICE Research Institute, Congrès Group, Dr. Keiko Nishimoto, PhD, CMP (photo, far left), served as moderator for 3 sessions at the ICCA Congress, including “What is the future model of association meetings?” This session featured debate between the onsite and online panelists on how to find the right balance between real and digital elements for international meetings, from the two perspectives of organizers of meetings & events and the diverse companies that provide support.
Congrès Inc. was honored to be involved with ICCA’s mission and inclusive global hub concept, and contribute once again to the delivery of a hybrid ICCA meeting, following our experience operating the hybrid ICCA Asia Pacific Chapter Summit 2020, Yokohama. Congrès Inc. was also delighted to showcase the city of Nagasaki with all it has to offer including the new Dejima Messe Nagasaki.
Congrès is committed to continuing its efforts to contribute to the comeback to full-scale meetings & events as well as to support regional communities that hold MICE events.