The Land of the Rising Sun – an Ace up IAPCO’s Sleeve

It Starts with Tokyo

As always, it starts with the destination. Tokyo proved to be the perfect match for the 2018 IAPCO Annual General Meeting (AGM). This is not the first time that Japan has hosted a IAPCO meeting – 25 years earlier, the AGM was held in the city of Chiba.

For Kenes Group, Japan is a regular destination for many of our client events. For me personally, it was the first time setting foot in the Land of the Rising Sun. I was very excited to see Tokyo, the capital and administrative base of the country, and one of the faces of Japan. My expectations of the city were largely based on the popular movie Lost in Translation, and to a lesser extent, Godzilla. I was not prepared to fall in love with the city as much as I did, and can honestly say – nothing was lost in translation during my visit. The culture, the hospitality of the people, the delicious food, the tremendous discipline and impeccable organisation, it all made a huge impression. It gave me a taste of how the locals operate and produce their events. And I thought I know what “on time” means, but this visit thought me otherwise.

Tokyo proved an irresistible draw for many IAPCO delegates too. The event was one of the largest AGMs outside Europe. With Asia Pacific as a target region for the association, it showed that IAPCO is moving in the right direction when it comes to increasing its activity and popularity in this part of the world.

The Education Program

Japan is synonymous with culture. This cultural richness was very well entwined with IAPCO’s education program. For example, we learned about Chado (the Japanese tea ceremony) and its four principles – harmony, respect, purity and tranquillity. We learned about the fine nuances of the word Chotto (means “a little”), thanks to the new IAPCO President, Mathias Posch, who turned out to be well versed in Japanese. We tapped into the brilliant minds of some local business people from the tech field, with speakers from VEVO and Facebook Japan. These sessions provided an insight into the delicate balance between the technological advancements and the fantastic attention to detail, spirituality, and personal touch that the Japanese people are famous for.

The program also had inspiring presentations from Claire Smith on innovative meeting formats, Garr Reynolds on Storytelling, as well as Hazel Jackson on how to appreciate more “the now”, and an eye-opening takeaway for me – what event professionals could do to finally get a life.

Another thing I enjoyed a great deal were the daily educational challenges. One day, we were asked to do a Vlog challenge in collaboration with the IAPCO destination partners. Other challenges included origami-making, helping each other in a “What keeps you up at night” session, an exciting treasure hunt in the city, and a quiz on a cruise. These were not only fun, but also very engaging for everyone involved. I almost forgot to mention the Radio Exercise! Hard to explain, but trust me it is fun, especially when the emcee is doing it in a kimono. Just Google it.

IAPCO is on the Rise

This was not my first IAPCO AGM and I had certain expectations as soon as I boarded the plane to Tokyo. I expected an exciting destination and a good program. On both accounts, my expectations were exceeded.

The Education Program – this is how you deliver value to your members. You grow together! Since my last AGM 3 years ago, IAPCO’s immense growth is apparent. There is progress in delivering an engaging program, one that is useful to your audience and helps in their day-to-day work. I made new friends and reconnected with old ones. In the end, I feel inspired to be a IAPCO Edgineer, and to support this wonderful and strong community in changing the industry one step at a time.

Tokyo – I believe, is a bucket-list location for many people, and I can wholeheartedly say – go and experience it. I am in love with Japan and that’s just from visiting Tokyo alone. I will definitely be going back for more!

By Magdalina Atanassova, Marketing Communications Manager