Japan’s current meetings magnet

Fukuoka is winning major association gatherings and the reasons why are clear

Fukuoka is adding on to its dedicated Conference Zone with a waterfront development that will bring even more venues, hotels and convention space to the city

Fukuoka is ramping up efforts to attract association groups as it builds on its strong position as a city for business and association events, laying plans to improve facilities, infrastructure, access, activities and services within the next five years.

Since it was designated one of Japan’s five global strategic cities for business events by the Japan Tourism Agency in 2013, Fukuoka has become an increasingly strong contender in securing international pitches. In 2016, it was ranked second in Japan, after Tokyo, for the number of international conferences held, with 383 in total, an increase of 20 year-on-year. In the same year, the city also scooped first place for attracting the largest international convention in Japan, the 99th Lions Club International Convention, which had 38,000 pax.

Fukuoka is adding on to its dedicated Conference Zone with a waterfront development that will bring even more venues, hotels and convention space to the city

In 2017 and 2018, Fukuoka continued to attract significant association groups, thus boosting its reputation. Wins include the International Congress and Convention Association’s Association Meetings Programme; the 16th Intelligent Transport Systems Asia-Pacific Forum, which had 5,519 pax from 27 countries; and the International Society for Professional Innovation Management Connects Fukuoka 2018 conference.

The latter was especially important according to Kenny Macphie, spokesperson of the Fukuoka Convention Visitors Bureau (FCVB), as it “is a very sought-after conference because it brings interesting and influential speakers.”

Fukuoka also secured the 2019 meeting of EVO Sports, a console gaming organisation, whose meeting was held for the first time in Japan, in 2018.

Further growth in the number and calibre of association events can be expected, according to the trade.

Shigeru Yamamoto, general manager of KNT-CT Global Travel Co., told
TTGassociations that he is receiving “more enquiries than ever before about Fukuoka” for association meetings. He attributed the boost in interest to the large number of direct flights from Asian cities, proximity from the airport to the city centre, and hotels of varying price points.

Yamamoto’s clients also noted the efforts of the FVCB to support association events, and the compact nature of the city, which enables guests to “enjoy both daytime and night-time activities with ease.”

Macphie agrees that the FCVB’s comprehensive support has been instrumental in the city’s rising popularity among association meeting planners.

“We help arrange things like unique party venues (such as turning a shopping arcade into a large street party) and give language and financial support (subventions) to international conferences,” he said.

Fukuoka has also been successful in securing academic association meetings thanks to Kyushu University, which aims to be “the core of an academic research city built on cooperation among industry, government and academia”.

The facilities in its new west-Fukuoka campus are proving popular with conferences.
Another deciding factor for planners is the city’s variety of professional meeting rooms and exhibition halls. Inside the Fukuoka Conference Zone, the Marine Messe exhibition space boasts 8,000m2, the Fukuoka Kokusai Center exhibition space is 5,000m2 and the multi-purpose International Congress Center’s main hall comprises 1,300m2 and 20 conference rooms. By 2021, a 5,000m2 exhibition space and two 400-pax capacity meeting rooms will be added to the conference zone.

A MICE Vibrancy Zone under development in the waterfront area will give the city a further boost. Work includes the construction of new venues, hotels and convention facilities as well as the revitalisation of existing ones. The goal is to make it easier for event guests to walk between all venues that are part of their visit. It is expected that this zone will particularly appeal to planners that prioritise environmental and health considerations.

In terms of accommodation, the city has 26,000 hotel rooms. Large hotels allow planners the convenience of securing all their needs in one location.

The Hilton Sea Hawk Fukuoka, for example, has a convention hall for 4,000 people, 1,053 guestrooms and onsite cultural activities for time-strapped groups.

According to Tatsuro Iwase, director of sales for the Hilton Sea Hawk Fukuoka, Fukuoka’s convenient, citywide transportation (especially the city subway), access from the international airport and rich selection of local cuisine have proved attractive for its event clients.

While the future of Fukuoka looks bright for association meetings, challenges remain. According to Macphie, the main ones are capacity and international access.

“We have excellent facilities and access from Asia, however, popularity (of the city) means that booking in advance is important,” he explained, noting that more hotels are being built to increase the city’s accommodations capacity. Within the next few years, city room inventory is expected to rise to 30,000.

Macphie believes the privatisation and redevelopment of Fukuoka’s airport, including the creation of a new 2.5km runway designed to accommodate more international flights and ease congestion, might see the creation of more direct flights between Fukuoka and cities in North America and Europe.