In 2020, many corporate meetings & events were canceled, postponed, or changed to an online format due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2020, many corporate meetings & events were canceled, postponed, or changed to an online format due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
How are events taking place during the pandemic? What should we keep in mind to allow corporate meetings & events to be held with peace of mind in the future? We interviewed Takayuki Katsu, chief producer of the Meeting & Convention Division at JTB Communication Design. (Interviewed in January 2021)
＜Interviewee＞
Takayuki Katsu
JTB Communication Design Co., Ltd. Meeting & Convention Division
Motivation Event Bureau Chief Producer
He has been in the promotion industry for over 15 years and is currently involved in sales promotion business such as B2C, including internal promotion of companies.
Approximately 80% of corporate Meetings & Events have been canceled, postponed, or held online
JTB Communication Design<JCD>is the sister company of JTB Global Marketing & Travel<GMT>. JCD is involved in planning and managing domestic meetings and events, as well as holding and hosting international conferences, academic societies, and exhibitions.
JCD’s Meeting & Convention Division is a group of specialists in event planning and management. In 2018 (April 2018-March 2019), before the pandemic, this division produced 1,299 events and conventions organized by 394 corporations and academic societies. According to Katsu, since April 2020, with the effects of COVID-19 expanding and becoming more severe, about 80% of corporate meetings & events have been canceled, postponed, or held online only.
According to Dr. Mizuno, the virus has two main transmission routes : droplet infection and contact infection. Droplet infections are more likely to occur in conversation, and talking loudly increases the risk. Contact infection occurs when the virus enters the body through the eyes, nose, mouth, etc., when the face is touched with virus-bearing hands.
The key points to preventing infection are "wearing a mask", and "disinfecting and washing hands thoroughly". The risk of both contact infection and droplet infection can be suppressed if such measures are taken.
A crowded train is a good example. In a train, the risk of contact infection may be higher due to crowding, but in Japan, no clusters have occurred so far. The reason is that many people wear masks and do not engage in conversation once on the train.
What is the "Hybrid style", a new form of corporate Meetings & Events?
A new event style called "hybrid events" is attended by audiences, both in-person in venues and online. The hybrid events have the advantage that participants at the venue can feel impressed and united, and online participants can easily take part while sharing the same impression and unity as well.
In 2020, awards ceremonies and general meetings of shareholders were held in a hybrid style, which were well-received by the participants.
"We can't predict when the pandemic will end. Corporate meetings & events will be held online only or in hybrids form for the foreseeable future," said Katsu.
Holding Meetings & Events as a company with peace of mind
Infectious disease control is essential for hybrid events as they are partially held live. As an organizer, even if you think you are taking sufficient measures against infectious diseases, you may be worried that something could be overlooked.
JCD has started offering an <Advisory Package Plan> as a new service so that companies can hold live events with confidence. A one-stop support system is packaged not only for use on the day of the event but also from pre-preparation to post-evaluation. You can ask for advice from Dr. Yasutaka Mizuno, an infectious disease specialist, tailored to each event's venue and content.
Katsu talked about the benefits of the package.
"According to Dr. Mizuno, there are many cases where the management side takes excessive measures due to unrest. With a specialist's supervision, management’s anxiety can be removed, and the participants can feel reassured that it is a safe event. If you are thinking of holding a live event in Japan, I would like you to take appropriate measures against infectious diseases by using our package. "
E-mail：jcdmc@jtbcom.co.jp
https://me.jtbcom.co.jp/
Tel：+81(0)3-5657-0611
Celestine Shiba Mitsui Bldg. 12F,13F, 3-23-1 Shiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-8335, Japan
