A study session was held by the Japan IR Association earlier this month with the topic “What should Japan’s MICE look like?”
The session was held in the Second Members’ Office Building of the House of Representatives. Parties related to local governance and Diet members who have shown interest in IR bids participated.
There to introduce the global trends of the MICE industry was Niall Murray, founder of Murray International, a strategic business consulting firm with much IR development experience.
MICE Business is attracting attention all over the world and by 2023 it is estimated that the industry will have an annual average growth rate of 7.5%.
There are 62 exhibition halls worldwide that boast an area of 100,000 square meters. However, Japan is not represented at all in this list, Murray noted. The current largest, Tokyo Big Sight, has a floor space of just 95,000 square meters.
According to data provided by Murray, the largest MICE facility in the world is in Hannover, Germany, measuring a vast 466,000 square meters.
“The MICE market is growing in Las Vegas, China and Singapore,” he said. “Japan needs to compete with this and of course has the potential to do so. When it comes to legal frameworks, I want a flexible approach to be adopted.
“For example, visas. When there is flexibility, inbound visitors will increase. Of course, I would expect the atmosphere in a facility unique to Japan to be distinct.”
