and emergency information on a daily basis. Then, the major focus was on rescue and recovery from the immediate damages. As for minimizing the concerns of MICE organizers, we provided up-to-date information in regard to the unaffected areas, in order to assure them that no damage was done and meetings were operating as scheduled.
How badly damaged was the meetings infrastructure in the Sendai region? There was some damage at the Sendai International Center. It was reopened on April 18, with only one hall still under repair. Yume Messe Miyagi exhibition hall, located near the Sendai port, had more significant damages and is still under reconstruction. Hotels and related service suppliers are now resuming full operational activities in the Sendai region.
How seriously was the meetings infrastructure in Tokyo and the rest of Japan affected? In Tokyo, the Tokyo Big Sight [Tokyo Interna- tional Exhibition Center] and Tokyo Interna- tional Forum had received minor damages, but their operations have not been inter- rupted. As for the meeting facilities in other regions that were not affected by the natural disaster, they are still operating as usual.
What is the state of the meetings in- dustry in Japan right now? We received cancellations not only in the affected area, but also the unaffected areas, such as Tokyo, Osaka, and Fukuoka. Up to this moment, the MICE industry in Japan has been suffering from the volume of cancellations.
16 pcma convene June 2011
ON_THE_WEB: For travel updates from JNTO, visit www.japantravel info.com/news.
STILL STANDING: Tokyo Big Sight (above) and the Tokyo International Forum (right, top and bottom), Mamiya said, “received minor damages.”
What are JNTO’s priorities now? Our current mission is to regain the confi- dence of the MICE organizers globally. The immediate work is bringing MICE organizers back to planning their meetings and con- ventions in the unaffected areas. We have reconfirmed that some major international meetings will be held as scheduled in Japan this year, [including] the Academy of Interna- tional Business Annual Meeting in Nagoya, with 1,400 attendees in June, and the Con- gress of the International Union of Architects (UIA) in Tokyo, with 8,000 global participants in September. In an effort to deliver the most accurate information regarding the unaffected areas, we worked diligently to establish effective com- munication channels between all of the MICE organizers, as well as the major trade-show or- ganizations such as IMEX, CIBTM, IMEX America, and other events.
How can the international meetings community best help their colleagues in Japan at this point? Outside of a limited area in Japan, we would like everyone to know that many regions are untouched and unaffected by the natural disaster of March 11. All the meeting facili- ties and service providers in these unaffected regions are ready and very capable of serving the international meeting community at any time. Please pass this message on to friends and colleagues within your communities. Your continued support in organizing meetings and conventions in Japan is the best encourage- ment to the people of our nation. n —Christopher Durso