Two Case Studies of Conferences in Japan

A great example of a successful recent business event that took place in Japan is the World Congress of Parasitic Plants (WCPP 2024), which took place in Nara in June of this year. The venue for the event was the Nara Kasugano International Forum, which is located in the world-famous Nara Park, home to Nara’s iconic and friendly deer. 140 researchers specializing in parasitic plants attended the conference. The conference was able to blend elements of Japanese culture into the event’s activities, holding the opening speech at a traditional Noh theater and giving the attendees a look into Japanese traditional arts. Attendees also had the opportunity to spend time with the deer in Nara Park and visit the Great Buddha and Todaiji Temple nearby. In this way, the city’s attractions and cultural history became a key part of the conference and heightened the participants’ experience.

Be sure to check out the video to see highlights from the conference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zN8g4JhFG6E

Another great case study is the SPNHC-TDWG 2024, the joint meeting of The Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC) and the Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG) held at the Okinawa Convention Center, bringing together 377 in-person and around 200 online participants. Okinawa was chosen for its rich biodiversity, aligning with SPNHC’s focus on natural history collection preservation and TDWG’s work on biodiversity data standards. The event featured local cultural elements, including a welcome reception with Okinawan music and dance, enhancing the experience for international attendees.

This was the first SPNHC-TDWG conference in Asia and their second joint meeting after New Zealand in 2018. The event strengthened global collaboration and showcased Japan’s capacity to support academic and scientific exchanges, making it a model for future international conferences.

Please watch the video below to see highlights from the conference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPPrPFliKBc&list=PL92y26hheciKRqZbVACSmxNAzKQ_cF5N_&index=6