MICE Seminar： Learning About the Management and Behind-the-Scenes Activities of International Conferences
Continuing from last year, the Division of International Affairs, Division of Career Services, and the Division of Student Affairs of Ritsumeikan University joined forces with Japan Convention Services, Inc. to hold “MICE Seminar: Learning About the Management and Behind-the-Scenes Activities of International Conferences" for four days on August 28 and again from September 10 to 12.
The objectives of this seminar were two-fold: "to learn about the MICE business from a global perspective via systematic lectures, fieldwork, and workshops, and to broaden one's knowledge and experience" and "to discover your own areas of interests from your student life, to perceive things from a broad perspective, and to be able to take action on your own accord.” This year, approximately 20 students, including graduate students and international students, participated in the event. MICE is an acronym that stands for Meetings, Incentive travel, Conventions, and Exhibitions/events, and it is used to refer collectively to these kinds of business events.
On the first day, the seminar started with a tour of the 27th International Congress of Entomology. After attending a lecture on the MICE business, participants gained hands-on experience on how to effectively prepare a facility from reception to exit by following one of the flow lines at the venue.
One the second day, a representative from JCS gave a lecture at OIC where they explained the basics of MICE and gave a realistic account of the behind-the-scenes preparations for World Expo Osaka, Kansai, Japan, which are currently underway, as someone involved in the process. The participating students asked questions about the rewarding aspects of working on the Expo and the scale of the venue.
On the third day, the group visited the Osaka International Convention Center, Rihga Royal Hotel Osaka, ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel, and Osaka Shochikuza Theater, all of which are facilities closely related to the MICE business in Osaka City, the host of next year's World Expo. With visits to areas that are not usually open to the public and behind-the-scenes stories from the people who work there, the tour proved to be an invaluable experience.
In the International Conference Management Workshop held on the fourth and final day, participating students were divided into four groups, and based on the knowledge they gained from the previous day's tour of Osaka's MICE facilities, they compared Osaka with other cities and delivered presentations on the topic of which city should attract more international conferences. After giving the students feedback on their presentations, a representative from JCS presented them with completion certificates.
Looking at their questionnaire responses, participating students commented on being able to participate in an actual international conference, which is not something they can typically experience in their daily lives, being able to stay overnight and visit cultural facilities, and deepening their expectations for and understanding of Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan. In this way, the seminar was a good opportunity for students to learn about international exchange, including the role of next year's Expo, and to incorporate what they learned into their future career plans.
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