TCVB News
17 Jan 2012
Special Interview with the Secretary General, Japan Secretariat for the 2012 Annual Meetings of the IMF and the World Bank Group
The biggest events to be held in Tokyo in 2012 are the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group.
The Annual Meetings are joint meetings of the IMF and the World Bank Group. They are held two out of every three years in Washington, D.C., where the two institutions are headquartered, and every third year in a different country. Finance ministers and central bank governors will gather from 187 member countries. In addition to the Annual Meetings, about 300 related meetings of all sizes, including meetings of the International Monetary and Financial Committee, G7, and G20, are expected to be held over a period of six days from October 9-14, 2012, with the Tokyo International Forum and the Imperial Hotel in central Tokyo as the main venues. A total of 20,000 people will attend these meetings.
We interviewed with Mr. Hiroshi Naka, Secretary General of the Japan Secretariat for the 2012 Annual Meetings of the IMF and the World Bank Group (set up inside the Ministry of Finance), which is making preparations for the meetings in October as the host country.
- -Please tell us how Tokyo became a candidate for hosting the Annual Meetings and how it was chosen.
- Egypt was originally chosen to host the 2012 Annual Meetings, but due to the recent political uncertainty in the country, the Egyptian authorities became unable to host the Annual Meetings as scheduled, and Tokyo came forward as a candidate for an alternative site.
- Following the Tokyo Annual Meetings in 1964, this will be the second time for Tokyo to host the meetings. Along with the Tokyo Olympic Games held in the same year, the 1964 Annual Meetings served to promote Japan to the world and was one of the driving forces of Japan's new start after the war. Japan presented Tokyo as a candidate this time in hopes of achieving another new start. We wanted to show the world that we are in the process of making a strong recovery. These strong wishes came true and in June 2011 when Tokyo was officially selected as the new site.
- -What kind of Tokyo Annual Meetings do you envision?
- We want to demonstrate the underlying power of the Japanese economy through our unique advanced technologies and services, and by conducting a global event with perfect efficiency to provide a conference truly unique to Tokyo.
- On the technology front, it would be a good opportunity to introduce communication systems using Japan's world-class technologies, and we hope to achieve a paperless meeting that is efficient and environmentally friendly. Additionally, we want to make this an opportunity to promote Japan's strengths through collaboration with the "Cool Japan", which the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's promotion activity.
- On the operational front, we want the participants to experience the high quality of Japan's services and hospitality. By this I mean not only the quality of the hotel where the main meetings will be held, but also the 500 university student volunteers who will support the event. We hope to utilize the strength of the young people who will bear Japan's future. Additionally, we intend to prepare maps with discount coupons for shopping and restaurants for the participants in cooperation with local shopping districts as well as other ideas to make a citywide effort to welcome the participants.
| Outline of the 2012 Annual Meetings of the IMF and the World Bank Group | |
| Schedule | October 9 (Tuesday) - 14 (Sunday), 2012 |
| Main Venues | Tokyo International Forum, Imperial Hotel |
| Participating countries | 187 countries |
| Total attendance | About 20,000 (including representatives from the private sector, media, CSOs, etc.) |
| Official website | http://www.imf-wb.2012tokyo.mof.go.jp |
17 Jan 2012
Registration begins for the 12th WTTC Global Summit
Registration has begun for the most influential event in the travel and tourism industry, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Summit, to be held in Tokyo and Sendai in April.
| Name: | The 12th WTTC Global Summit |
| Theme: | A Dynamic Industry in Turbulent Times |
| Schedule and venues: | April 16-17, 2012 (Sendai: Westin Sendai) April 17-19, 2012 (Tokyo: Grand Prince Hotel New Takanawa / International Convention Center Pamir) |
| Expected number of participants: | 1,000 |
For registration and details, please visit the WTTC website.
http://www.wttc.org/
