Inside Asian Gaming

IAG JAPAN AUG 2020 52 T he Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau has published guidelines for hosting MICE events as it looks to start the transition from the “living with COVID” to the “post-COVID” era and lead Japan’s economic recovery. The Bureau began drafting the document, titled “Guidelines for MICE Event Organizers for Infectious Disease Control,” back in April with a focus on how events could be held safely. They were formulated under guidance from infectious disease experts such as Dr Tetsuo Kase, specially-appointed lecturer at Osaka City University, while also carefully considering government policies, the opinions of stakeholders and the current state of MICE overseas. FIVE MONTH HIATUS Naturally, the majority of Osaka MICE events during the first half of 2020 were canceled or postponed due to the spread of COVID-19. The final event to be held at Intex Osaka, which was the venue for two large-scale IR events in 2019, was the Regenerative Medicine Expo in February. Since then the site has been quiet, but the 12th Annual Kansai Hotel and Restaurant Show – a B2B event scheduled to run from 29 to 31 July at time of publishing – was to operate based on these new guidelines. The event’s capacity was capped at 8,000 and specific measures implemented such as air ventilation throughout the entire venue and thorough cleaning and disinfection of common areas. In addition to creating an emergency communication network and confirming hospitals that can accept foreigners, the guidelines stipulate methods for preventing the entrance of people who are feeling unwell or have a fever. AVOIDING THE “THREE CS” Besides maintaining a hygienic environment during conventions, the new guidelines require participants to register online in advance so as to avoid the so-called Intex Osaka was home to two large-scale IR expos in 2019. 2019年にインテックス大阪は2つの大規模IR展示会の会場となった JAPAN