Japan Focus: Top 9 Tech & Entertainment Conference & Exhibition You Need To Know in 2018
In our Japan series, we highlight the must-go exhibitions that showcase the latest technology out in the market.
In our Japan series, we highlight the must-go exhibitions that showcase the latest technology out in the market.
Japan IT Week
While we may have been just rolling the dice and playing the waiting game to see how is the world faring in accepting the growing demand and need of new technological advancement entertainment – artificial intelligence (AI), data, and VR/AR/MR – Japan, in actual fact, has gradually played catch up (or this is what we have come to believe) and see a blast of exhibitions, summits and fairs that reached a growth of almost 80% in terms of attendees and exhibitors.
Popular shows like Content Tokyo 2018 and AI EXPO 2018 both saw keynote attendance from leading entertainment and tech experts representing Walt Disney, Microsoft, Line, Tencent, and many more.
Without further ado, here goes the 11 exhibitions in Japan we believe are trendsetters for Japan and the rest of the world out there. If you think Japan has taken a back seat in terms of technological advancement, let’s consider that notion again.
APRIL
Raking in over 38, 746 trade visitors, 1,418 exhibitors from 36 countries/regions, 10,335 conference attendees, and 397 press visitors at its previous edition– CONTENT TOKYO – saw a 80% growth of visitors to its 3-day event specialising in the areas of VR/AR/MR, entertainment content creation, distribution, licensing, interactive technology, service, and marketing. The event is the culmination of 7 other exhibitions that focuses on the ever changing and borderless content business in TV/films, games, books, music, apps, web, and mobile. It attracts a worldwide audience as a platform to find new clients, partners, and inspiration for future businesses. Keynote speakers this April include Jeff Gordon – Animation Director of The Walt Disney Company; and Marc Sondheimer – Producer of Pixar Animation Studios.
AI Expo [4-6 Apr]
Running concurrently with Content Tokyo, AI EXPO-Artificial Intelligence Exhibition and Conference is Japan’s largest trade show specialised in Artificial Intelligence. Although it is only its second edition to date, the expo has already tripled its size – gathering 50,000 professional visitors and 300 exhibitions. The growth of the AI-related market in Japan will increase 6-fold from 3.745 trillion to 23.0638 trillion from 2015 to 2020 [survey predicted by Ernst & Young Institute CO., Ltd.]. Keynote speeches include ‘AI Trend Worldwide and NVIDIA’s Strategy’ by Masataka Osaki, Japan Country Manager Vice President, Worldwide Field Operations of NVIDIA; and ‘The Power of AI for Everyone’ by Richard Socher, Chief Scientist of Salesforce.
Digital Ship Maritime Big Data Forum [11 Apr]
Shipping is waking up to a new digital age, the data-based 4th industrial revolution, where developments are flourishing at a rapid pace, and companies must innovate to compete. Japan is a long-time participant of trade at sea and it’s not by surprise that it is also a constant attraction for tech investors to participate in its sea trades – one of Japan’s largest economy that drives the country and it is only imperative that there’s pressure to reduce costs and improving the technical and operational efficiency of vessels. Ship owners, manufacturers, cargo owners, cargo operators, pool operators, charter companies, technical and fleet managers, banks, investors and insurance companies are all looking at an ever-growing list of actors with a stake in a vessel’s performance for more transparency and evidence of commitment to efficiency measures.
Speakers come from a variety of expertise including NYK Line, MLIT Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, KVH, Chugoku Marine Paints Ltd, I-Tech AB, StormGeo, Japan Marine United Corporation, Marlink, TOTE, Inmarsat Maritime, National Institute of Maritime, Port and Aviation Technology, and more.
MAY
Japan IT Week: Web & Digital Marketing Expo [9-11 May]
Japan IT Week is organised several times a year in Japan and is world renown for its IT technologies and solutions tradeshow. The tradeshow opens a fair ground for information systems manager, management executives, sales managers, system integrators and managers from IT system division to network and share new technologies at the same time – the meeting place for both IT solution providers and IT system managers. Participating expo include 27th Software & Apps Development Expo (SODEC), 23rd Big Data Management Expo (BID DATA Spring), 20th Data Storage Expo (DSE), 1st AI & Business Automation Expo, 9th Cloud Computing Expo Japan, and many more.
Japan IT Week Spring 2018
eCommerce Fair 2018 Osaka [30-31 May]
eCommerce Fair Osaka is the first B2B trade exhibition focusing on eCommerce solutions in Japan. It provides leading companies the opportunity to introduce the latest eCommerce solutions and services that allow businesses to develop platforms for eCommerce and web-shopping. Its relevant programmes of discussions and workshops are known to attract standing capacities where industry leaders share and discuss their experiences, strategies and market insights covering a wide e-commerce aspect including Payment, Delivery & Logistics, Marketing, Customer Service & Customer Retention Marketing, Digital & Mobile Marketing, Omni-channel retailing and cross-border commerce.
JULY
ad:tech Kansai 2018 [4-6 July] (Kobe, Osaka, Kyoto)
ad: tech is a global marketing conference where brands, agencies, medias and solution providers come together to get-to-grips with the latest trends, innovations and technologies. It first launched in Tokyo 10 years ago, and successfully launched in Kansai, the second largest economic area in Japan in the year 2014. Kansai is also a popular area for test marketing among many Asian companies. In 2016, attendees to ad:tech in Kansai reached 3,000 with over 20% logged as brand advertisers. This year, the 3-day ad:tech Kansai event will be held in 3 cities including Kobe, Osaka, and Kyoto covering “regional revitalisation” and “global successes” topics in Advertising Technology, Branding, Content Marketing, Creative, and Management. The Kansai edition will highlight exhibitors from unerry inc., FreakOut inc., TECNOS Data Science Engineering Inc., Appier Japan, LOCKON CO., Ltd, Rally, Repro Inc., Domo Inc., Geniee Inc., Kyocera Communications Systems Co., Ltd, and more.
AUGUST
Executive Data Summit [28-29 Aug]
This two-day summit invites CXOs and upper management from brand companies to discover the challenges and the management resources of utilising true data dividing the ‘ideals’ and ‘realities’ in marketing campaigns. Decision makers have been introduced to a variety of tool to develop and market their products or services but have yet to realised their full potential and results. The summit is responding to the needs of high level management and is introducing important and relevant case study – from the management point of view – to solve and respond to these challenges appropriately, which leads to organisational change. Held in 11 cities of 7 countries, ‘iMedia’ summits discuss high-level and advanced case studies and challenges to pursue successful business and for this series, is organised by Comexposium Japan.
OCTOBER
ad:tech Tokyo [4-5 Oct]
The fall edition of ad:tech to be held at Tokyo are now considering speakers for its conference section considering topics from Digital Marketing, Brand Marketers, Data/AI to creative content management. Launched just over a decade ago, ad:tech Tokyo has seen speakers from all over the world and from a variety of tech companies including Slush Asia, Unilever Japan, Nishimura & Asahi, Appoer Inc., Verto Analytics, IMJ Corp., Withfluence, SilverPush, comScore, TripAdvisor, Sizmek, Japan Airlines, NIKKEI, NewsPicks, Dentsu, Line, Yahoo, Trivago, Johnson & Johnson, Facebook, and many more.
Japan IT Week: Web & Digital Marketing Expo [24-26 Oct] http://www.japan-it.jp/en/aki/
This is the autumn version of Japan IT Week held in May (Spring). It will have its usual participating expos including Cloud Computing Expo Japan, Information Security Expo, Web & Digital Marketing Expo, Big Data Management Expo, IoT/M2M Expo, AI & Business Automation Expo, Mobile Solutions Expo and Data Center Expo.
