Kyoto’s meetings industry is showing it has the power to bring business to local traditional industries.

The 59^th Annual Meeting of the Japan Diabetes Society (JDS 2016) will be held in Kyoto this year from May 19 – 21.  The meeting is expected to draw around 14,000 participants, including doctors, nurses, and researchers who specialize in diabetes research and treatment.  Special courses for local residents will also be held.

13,800 conference bags have been made especially for the meeting that will be given to participants.  (Valued at approx. JPY 12.6 Million/USD 115,000)

The bags were made in collaboration with the Kyoto Museum of Traditional Crafts using locally produced Chirimen fabric (Japanese Silk Crepe) and feature custom tags with the JDS 2016 logo.

This was made possible, in part, by the support Kyoto Convention and Visitors Bureau’s (KCVB) and the Kyoto Culture for *MICE Subsidy.  This is the largest number of traditional gifts ever to be purchased for using as gifts at a MICE event in Kyoto.

These kinds of special touches offer a way for meetings like JDS 2016 to feel special and unique and to give delegates a chance to connect with Kyoto’s culture in a way that they can bring home with them.  Furthermore, but it also helps to ensure that Kyoto’s meetings industry will continue to support our local traditional industries and rich cultural heritage.

*(MICE is a term used in the meetings industry that stands for M – Corporate/Business Meetings, I – Incentives, C – Congress/Convention/Conference, E – Exhibition/Excursion)