News
2019.03.01 Congratulations to the Inspiring Japan photo and video contest awardees
This past February 28th, the“1st Inspiring Business Events: Japan Photo & Video Contest– New ideas start here–” awards ceremony took place in Tokyo International Forum, within the framework of the 28th edition of the International MICE Expo (IME).
First of its kind, the contest had aimed at increasing awareness ofMICE,the business events industry, as well as to provide a chance to engage event service suppliers and event participants that have formed memories in Japan to share the highlights of their experiences. A panel of 6 experts in the events industry and photography included Didier Scaillet(SITE, CEO), Makiko Yamamoto(MPI Japan Chapter, Honorary Chair), Kayo Nomura(IAPCO Council Member), Hirokazu Ueda(The Photographic Society of Japan, Chief Executive Director and Secretary-General), Anju(Photographer) and Etsuko Kawasaki(JNTO, Executive Director of Japan Convention Bureau). 1227 applicationswere narrowed down to five winners, who represent diverse demographics.
It was Juka Sato, a college student on her last year, who took the Grand Prize home. Confident that she had captured a good shot of the first sunrise of the year, she found about this contest by an online search.“At first I was not sure what the meaning of MICE was, so I asked my mother to explain it to me,” the Oita-born young awardee says.
Yuzo Fujii, awarded with Innovative Japan, saw the contest on the official page of the Tokyo Camera Club.“When I read the details on the contest categories, I thought it was going to be hard– and that is why I decided to take this challenge.” One of the judges, model and photographer Anju, had praised his entry as an exemplar portray of the coexistence of technology with nature found in Japan.
On the other hand, Hitoshi Isahara isno stranger to business events– being a Japan Conference Ambassador and event organizer himself. His picture at MAPLEX2015, a conference that took place at a hotspring resort in Yamagata, represented best the concept of the Hospitable Japan category.
Kyoto-based Paul G. Richardson was thrilled to be awarded on the Unique Japan category. Part of Japan’s first specialist DMC, THE J TEAM, he had been eagerly waiting for an opportunity to pitch an event picture in a photo contest.
Whereas timing and skill lead to the winning still shots, it was thorough planning and patient editing that rewarded the New Idea Video category winner, Germany-based teamtravel international GmbH. The video narrative summarized an incentive trip to Japan organized by Yuuji Andreas, who was most honoured to receive the engraved crystal trophy, and display it in line with the other one he received from the Japan Incentive Travel Awards 2016.
To see their winning entries click here.
