95.8% of Fukuoka residents call it a great place to live. The city consistently ranks in British magazine Monocle’s Top 25 best cities in the world to live. Designated as a National Strategic Special Zone for Global Startups and Job Creation in 2014 and home to a high concentration of youth, Fukuoka is now the liveliest city in Japan. With its ideal balance of urban amenities and nature and its airport located a mere 10 minutes from downtown, Fukuoka ranks near the top of major cities in the world. A compact city with an airport, convention facilities and downtown all within a 2.5-kilometer radius, Fukuoka promises stress-free, cost-efficient conventions to organizers and participants alike. With direct flights to the major cities of East Asia and a transportation network that extends toward the entire Kyushu region, Fukuoka is a bustling hub of interpersonal and commercial exchange for a diverse array of industries. For a city overflowing with charm and perfectly suited to host global meetings, look no further than Fukuoka.
Fukuoka Airport (Domestic terminal)→JR Hakata Station/Tenjin:Subway (5 min./11 min.)
Fukuoka Airport (International terminal)→JR Hakata Station/Tenjin:Bus (15 min./30 min.)
Fukuoka Airport (International terminal)→JR Hakata Station/Tenjin:Taxi (10 min./20 min.)
■ Convention subsidy program (amounts determined according to timing, duration, size and other factors)
<International Conventions>
Target: Organizers of international conventions with an undetermined host city who can be encouraged by a subsidy to select Fukuoka
Duration: At least 2 days Participant requirements: At least 50 foreign (excluding foreign residents of Japan) participants/day, with participation from at least 3 countries (including Japan)
Maximum subsidy: 10 million yen
<National Conventions>
Target: Organizers of national conventions with an undetermined host city who can be encouraged by a subsidy to select Fukuoka
Duration: At least 2 days
Participant requirements: At least 1,000 participants/day, some of whom are from outside the Kyushu region
Maximum subsidy: 3 million yen
■ Meeting Place Fukuoka: An All-Inclusive Service
<Before site finalization:>
1. Providing and lending advertising and PR materials
2. Reception for preliminary visits (preliminary visits to convention facilities, lodging facilities)
3. Organization of written estimates/proposals
<Preparation after site finalization:>
1. Providing various pamphlets
(a) Fukuoka tourism guidebooks (Languages: Japanese, English, Korean, traditional Chinese, simplified Chinese)
(b) Fukuoka cuisine/souvenir guidebooks (Language: Japanese)
(c) Nakasu restaurant maps (Language: Japanese)
2. Introducing unique venues
Introducing reception halls unique to Fukuoka.
3. Introducing tourist information and foreign language volunteers
4. Cooperation with advertising
Providing materials and DVDs for advertising, issuing notification to relevant organizations, posting information on websites, etc.
5. Support for foreign participants
Introducing amenable organizations to organizers who wish to provide hands-on experiences with Japanese culture.
6. Support and welcome speeches
Under certain conditions, the municipal government and the Fukuoka Convention & Visitors Bureau provide support and make welcome speeches to participants.
<During conventions:>
(i) Providing welcome signs or local entertainment
Under certain conditions (number of participating countries, number of participants, etc.), FCVB provides and sets up welcome signs, or provides one type of local entertainment free of charge for large-scale conventions held within Fukuoka city limits.
[Examples of guidance signs:]
○ Setting up a welcome information desk at Fukuoka Airport
○ Welcome banners at Fukuoka Airport (Sky NET Vision)
○ Welcome banners at the Shinkansen exit of Hakata Station
[Examples of local entertainment:]
Hakata koma (spinning tops), Kinjishi taiko drumming, Hakata folk dancing
(ii) Introducing local entertainment
FCVB offers special prices for local entertainment for opening ceremonies, receptions and more.
(iii) Lending of Hakata Dontaku Festival happi coats
FCVB lends happi coats used in the iconic Fukuoka festival, the Hakata Dontaku Festival, for PR at the previous year’s convention, and to wear at the reception desk on the convention’s opening day.
Hakata doll-painting experience
Visit to a hydrogen station
Fukuoka Convention & Visitors Bureau Meeting Place Fukuoka
Venues