Project 1

Japan National Tourism Organization

Japan Convention Bureau, Meetings & Events

Role: Meetings Business Development Specialist
Markets: North America & South America
Duration: 4 years

The Challenge

Position Japan as a premier destination for international meetings, conferences, and incentive travel in competitive Western markets. Generate measurable economic impact through strategic B2B partnerships while serving as the primary bridge between Japanese hospitality culture and Western business expectations — translating not just language, but priorities, etiquette, and decision-making styles in both directions.

The Approach

Served as JNTO's primary in-market representative and Japan expert for the North American MICE sector — the main point of contact for qualified leads, buyers, and industry partners
Acted as a two-way conduit between U.S. buyers and Japanese stakeholders: built and maintained relationships with Japanese suppliers including JTB and city convention bureaus (Chiba, Yokohama, Kanazawa), supplying them with U.S. market intelligence, incorporating them into sales presentations, and actively recommending them to North American meeting planners
Directed and oversaw a contracted U.S. agency team (Development Counsellors International), selecting strategic partners, approving campaign proposals, and ensuring all activations aligned with JNTO's positioning and objectives
Managed a multi-platform media campaign spanning PCMA, Northstar Meetings Group, EventMB, Associations Now, and Cvent — generating 465,000+ total impressions across the North American MICE market
Executed live event activations at major industry trade shows including IMEX America and SITE Global Conference, representing Japan directly to C-suite decision-makers and senior event planners
Designed and led familiarization trips for C-level executives, event planners, and heads of academic associations, showcasing Japan's MICE infrastructure and unique venue capabilities
Oversaw a newsletter campaign that consistently delivered click-through rates of 25–30% against an industry standard of 2–7%
Developed content across brochures, sales presentations, and partnership proposals tailored for North American and European audiences
Moderated and facilitated virtual roundtables with senior association and corporate buyers, extracting market intelligence that directly informed JNTO's forward strategy and was fed back to Japanese partners

The Impact

Consistently exceeded annual KPIs across a 4-year tenure, generating qualified leads that contributed millions of dollars to the Japanese economy
Built and maintained direct relationships with DMCs, corporate travel buyers, and association executives as JNTO's primary representative — not through an intermediary
Strengthened Japanese supplier competitiveness in the North American market by keeping convention bureaus and DMCs informed, visible, and actively recommended to Western buyers
Positioned Japan as a sophisticated, accessible, and safety-forward option for Western corporate events, including during the unprecedented disruption of COVID-19
Delivered campaign metrics that outperformed industry benchmarks across every channel managed