JAPANESE hospitality group Fujita Kanko Inc. has set its sights on growing its MICE business. The company’s function space has so far largely been devoted to smaller events and the local weddings market.
Sales manager of Fujita Kanko’s newly-established convention sales division, Foo Ming Sheng, said the firm was now focusing on MICE as a new market, and had identified four products capable of hosting large groups.
The products are: Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Chinzan-so, Hakone Hotel Kowakien, Chinzan-so and Taiko-en, the latter two comprising restaurants and meeting facilities in lush garden settings. Chizan-so’s largest banquet room, Orion, for instance, can accommodate up to 2,000 people.
“Chinzan-so is actually famous for bridals. We have around 2,000 couples getting married yearly in its three chapels and two Japanese shrines. But the population in Japan is shrinking, so the market for bridals is shrinking as well,” he said.
Foo explained that while Fujita Kanko’s venues were popular with smaller meetings and incentive groups, the group was “not yet strong in exhibitions and conferences”. A big convention due to be held in March this year had also been cancelled because of the earthquake.
“We’re still working on our strategy, but currently, we’re collaborating with bureaus like TCVB (Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau) to pull in more international conventions. We’re also promoting MICE when we participate in travel marts,” he said.
“Our theme is MICE in Green. Green as in gardens, and green as in environment-friendly. For example, we’ve started changing to LED lighting, even in Washington Hotels (the business hotel chain operated by the group).”
