This year, Sapporo Convention Bureau is celebrating its 20th anniversary, having been founded on July 31st, 1991. Since our inception, we have striven to spread the word about our home city of Sapporo, one of Asia's most attractive and dynamic MICE destinations. The Bureau is responsible for hosting and overseeing around 100 major international conferences every year, and in September 2011 we will host the largest single convention in our history with 6,000 attendees. As a former Winter Olympic Host City, FIFA Soccer World Cup Host City and APEC location we are able to draw on a broad base of experience in supporting high profile events involving thousands of international travelers.

The 3C Approach
Sapporo Convention Bureau has been instrumental in helping to make Sapporo a successful outward-looking city. By adopting the "3C" principle encompassing communication, convention and citizen, it has the support and participation of local people and institutions. By promoting and supporting conventions and conferences, collecting and sharing information, sponsoring educational programs and technological exchanges, and providing other various services, the Bureau strives to improve international understanding and promote Sapporo as a world class destination.

Hosting large scale events such as conventions, sports events or major exposition can mean many new faces arriving in the city from all over the world for a short stay.  We actively encourage local citizens to participate as volunteers to support visitors during their time in Sapporo in numerous different ways, such as help with navigating the city and dealing with language issues.  Local citizens and business owners are invited to attend seminars to educate and inform them about the needs of our honored guests and ensure that Sapporo provides the warmest welcome in all of Asia.

Green MICE
We recognize that in the modern world, air travel is often seen as environmentally unfriendly, but the need to sometimes meet face-to-face is an important part of building strong bonds between people, and is a natural inclination we feel as humans. Sapporo's location, in northern Japan, with four distinct seasons and breathtaking local scenery, motivates us to consider the nature around us in all that we do. We have therefore embarked on one of the most ambitious programs of any MICE destination in the world, to ensure that the impact of events in our city are carried out in a way that is sympathetic towards the natural world.

Early in the last decade, Sapporo City introduced strong measures to combat CO2 emissions through the "CO2 Reduction Action program", which was followed by a "CO2 Reduction Promotion Program" encouraging local people and businesses to implement measures to significantly decrease the city's carbon footprint. In June of 2008, inspired by the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit, the city further pursued a greener future through the "Sapporo Eco-Capital" declaration with its stated aim to make Sapporo the world's foremost environmental city. To contribute towards this goal, the city in conjunction with the Bureau recently introduced new, strictly defined criteria that conventions should adhere to, in order to meet the certification standard of an official Sapporo Green MICE event. And we actively encourage all delegates to follow sensible green principles during their stay.

Incentive Travel
Sapporo Convention Bureau embarked on a pioneering approach to incentive travel in 2000 and was the first bureau in Japan to place a specialist Incentive Coordinator to assist customers in creating unforgettable experiences for incentive travel guests during their stay in Sapporo, and around the beautiful island of Hokkaido.

Cooperation with Private Industry
Sapporo Convention Bureau cooperates directly with the Sapporo Convention Network - a non-profit group of companies that provide products and services related to the MICE industry. Network members are strongly encouraged to adopt the same philosophies as the Bureau, such as Green MICE and playing a role in the 3C principle. Regular meetings and training sessions are conducted with a view to fostering a deep pool of expertise within Sapporo to constantly improve the level of service we offer.

If you have any enquiries about the bureau, or would like to contact us to discuss Sapporo for your next event, please click the "Contact Us" link in the menu and we will be delighted to assist you.