The
Chiba Convention Bureau and International Center successfully bid to
bring the 99th Annual Kiwanis International Convention to Makuhari
Messe in Chiba City in 2014.
Kiwanis
International is the third largest volunteer social service
organization in the world. The 99th international convention was set
to take place in Asia, but the country and venue had not been
decided. The Chiba Convention Bureau then began direct negotiations
with the International Headquarters. Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture,
Japan was selected because of the international accessibility through
Narita and Haneda airports, the convenient domestic transportation
system that allows easy access to Tokyo and the rest of the country,
and the way local stakeholders came together as one to provide
support and enthusiasm for the conference.
The
annual conference for the Kiwanis Asian-Pacific Region, which is
celebrating its 50th anniversary since its founding in 1964, will be
held in conjunction with the Kiwanis International Convention in
2014.
It
is hoped that the convention will raise Chiba City and Chiba
Prefectures international profile, and that the city, prefecture, and
nation will be imbued with Kiwanis International’s slogan, “Serving
the Children of the World”.
