Yokohama, Japan has been chosen as the host for the 23rd World Congress of the International Measurement Confederation (IMEKO). The conference will be attended by approximately 800 measurement technology experts from all over the globe.
Based in Budapest, Hungary, IMEKO is a non-governmental federation of measuring institutions that is focused on the advancement of measurement technology.
With the joint efforts of the city of Yokohama, the Yokohama Convention & Visitors Bureau, and the PACIFICO Yokohama Convention Center in cooperation with the Japan National Tourist Organization (JNTO), the city was able to make a successful bid for the Congress.
In September of 2016, the governing body of IMEKO chose Yokohama over Hangzhou, China as the venue.
The deciding factors were said to be high grades for "the enthusiasm of the local host committee members, the vision of placing importance on the development of young research professionals, the convenience of Yokohama's transportation network, and the close proximity of facilities such as international conference halls, hotels, malls, etc."
Held every three years, Japan has not been the host nation since the Congress was held in Osaka in 1999.
Current IMEKO President-elect and Chairman of the Technical Board, Prof. Masatoshi Ishikawa, Dean of University of Tokyo's Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, is set to be appointed President from 2018.
The Society of Instrument and Control Engineers (SICE) will take on the role of local host