Energy and passion swirled throughout the venue. More than 1,000 participants of 25 different nationalities absorbed the powerful messages delivered by each speaker as they took their turn on stage. This year, “The International Conference for Women in Business”, one of the largest diversity conferences in Japan, was held in Odaiba, Tokyo.
The International Conference for Women in Business has been held every summer since 1996. It aims to deliver knowledge, skills, and an opportunity of exchange and interaction necessary for business professionals committed to making a contribution via their work. The 10-hour intensive program includes discussions on careers, education, human resources and policymaking, before culminating in a networking party at the end of the day for all of the participants. The willingness of participants and speakers to learn from one another has helped create a positive atmosphere within the venue, with the Conference boasting an unprecedented participant satisfaction rate of over 99% year after year.
The theme for the 22nd year of the Conference was “Act Positive”. The objective was for this day to be the first step in taking positive action every day. This year, too, the Conference was passionate day for the students and working women and men of various nationalities, backgrounds, industries and occupations, as they gathered to learn, think and share. A breakdown of this year’s participants shows that 50% were in managerial positions, the average annual income was 8.36 million JPY and the percentage of male participants—which continues to grow every year—reached 15%.
This year’s Conference hosted 43 speakers, all pioneers and leaders in their respective fields. Conference Chair, Kaori Sasaki, who announced the introduction of a diversity index in her opening speech, was followed by four other main speakers, including Yuriko Koike, Governor of Tokyo, and Rubana Huq, an entrepreneur from Bangladesh. Ensuing dialogue and talk show sessions featured an array of speakers, including Maya Morsy, President of The National Council for Women of Egypt; Miwa Kato, Asia Pacific Regional Director, UN Women; Makiko Eda, President of Intel; Kathy Matsui, Vice Chair of Goldman Sachs Japan; Shinjiro Koizumi, Member of the House of Representatives; Yuko Arimori, former marathon runner; Kenichiro Mogi, neuroscientist; and male leaders such as Akira Matsumoto, Chairman of the Board & CEO of Calbee, all of whom added further stimulation to an already inspiring day.
Four of the 10 Round Table discussions held in the afternoon were conducted entirely in English. All sessions reported enthusiastic discussion on topics from policymaking, workstyle reform, and journalism, to human resources and education.
After the Round Table discussions, everyone returned to the main conference room. Gold Partner Sponsors, along with Matching Sponsors and the students they sponsored, were all invited to share the stage during the final party. Kenji Isezaki and the band Jazz Hikeshi put on a special talk and music performance as participants enjoyed wine and a spectacular buffet dinner while conversing with friends old and new. The positive actions and enthusiasm of the 1,000 participants helped to bring the 22nd annual conference to a successful close.
Detailed information on this day that inspired participants to “Act Positive” can be found on the following pages.
