Makuhari Messe. The Chiba Convention Bureau and International Center successfully bid to bring the 99th Annual Kiwanis International Convention to Makuhari Messe in Chiba City from July 16th to 20th, 2014.
Kiwanis International is the 3rd largest volunteer social service organization behind International Rotary and Lions Club. It has roughly 220,000 members in 7,500 clubs in over 80 countries. When including all of the other clubs in the “Kiwanis Family”, including youth clubs, there are over 600,000 members.
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”.
