100+ Person 35th Anniversary Event in London for a Japanese Medical Institution

Case Study of an Anniversary Event for a Japanese Medical Institution

Client: A Japanese medical institution

No. of participants: 125

Destination: London

Period: August 2025

# Case Studies
# Event Solution
# Europe

To commemorate its anniversary, a Japanese medical institution held a reception event in the city as an expression of gratitude to medical professionals and supporters. We managed the whole operation, including venue proposals and arrangements, catering, entertainment, audiovisual services, MC, and decorations.

Diagram showing four areas of JTB support for high-quality workshops

Summary

・For clients with no event experience, we visualize their requests, making concrete proposals for everything from venues and budget to progress mapping. We opted for a prestigious venue, which was well received.

・We designed an exchange party that combined local culture with Japanese taste, proposing Japanese fusion cuisine and welcome drinks.

・To alleviate anxiety, we mapped out preparation tasks and schedules and implemented detailed follow-ups. Our Japanese staff offer end-to-end support for Japanese clients to minimize their burden and to ensure smooth operation.

Speaker

JTB Europe staff member at the London office

JTB Europe,
Meetings & Events (JTB M&E)
Sales & Operations Executive, London

Maria Obata

Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament in London

For Clients Without Event Experience,
We Provide Detailed Proposals About Venues and Budget

This event was held to celebrate the anniversary of the establishment of a Japanese medical institution. The aim was to bring together local medical professionals, company executives, and employees to express appreciation for their work and build deeper bonds between them.

To begin, we proposed a variety of different venues. London offers a vast range of possibilities, including restaurants and hotels, as well as museums and other unusual venues. By showing the client an approximate event schedule and venue layout for the day, we narrowed down the locations to align with the client’s vision.

Assorted sushi and appetizers arranged on serving plates

Combining Japanese and Local Culture to Offer Special Experiences

At the buffet-style exchange party held after the ceremony, we aimed for hospitality that combined local culture with Japanese tastes. For example, instead of distributing drinks for a Japanese-style toast, we decided to hand out welcome drinks at the venue entrance, in the European style. At the same time, we incorporated elements of Japanese cuisine into the food menu. Most of the participants were Japanese, but there were also some visitors from overseas, so we negotiated with the venue to prepare a fusion menu rather than traditional Japanese fare. This helped to give the gathering a special feeling.

For other kinds of events too, we can offer various special touches, such as providing happi coats bearing the client company’s name, arranging a sake barrel breaking (kagamiwari) ceremony, and hiring a Japanese sushi chef to prepare sushi. Thanks to our solid network of partners and guides across Europe, we can offer highly original and unique experiences.

We always strive to ensure that all guests are satisfied, regardless of the circumstances, by offering allergy-friendly and vegan options, as well as alternative menus for anyone with religious dietary restrictions.

Additionally, we offer services that reflect the special Japanese spirit of hospitality (omotenashi). For example, we design individual VIP-style transportation routes for pick-up and send-off and arrange for guests to go straight to their rooms at hotels (without the hassle of checking in) by handing them keys as soon as they arrive. All this helps to ensure stress-free and pleasant experiences.

Task and Schedule Management and Attentive Follow-up to Ease the Burden on Clients

In this case, the client asked us very clearly to inform them of what preparations they needed to make before the event, what they should do, and what the schedule would be. This kind of progress follow-up is one of our most vital roles. Since this was the first time the client was planning such an event, we paid very close attention to communication. We prepared a schedule showing what preparations were needed by when, and we contacted the client frequently to check if any points were unclear to them. Like this, we eased the client’s anxieties by always making it clear which tasks needed to be done.

As the day of an event approaches, the client becomes increasingly busy. So, to make things easier for them, we consider every single action carefully. For example, we phrase questions so that they can be answered with a simple yes or no.

When we work with a Japanese client, as in this case, a Japanese staff member with a deep understanding of both Japan and the local area serves as a single point of contact with the client. This helps us to deliver seamless support for everything from on-site inspections and liaisons with local suppliers to settlement of accounts. Like this, the client can leave things to us with total peace of mind. I believe that the JTB Group is uniquely placed to offer both meticulous, uniquely Japanese service quality (omotenashi) and locally rooted expertise anywhere in the world, to deliver relaxed and comfortable experiences. I hope that companies thinking about an overseas event or tour can experience this for themselves.