SUNNY SIDE UP Inc. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President: Etsuko Tsugihara) has agreed to partner with GL events SA (Headquarters: Lyon, France; President of GL events Live & Deputy Managing Director of GL events Group: Olivier Ferraton) and GL events Japan KK (General Manager: Guillaume Massard), one of the world’s largest events companies, for the development,management and PR of global events to be held in 2020 in Japan.
With the Rugby World Cup coming in 2019 and the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2020 just around the corner, the world’s eyes are on Japan. The economic impact to be generated in Japan until 2030 by the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games is estimated at approximately 32 trillion yen*, and the government has set a target of receiving 40 million inbound tourists a year by 2020.
But the huge business opportunity that 2020 represents goes far beyond a mere sports festival. 2020 will be the year when Japan becomes the center of attention: the entire nation will become an enormous medium for tourism-oriented countries as well as for global companies around the world. Outside of the field of sports, many countries and companies will come to Japan to set up country houses, pavilions and other establishments to promote their appeal, turning Japan, in a sense, into a showcase for the world.
In anticipation of this increased demand for events in Japan – both related to sports and independent of sports – SUNNY SIDE UP and GL events have decided to combine their expertise and launch a joint business.
GL events is a firm that provides integrated solutions and services for a variety of worldwide events. Ever since the company was founded in 1978, it has been involved in the planning, development, construction and management of large-scale events around the globe. With 3,900 employees and more than 90 offices around the world, the company stands unparalleled in its field.
Meanwhile, SUNNY SIDE UP has accumulated a wealth of PR expertise and resources through its experience in management and PR activities for large-scale events, including Japan’s first RockCorps, an event combining music and corporate social responsibility (CSR) that has been held in 10 countries, and the YOU MAKE SHIBUYA COUNTDOWN, a countdown event held on New Year’s Eve in Shibuya that draws around 100,000 participants.
By combining GL events’ expertise in creative & strategic content for brand activation, planning, development, construction, and management with SUNNY SIDE UP’s PR marketing capability in a wide array of fields, the partnership will be able to provide the complete package – from development and management to global event PR – and will be fully capable of meeting global-scale needs.
By 2020, the companies will be providing a full set of support solutions – including venue proposals to host country houses and/or sponsors for brand activation, creative & strategic content, production, facility management, and PR – for country houses and pavilions established by a variety of different nations and for events hosted by sponsors and global companies. From 2020 onward, the partnership’s diverse business will be developed cross-sectionally in other fields with high growth potential, making full use of the resources and expertise it has acquired.