OIST welcomed about 50 guests to the OIST Conference Center Open House on Monday 26th of October. MICE (Meeting, Incentive, Conference, Exhibition) officials, members of the Okinawa Prefectural Government and Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau and managers from nearby hotels and travel companies were introduced to the auditorium, the new meeting rooms and the lobby area, as well as to the available equipment and furniture.
The state-of-the-art auditorium with 500 seats capacity is one of the landmarks of OIST. With ample seating and contemporary architecture, the auditorium has already attracted numerous international conferences, workshops and symposia, as well as performances by internationally acclaimed musicians.
Beyond the auditorium, the Conference Center includes also four smaller meeting rooms. Meeting Room 1 is suitable for mid-sized meetings (up to 130 people). While, meeting rooms 2, 3 and 4 can accommodate up to 36 people. "It is a wonderful conference hall. The existing auditorium is nice, but I believe that it was a little short of rooms such as greenrooms, so I think that the new facility provides a very good venue for meetings" pointed out Mr Satoru Motonaga from the Okinawa Prefectural Government, who visited OIST during this event.
The Okinawa Prefectural Government is putting significant effort to promote academic conferences in Okinawa.
All rooms are furnished with projectors, power outlets, podium, microphones and wireless LAN. The auditorium is also equipped for simultaneous interpretation/translation. One of the guests, Ms Shinzato Eri working for the translation service company Office ICC Ltd., commented: "The auditorium is spacious and the equipment, such as the seats equipped with a desk and earphone jack are very convenient for settings with simultaneous interpretation."
The venues at the Conference Center can be rented and used as an attractive and functional venue for international symposia, training opportunities, industrial and community-related events. “The environment is different from hotels. I think that it provides a comfortable setting for academic conferences,” pointed out Mr Hidefumi Kohagura from Laguna Garden Hotel.
Catering can be outsourced and arranged by contacting the OIST Conference and Workshop Section. The Conference Center includes a room that can store lunch boxes and guests have the opportunity to eat in the beautiful outdoor space or in the small meeting rooms.
“I hope that OIST Conference Center will be a focal point in Okinawa for strengthening collaborations between research institutions and universities in Japan and overseas as well as for bolstering industrial cooperation and enriching the local community,” explained Morita Youhei, Associate Vice-President of OIST Communications and Public Relations Division.
To reserve a venue at the OIST Conference Center, please contact the Conference and Workshop Section by email or phone (+81-(0)98-966-2391). For further details visit: http://www.oist.jp/conference-venue
