The Essential Point Lies in Attracting Visitors

Wishing for the grand success of A&V Festa 2003, our magazine is continuing a campaign to support the event. We really do hope that it is successful and ask for the strong support of all related persons.

In the past, there was the Audio Fair, and then there was the Audio Expo. The venue also changed, from the TOC days to Harumi, Ikebukuro Sunshine City, and Tokyo Big Sight. But for a few years the event was going downhill, and last year it was cancelled altogether. Given the unchanged nature and management of the event, the decline was only natural. The patchwork response simply gave impetus to the downfall. Audio users turned their backs on the event completely. And it is no exaggeration to say that the self-righteous attitude of the organizers, who failed to notice the trend, turned users even further away.

Why did users desert the event? The answer to this question lies in the fact that the Japan Audio Society, the fair, and the expo just did not make any attempt to look at things from the standpoint of users. Reflecting on this lesson, the A&V Festa will be held this fall. First of all, we should be fully aware that the success of this event will be the most important point for next year and indeed for the future. An almost revolutionary determination and earnestness are necessary to completely do away with the conservative tendencies of the past.

I would like to cite several points that I think will be keys to the success of the event. First, admission should be made free. In consideration of the geographical advantages of the site in Yokohama and the fact that a new start is being made, it is important to make admission free so that as many people as possible come to the event. If we end up this time by failing to meet our expectations (the essence of which lies in the number of visitors), then it is going to be difficult to hold the event again next year. At the same time, admission should be made free so as to cut down on costs involved in the production and delivery of admission tickets and on-site administration and personnel expenses.

Second, let's have a vision. We should have a vision for three years or five years ahead and reflect that vision in the event. Fairs like this one tend to be continuous from yesterday and to end up as ambiguous affairs. Therefore, we should draw up a vision from the standpoint of users and think about what we should do today for tomorrow. If we do that, then it will naturally become clear what we should be doing this year. And the desirable format of the A&V Festa will take shape naturally.

Third, the event should be simultaneously held on the Internet. We are now in the age of networking, so we should transmit the event to the rest of Japan and indeed to the whole world via the Internet. The event site can be turned into a base for such electronic transmission, and information can be updated on a daily basis. This will show that the event really has changed and is sure to win the support of users.

Fourth, musical instrument fair visitors should be attracted. In the field of electronic musical instruments, what are gaining attention at the moment are cables and power sources. There is a boom here. Musical instrument fair visitors are sure to be attracted by a wide assembly of cables and power source accessories.

I have written down above the things that I have been thinking about for some time. The success of the A&V Festa rests on a lot of people coming to the event. That is the essential point and the strong hope of exhibitors. I really do hope that the event conforms to this essential point and that we can taste the sweet wine of success.