Responding to a request from the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition, 21 youthful employees from the 19 companies represented in the Sumitomo EXPO2025 Promotion Committee held workshops at the two-years to go anniversary of Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan.
A 2-years-to-go event reached out to people in Japan and around the world, encouraging them to participate in the Expo. This included sending messages tagged with "Join2025," "2YearstoGo," etc. on April 13, 2023, two years before the opening of the Expo.
Under the auspices of the Sumitomo EXPO2025 Promotion Committee, 21 youthful employees of the 19 companies represented on the committee held workshops to collaborate with this project and brainstormed to figure out what individuals could do to heighten mounting excitement during the countdown to the Expo.
Based on various ideas that bubbled to the surface at the workshops, the 21 participants conducted their own activities on April 13. The principal ones are introduced below.
Tweeting on the individuals’ Twitter accounts and retweeting and posting on individuals’ Instagram, Facebook, and LINE accounts to share with friends and acquaintances.
Internal PR and related proposals, such as introduction of Sumitomo Group’s initiatives to build momentum for the Expo in internal newsletters, insertion of an Expo banner on the corporate website, use of Expo still images and video clips in internal digital signage, and placing the Expo logo in email signature blocks.
Purchase and wearing of badges showing MYAKU-MYAKU, the official character of the Expo.
Inclusion of the Expo logo and the introduction of the Expo in email signature blocks; use of Expo visuals as the background for Teams meetings to spur anticipation of the Expo internally and externally.
Youthful employees taking part in the project are eager to maximize keen interest in the Expo among people in every walk of life and location. "I was inspired by the ideas of other participants," said Ms. Nishioka of Sumitomo Warehouse. "Sumitomo Group’s dynamism and comprehensive capabilities were palpable," commented Ms. Nakayama of Sumitomo Forestry. "The participants’ ideas expressed in the workshops were definitely useful and Sumitomo Group’s unity of purpose was inspiring," said Ms. Yamamoto of Sumitomo Chemical. The Sumitomo EXPO2025 Promotion Committee will continue building the momentum throughout Sumitomo Group and beyond in the runup to the Expo.
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