Being interested in the possibility to create new industries and employments in local areas, METI promotes social businesses. Recently, they are also drawing attention as those leading the “new public commons” that are promoted by the government.

Thus, METI will organize the “Social Business Messe”, which celebrates its third anniversary this year.

This event has the concept “You can see, understand and link with social business”. Various partnership and collaboration cases between social businesses and enterprises will be exhibited and those who intend to start new businesses will make short presentations. In addition, we will hold a forum and distribute motion pictures with taking advantage of social media, and will provide an opportunity for direct communications with social business entrepreneurs all over Japan.

Date and time: 13:00 to 18:00 on March 14, 2011
Place: Hall on the third floor of TEPIA (8-44, Kita-Aoyama 2-chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo)
Organizer: METI
Co-organizer: Social Business Network

(*1) No charge is required for participation; register in advance from the website shown under “4. Others.”

(*2) It is assumed that over 1,500 people including nationwide entrepreneurs engaged in social businesses, supporting organizations, those who intend to establish this type of business, those concerned with companies, students and so on will visit the event.

Seventy or more social business entrepreneurs and supporting organizations engaged in activities all over Japan as well as those who intend to start social business in the future will take part in the exhibition through the use of show booths. They will provide information and have communications with visitors toward creation or expansion of business.

Opening Session “Supporting the Social Business by Creating Trust” (tentative title)

[Panelists]
Harue Ishikawa (Representative Director of Care Center Yawaragi (NPO))
Eisuke Kumano (Representative Director of Amita Corporation)

[Facilitator]
Youichi Nakamura (Chairman and Professor at the Rikkyo University Graduate School of Social Design Studies)

Short Presentations

- Social business entrepreneurs, those who intend to launch social business and supporting organizations from all over Japan will provide presentation on business proposals and business matching.

- Exchange among presenters and visitors will be promoted at the exchange space.

Online Forum

- On the basis of the opinions and proposals invited in advance from all over Japan using social media, a forum will be held with the participation of knowledgeable people on the day of Messe.

- After closing of Messe, motion pictures of the forum will be distributed via Social Business Net, so as to make people more conscious about and more linked with the social business.

We will update information on exhibitors and presenters at any time on the website below:

[Social Business Net]  URL: http://www.socialbusiness.jp (in Japanese)

Business Environment Promotion Division, Regional Economic and Industrial Policy Group

February 15, 2011