Scientific researchers and scholars from across Japan and around the world were “magnetically attracted” to Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture for education, advancing research, and networking opportunities with their colleagues at the IEEE International Magnetics Conference (INTERMAG) 2023. The conference was held from May 15th to May 19th at the Sendai International Center, and sponsored by IEEE Magnetics Society and the Magnetics Society of Japan. The hybrid event hosted approximately 1,500 participants, including 1,000 international participants from over 50 countries.
INTERMAG participants pose during a kimono wearing experience at the welcome reception
During the conference, we had the pleasure of meeting two of the event’s organizing committee members who generously shared feedback about their conference experience and impressions about Sendai, Japan as a location to host events.
First we talked with the IEEE Magnetics Society President (2023-2024) Atsufumi Hirohata, Professor at University of York (UK) with over 15 years of experience in spintronics, ranging from magnetic-domain imaging to spin-current interference. Professor Hirohata actually lived in Sendai for several years when he was working as a postdoctoral researcher at Tohoku University. For this reason, Professor Hirohata gave many positive comments about the improved transportation and infrastructure over the years. The city’s Tozai (East-West) Subway Line opened in 2015, allowing convention participants to reach the Sendai International Center in just 5 minutes from Sendai Station. The International Center’s exhibition wing opened in the same year and features a 3,000 square meter exhibition space and additional meeting rooms ideal for breakout sessions, workshops and small-audience presentations.
Professor Hirohata enjoyed seeing many new restaurants and cafés downtown, noting that people in Sendai love to eat, so there are many delicious options that satisfy even “spoiled-for-choice” visitors from Tokyo. In particular, Hirohata recommends the region’s fresh seafood and tasty oysters. He thinks the best place to indulge in this gourmet cuisine is a post-excursion trip to Matsushima, a bay filled with 260 pine-covered islands which is considered so beautiful it is known as one of the “Three Most Scenic Spots in Japan”. He is also a fan of Jogi Nyorai Saihoji Temple, located in the mountainous suburbs of Sakunami Onsen.
Above all, Hirohata praises Sendai as an academic city that fosters research, education and innovation through institutions such as Tohoku University. Academic conferences have often benefited through this unique feature of the city by making it easier to find and invite local guest speakers, increasing conference attendance, gaining new members, and deepening collaboration of like-minded individuals. Hirohata is excited to attend future academic conferences in Sendai that may wish to include visits to “NanoTerasu”, a synchrotron radiation facility being constructed through Public-Private Regional Partnerships at Tohoku University’s new Aobayama Campus. Hirohata concludes, "With the sea, mountains, and hot springs, and being a city that is not too big and just the right size, Sendai is ideal for hosting international academic conferences of 1,500 to 2,000 participants."
INTERMAG organizers Atsufumi Hirohata (left) and Montserrat Rivas (right) offered praise, advice, and Sendai recommendations during the interview
Next, we chatted with Montserrat Rivas, a physicist with more than twenty years of experience in higher education, teaching at graduate and undergraduate levels in the Engineering School and the Faculty of Physics at the University of Oviedo in her native country of Spain, continuing her research in topics such as bio-application of magnetic nanomaterials and sensors. Simultaneously she holds various roles in the IEEE Magnetics Society, such as Chair of Women in Magnetism, and is a member of its Administrative Committee.
Sendai first-timer Rivas quickly fell in love with Sendai’s rich greenery and urban nature. “While I was very busy every day helping manage the conference, I particularly enjoyed the garden areas surrounding Sendai International Center, which should be better advertised. Not many convention centers have adjacent nature-filled areas offering an escape for a quiet stroll or impromptu picnic lunch to refresh the mind between educational sessions.”
Rivas provided us with a few specific points we want to consider implementing to increase the satisfaction of convention organizers and participants. When Rivas travels, she makes it a habit to explore a city on foot to find lesser known attractions. Convention bureaus should highlight not only famous attractions, but also lesser known ones that participants can easily access and visit on their own. Sendai’s compact and safe city center is ideal for exploring on foot. The abundance of small, charming, independent shops and cafés are not only an inviting way to experience local culture, but a chance to interact with a local--which is not always possible at larger, fast-paced commercial establishments. Rivas likes to bring home handmade mementos from her overseas trips, and looked forward to browsing Sendai’s shopping arcades and side streets for the perfect souvenir. Next, we heard a tip about the changing needs of hybrid conferences. While few academic societies are doing live transmission hybrid conferences anymore, recording of seminars, education sessions, and panel discussions will remain important going into the future. Host cities and facilities that offer hybrid subsidies for on-demand creation (content recorded for later viewing) or facilities with purpose-built hybrid facilities will continue to be attractive to academic conference and meeting organizers. Lastly, Rivas made a comment we have heard before: busy meeting planners would prefer a hotel connected to the convention center. Even a small-scale hotel facility provides immediate access, a place to store luggage, a place for a quick rest, and above all, peace of mind. "Managing a meeting is a 24-hour job, so organizers don't want to spend even 10 minutes traveling sometimes!"
Thank you very much Atsufumi Hirohata and Montserrat Rivas for taking time out of your busy schedules to share your thoughts about Sendai and valuable recommendations. The Sendai Convention Bureau will continue to work toward attracting more conferences to Sendai while constantly improving the satisfaction of organizers and participants. In [PART 2] of this article, the attractions, activities and experiences participants enjoyed during INTERMAG are reviewed. View [PART 2] here.
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