The ninth annual Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards of the Stevie® Awards often recognized as the Academy Awards for business was held on Wednesday, June 29 as a virtual (online) awards ceremony. Fuji Television was awarded with the prestigious Gold Stevie® Award in the ‘Innovation in Entertainment Events’ category for ‘THE ODAIBA 2021 Virtual Adventure Island.’
The event was held via Fuji TV’s original App with the concept of delivering the annual summer event throughout Japan despite challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. By downloading the App, you could participate for free from anywhere around Japan. It welcomed 1.76 million visitors during the period of 26 days. The power of ‘TV ＆ Metaverse’ was perfectly demonstrated, attracting an astonishing number of visitors.
Additionally, the virtual event was highly praised firstly for its successful transition from the traditional event utilizing the company building to a virtual one. Secondly, for it being an innovative project which attracted visitors of all ages, and finally for its potential to be developed into other projects as a sustainable initiative.
This year, the event will be called ‘Virtual Adventure Island 2022’ and will be held from August 11 (Thursday/National holiday) to August 28 (Sunday) for 18 days. Fuji Television and its partner companies are working together to prepare for this year’s event which will be even more exciting with contents that can only be presented virtually.
As last year, comedy duo EXIT has been appointed as the Event Ambassador, and Rintaro and Daiki Kanechika will appear in the virtual platform in their avatars. In addition to Fuji TV announcers Yuumi Nagashima and Seika Inoue who both showed off their avatars last year, Yuki Yamasaki will also be joining them this year.
Also ‘Mezamashi Live,’ which was a great success last year, will be held on the virtual stage again. New live stage cheering goods that everyone can get excited about will be added to the experience to create a sense of unity. Also scheduled to perform is JO1, now a global boy band with their popularity soaring.
In addition, contents in collaboration with Fuji TV’s hit programs and those nationally popular characters will also appear as avatars. Other features include an area for users to connect with each other, a function to change avatars, treasure hunts in a virtual space, as well as features that allow visitors to enjoy the application itself.
■Takashi Watanabe, Chief Producer, Infotainment Production Department, Fuji Television Network, Inc. comments: “Amidst the worldwide focus on business with Metaverse, we are so grateful that our team’s efforts have been rewarded with the recognition of ‘THE ODAIBA 2021 Virtual Adventure Island.’ I believe the fusion of a TV station and Metaverse could create new values and services. This year, we are working on producing an even more supercharged virtual world and hope to create new forms of dialogue between people that could only be experienced through VR. Do look forward to it!”
■About the Stevie® Awards
Stevie Awards are conferred in eight programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards®, The International Business Awards®, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 70 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com.