Today, I took part in the Web 2.0 Expo in Shibuya, Tokyo (other locations include San Francisco and Berlin).
Well, what can I say. It was full but not awfully good.
Pros:
– the event is well organized
– the food is good 😉
– the people attending the Expo were really nice
Cons:
– not enough exhibitors
– no spectacular news (maybe that would be asking too much)
– VERY low level of internationalization
Especially the last point made me a little angry. I can read Japanese so it is not really my problem. But I think it is just disrespectful not to give any kind of information in English to visitors. No English guide books, no English texts on the booth displays, almost no staff capable of giving information to foreigners.
That means people coming from Europe and the US go to Tokyo and the exhibition part of the Expo is totally useless for them. The conferences/speeches etc. were translated of course.
Another thing:
Some of the presentations – especially from companies from abroad – were serious catastrophies. It is not my intention to nag here but I was really puzzled how companies can throw out money out of the window like that. People were standing at the podium and speaking English with heavy accents about products nobody understood due to poor presentation skills.
That was a shame, really, because some of the products who were marketed that way are really good.
Also, tomorrow I will attend the official Launch Party of Blognation Japan. I will report if I won a prize tomorrow ;).
