Hello everyone, this is Masaki Kouhata from GP.

Once again, I received a sudden request from Director Kawaguchi.
“Could you write a newsletter by Monday?”
“We’re sending it out to everyone on October 1, when the second half of the year starts.”
“Your newsletters are always well-received, so please! (laughs)”

It was already the evening of September 25.
He even added a compliment to raise the pressure.
But backing down here wouldn’t be very cool.
So I decided to write something I hope will genuinely resonate with you.

The Second Time in 14 Years I Felt “Real Management Momentum”

I began thinking about what to write.
My newsletters are always based on honesty.
The only hint was the timing: “The second half starts on October 1.”

So maybe a reflection on the past six months?

In fact, this past half-year was the first time in about seven years that I felt a clear sense of progress in management.
(And in the 14 years since founding GP, this is only the second time.)

Yes, our performance has been strong.
But more than that, I believe it is because the message I shared with the entire team six months ago—
“50-Person Special Produce Company”—
has been steadily taking shape. One step, even a half step, at a time.

So let me talk about what that phrase truly means.

50-Person Special Produce Company

In December 2024, I sat alone at my desk.
Looking back on the four years from the pandemic to post-pandemic,
the overwhelming feeling was emptiness.

We pushed sales, energized the company, created events, worked harder than anyone.
But in hindsight, we were thinking too much about ourselves and not enough about our clients.

Performance numbers were rising, but the atmosphere inside the company felt off.

GLOBAL PRODUCE was supposed to be:

• A place for bright, positive people
• A group of adults with responsibility and ethics
• Event professionals who create bold, unconventional ideas

But somewhere along the way, we drifted from that ideal.
The issue was my own lack of organizational leadership.
I sensed something was wrong, yet I didn’t act.
That regret stayed with me for years.

At the end of the 2024 fiscal year, I truly felt discouraged for the first time since founding GP.
Even when I confided in Miyanaga and Obata, they laughed:
“Kouhata? Discouraged? That can’t be right!”

Then everything began to change when we started a series of
four management retreats half a year ago.
It began with a simple suggestion from Advisor Hamasue:
“How about doing a retreat?”

We started with just the executives, then gradually expanded until the entire management team participated.
We debated, wrote, confronted reality, shaped ideas, revised, revised, and revised again.

Eventually, one answer clearly emerged:

“50-Person Special Produce Company.”

Our goal is not to maximize scale or revenue.
We are building a Small Strong Company.

A place where professionals gather, sharpen each other, support each other, trust and respect each other.
A workplace where exceptional people work freely and creatively—as if it were a playground for adults.
I am convinced that this is where the power to create events that shake society comes from.

GP is not aiming to become a large corporation.
Size is not the measure of value.

What is elegant is achieving great things with fewer, outstanding people.

For 13 years, GP grew 120–130% each year.
At some point, I mistakenly believed that was something we “had to maintain.”
But I realized something:
I am not a CEO chasing growth.
I am an event producer pursuing excellence.

From now on, I want GP to be a company that commits to three-star quality and service, like a Michelin restaurant.
Half a year ago, I finally felt that weight lift.

A Company Is Built Not Only by Systems, but by Culture.

GLOBAL PRODUCE means:

• A team that participates actively and builds the future together
• Talent with ethics, responsibility, learning ability, and compassion
• Speed in decision-making and execution together with the front line
• Stronger management capabilities as an event professional company
• A learning organization that evolves with AI and partners
• A lean structure focused on client delight and value
• Creating an Event Brand that can stand on the world stage
• Becoming No.1 in brand power: GP = SENSE & BIG EVENTS
• Practicing creative and innovative management

And my role is to keep expressing the kind of company we aim to be, continuously.

We shape clients’ dreams into reality through event production,
and that emotional impact can energize society.

To fulfill this mission, we have deliberately chosen to remain a Small Strong Team.

I would be honored if you continue to look forward to the evolving story of GLOBAL PRODUCE.

This turned into a surprisingly passionate newsletter,
so I decided to share it here in our Journal as well.
It may feel a bit like an inside conversation—and it became quite long—
so thank you for reading to the end.

We look forward to your continued support.

GLOBAL PRODUCE
Chief Event Producer & CEO
Masaki Kouhata