GP Launches “BEST EVENT OF THE YEAR,” a New Internal Awards Program!
Hello! I’m Yoshimura from GP.
When people think of events, they often imagine something glamorous. But in reality, an event is the result of months of preparation by countless people working behind the scenes.
“Will this production truly deliver the intended message?”
“Is the attendee journey intuitive and seamless?”
“Have we created an environment where our client can approach event day with complete confidence?”
Event production may look spectacular from the outside, but it is, in fact, an incredibly meticulous profession.
That’s why we believe great events—those built through careful planning, steady effort, and attention to detail—deserve to be recognized. With that philosophy in mind, we launched our internal awards program, Best Event of the Year.
What Makes a Great Event?
The event industry is often evaluated through intuition.
“The atmosphere was great.”
“Everyone had a fantastic time.”
Those impressions certainly matter. After all, events are experiences that engage all five senses.
But at GP, we believe it’s equally important to ask why an event was successful.
Drawing on more than 15 years of experience and over 200 event productions annually, we established five evaluation criteria for the award.
- Project Scale
- Client and Participant Satisfaction
- Production Quality
- Excellence in the Three Core Areas of Event Production (Team Structure, Budget Management, and Schedule Management)
- Long-Term Impact and Continuity
Among these, we place particular emphasis on satisfaction, creative production quality, and production management.
An event’s value is determined not only by what happens on the day itself, but by the planning, preparation, and execution that make that experience possible. That’s the philosophy behind how we evaluate our work.
To commemorate the award, we also created a custom-designed GP Original Trophy, engraved with both the event name and the producer’s name. We have to admit—it looks pretty impressive.
More Than Just an Award
We also spoke with our CEO, Masaki Kouhata, about why we created this new recognition program.
Kouhata:
“The idea is very simple. We want to properly recognize producers who deliver outstanding work.
At the same time, we want this recognition to help elevate the overall quality of event production across the company.
To achieve that, we believed we needed clear evaluation criteria and a system that celebrates excellence in a meaningful way.”
Incidentally, the award comes with a ¥1,000,000 prize.
Kouhata:
“The amount itself reflects how seriously we take this recognition.
When people see that level of commitment from the company, it inspires them to take on new challenges.”
In other words, the purpose of this award extends far beyond recognizing excellent projects.
Our ultimate goal is to continue creating exceptional events.
To achieve that, we believe it’s essential to share examples of outstanding work throughout the organization.
GP is home to producers with a wide range of strengths and expertise. By clearly identifying what made a particular project successful and sharing those insights across the company, individual achievements become organizational knowledge—transforming personal success into a lasting company asset.
Interview with the Award Winners
We also spoke with Director Kosuge and Associate Producer Satake, whose project received the Runner-Up Best Event Award.
Q. What kind of event experience did you design?
“Our client told us that ‘our event is 80% decided by the opening.’ With that in mind, we focused on creating an unforgettable opening dance performance.
To achieve that, we brought in a world-champion choreographer who had won an international dance competition.
We also incorporated the event’s butterfly motif throughout the experience—from presentation slides and videos to the photo spot. By connecting the image of a butterfly spreading its wings with the growth of the company’s employees, we created an immersive environment that allowed participants to experience the event concept rather than simply understand it.”
Q. What did you focus on most throughout the project?
“From the beginning, we wanted the event to remain truly client-led. Rather than taking over the project, we supported the client as event professionals while working together as one team.
Because everyone involved approached the project with a strong sense of ownership, we were able to create an event filled with incredible passion and energy.”
Turning Great Events into Future Success
Events are powerful because they transform ideas and emotions into memorable experiences.
At the same time, once they are over, they can easily disappear without leaving behind tangible knowledge.
That’s why we’re committed to preserving the lessons learned from outstanding events and using them to improve the next one.
Best Event of the Year is one way we’re putting that commitment into practice.
By celebrating great work, learning from one another, and carrying those insights forward, we’re continuing to build a culture that reflects what GP stands for.
Rumor has it that next year’s ceremony may even feature a red carpet, formal attire for everyone, and champagne to celebrate the winners…
SUPERVISED BY
A collective of event production professionals handling the planning, production, and management of over 200 events annually.
From internal gatherings like shareholders' meetings, anniversaries, and award ceremonies to external PR events and exhibitions, we design and deliver optimal communication solutions. Whether in-person, online, or hybrid, we give form to the messages companies wish to convey.
