This weekend, the Workshop Collection returns to Yoshimoto. There are signs that it will expand to even more regions in the future. With that in mind, I’d like to share some of the ideas and innovations we’ve developed so far in preparation for the future expansion of the Workshop Collection.
We want to convey a new way of learning in the digital age in a fun, pop-culture style—just like a fashion show! That’s the vision behind the “Workshop Collection,” an exhibition of workshops.　
　One of the challenges identified in domestic and international surveys conducted when CANVAS was founded was the need to centrally manage information and establish a platform for dissemination to promote workshops. In other words, the Workshop Collection (WSC) was not an event, but a means to promote workshops (WS).
　The first edition was held on a small scale at a rented restaurant in Minato Ward, with 500 participants. It grew significantly each year, and by the ninth edition in 2013, the number of visitors reached 100,000 over two days—a 200-fold increase. It has grown into the world’s largest children’s creative event.I’ve come to realize that demand for these activities is rising rapidly year by year, as more and more parents seek to nurture their children’s creativity and expressive abilities. I take pride in the fact that I may have contributed, even if only slightly, to the spread of workshops as collaborative learning environments for creative expression.
　Recently, we’ve been receiving inquiries from various regions, and the event is already being held in places like Fukuoka, Shizuoka, Sendai, and Kyoto. And I have a feeling it will expand even further next year?!
So, as an event novice with no money, I’d like to share the process of how I, through repeated trial and error and while taking care not to lose sight of the original purpose, managed to grow this event into one attracting 100,000 visitors.This information is likely only useful to WSC organizers. However, since these are points we’ve gradually improved—despite our limited budget—by continuously surveying attendees and exhibitors, I’d be happy if they serve as some reference for future organizers.Every year, we’ve surveyed exhibitors about their exhibition goals, satisfaction levels, the number of workshop participants, what went well and what could be improved, feedback received, preferred application periods, the fairness of booth fees, and preferred venues—and we’ve incorporated your feedback into our planning.
*Note: When we first started the WSC, we were asked questions like, “What kind of store is a ‘WS’?” and “Does ‘creativity’ mean activities to nurture artists?” Additionally, the media referred to it as a “study group” rather than a “workshop,” so I believe the situation was different back then.

　First, in promoting the WSC with the goal of making WS accessible to a wide range of children, we have focused on three key perspectives: “diversification,” “advancement,” and “popularization.”
1. Diversification
We have taken care to ensure that our efforts lead not only to an increase in the number of WS but also to greater diversity in their types.This is why we specify the field even though many WS projects are interdisciplinary—we did so despite some hesitation. We also made a conscious effort to create a space where diverse stakeholders—including government agencies, companies, artists, researchers, schools, universities, museums, and the media—could participate and “create together.”
Key Perspectives: Diversification of Curriculum & Diversification of Stakeholders
2. Advancement
　We strove to create a system that would not only increase the number of workshops but also contribute to improving the quality of each individual workshop. Holding preview events and introducing awards were part of this effort. We also made efforts to increase the number of workshops focused on cutting-edge technologies, which we considered particularly important for the future.
　Key Focus Areas: Improving Quality & Creating Workshops in New Fields
3. Expansion
　Naturally, our top priority was how to expand the reach of the workshops. From the very beginning, we set three objectives: to provide a space for children’s creativity, a space for workshop developers to inspire one another, and a space for workshop facilitators to connect with potential hosts.Through the WSC, we have focused on raising awareness among parents and children, increasing the number of workshop facilitators, and facilitating the expansion of workshops to other regions. The introduction of “Kids’ Day” was also part of this effort.
Key Focus Areas: Raising Awareness of Workshops & Increasing and Promoting Their Adoption

　With these three points in mind, the innovations we incorporated and the changes we made for each event are outlined below. If I were to start explaining the intent behind each improvement, I could go on forever, so I’ll keep it brief.

[1st Event: January 2004. The Tokyo Restaurant]
■ 500 attendees. 13 exhibitors.
■ The first event was held for half a day. It was extremely crowded because attendance exceeded expectations and the rules for running workshops weren’t clear, resulting in long wait times per workshop.

[Session 2: January 2005. National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan)]
■ 1,400 visitors. 15 exhibitors.
■ Areas for Improvement
・Clarify the rules for workshops at the WSC to allow participants to experience more workshops.
・Establish opportunities for workshop organizers and visitors to network to encourage expansion into other regions.
・Added the subtitle “Expo of the Latest Workshops for Children” due to low awareness of the term “WS”
・To raise awareness among children, began distributing pamphlets through schools with the cooperation of the Board of Education.

[3rd Event: March 2006. Akihabara Daibiru]
■ 2,500 attendees. 20 exhibitors.
■ Areas for Improvement
・Establishment of guidelines for conducting workshops
・Launch of an open call for workshops to encourage diversity
・Initiation of outreach to preschoolers, who showed high interest in workshops
・Launch of awareness campaigns targeting companies, given their high interest in workshops
・To improve workshop quality, held a preview session for exhibitors in addition to the roundtable discussion

[4th Event: June 2007. Keio University Mita Campus]
■ 6,500 attendees. 34 exhibitors.
■ Areas for Improvement
・Based on the venue preference survey, began negotiations to move the event to a university campus
・To increase the number of workshop researchers, began outreach to universities and research institutions
・To further expand the event’s reach, assessed how visitors learned about the event
　→ Survey results showed that flyers, pamphlets, and word of mouth were overwhelmingly the most common sources.

*As visitor numbers increased, exhibitors raised concerns for the first time regarding “staffing issues” and “material costs.”

【5th Event: October 2008. Keio University Mita Campus】
■ 10,000 attendees. 70 exhibitors.
■ Areas for Improvement
・Clearly categorized workshops to promote diversity.
・Used icons to make it easier for participants to choose. → Well-received by attendees.
・Introduced participation fees for each workshop to ensure sustainable operation → Zero complaints from attendees.
・To ensure smooth operations, clearly display the age distribution of attendees, the average number of workshops attended, and the average number of participants per workshop → The number of workshops attended by children nearly doubled compared to the previous year.
・Developed a matching function between workshop facilitators and those wishing to host workshops → Facilitator information was featured on the official website. The “Venue Map” was enhanced with a “Workshop Directory” feature.“Contact Cards” were placed at the venue.

[6th Edition: February 2010. Keio University Hiyoshi Campus]
■ 35,000 visitors. 80 exhibitors.
■ Areas for Improvement
・Introduced the Workshop Awards as part of efforts to “raise the bar” → Evaluation criteria included creativity, relevance to current trends, and originality. Some organizers reported that mentioning their award history led to an increase in workshop requests.
・Introduced a media partner program, as many exhibitors participated primarily for publicity purposes.
・Introduced a catalog to communicate the significance and purpose of the workshops.
・Aimed to serve as a venue for domestic and international exchange by attracting workshops from overseas.
・Established an ICT Literacy Zone in response to the increase in digital-focused workshops.
・Created a cohesive venue design to make the WSC itself a space for collaborative creation → Planned multiple workshops involving the entire venue.

* Around this time, we began to feel that the event had started to gain recognition among children as “the event with the yellow pamphlet.”

[7th Edition: February 2011. Keio University Hiyoshi Campus]
■ 62,000 attendees. 87 exhibitors.
■ Areas for Improvement
・Revised workshop guidelines to prevent overcrowding → Set time constraints for workshop sessions.　
・Introduced an exhibitor fee system to ensure the event’s continuity and allow for expansion → The number of applications increased even after the fee was introduced.
・Held workshops led by professionals to serve as models
・Held seminars for parents to foster their understanding

[8th Edition: February 2012. Keio University Hiyoshi Campus]
■ 74,000 visitors. 99 exhibitors.
■ Areas for Improvement
・Introduced the Digital Ehon Award to expand the scope of the event.
・Hosted overseas study tours as a stepping stone toward international expansion.

[9th Edition: June 2013. Keio University Hiyoshi Campus]
■ 100,000 attendees. 100 exhibitors.
■ Areas for Improvement
・Co-hosted the International Digital Ehon Fair as a first step toward internationalization → 15 countries.Raised awareness among relevant overseas companies and organizations.

* Attendance exceeded 100,000. Crowding reached its limit, leading to a decline in visitor satisfaction. We decided to reevaluate our policy on increasing attendance.
* Selected for the Good Design Award’s “Best 100.” Thank you.

[10th Edition: August 2014. Aoyama Gakuin University, Aoyama Campus]
■ 57,000 visitors. 105 exhibitors.
■ Areas for Improvement
With attendance exceeding 100,000, we set new goals—beyond mere visitor numbers—focusing on “innovation,” “internationality,” and “nationwide expansion.”
・Innovation
　In line with the original objective of being “the world’s largest and finest gathering of cutting-edge innovations in children’s creative learning,” we emphasized “cutting-edge” approaches → We established the “PEG Corner” featuring programming, digital fabrication, and more.
・Internationality
　→ Focused on the International Digital Ehon Fair booth, with participants from 40 countries worldwide.
・National Expansion
　Recognizing the limitations of a single-location event, we launched “Creative Kids Day,” which holds workshops simultaneously nationwide. → Approximately 150 workshops across the country participated from the very first event.
　
*Due to changes in venue and timing, attendance fell below the previous year’s level for the first time. However, while rising attendance had been lowering satisfaction among exhibitors and visitors, the 10th edition actually received the highest ratings from exhibitors. The number of visitors was appropriate for the size of the venue.

[11th Edition: August 2015. Shin-Nanpeidai Tokyu Building and Shibuya TOD Building]
■ 69,000 attendees. 150 exhibitors.
■ Areas for Improvement
・Using the Entire City as the Venue
　Set up 11 satellite venues throughout Shibuya.
・Pioneering New Fields
　Introduced creative activities in new fields utilizing cutting-edge technology, such as superhuman sports and advanced urban development.
・Packaging the Workshop Collection
　Going forward, we aim to package the Workshop Collection and expand it nationwide.

　According to surveys conducted over the past 10 years, exhibitors’ objectives include: EExchanging ideas and collaborating with related organizations / Disseminating and promoting workshop information / Conducting needs assessments and market research / Raising awareness and promoting tools and apps / Serving as a test bed / Enhancing brand image / Providing hands-on learning opportunities for students / Conducting research outreach activities
Furthermore, the outcomes for exhibitors following the Workshop Collection include:
Requests to host workshops / Collaboration with other organizations and companies / Development into educational materials and packaged programs / Increased organizational recognition / Inquiries from companies / Requests for appearances on TV and other media / Increased app downloads / Improvements to workshops
.

　With the goal of “delivering creative learning opportunities to children across Japan,” the WSC has been organized with the intention of encouraging attendees to take these initiatives back to their own regions and implement them there. We felt that reaching 100,000 people from a single hub was the limit, so we launched Creative Kids Day. The following year, the WSC took to the streets and began expanding to other regions.
　Fukuoka, in particular, has already taken root and continues to grow. Moving forward, we hope to expand to other regions while drawing on the Fukuoka model (*^^*)
So, I look forward to meeting people in my own region who are passionate about making this happen here too!