REAL ESTATE & TOURISM
IVS2026 Makes Networking the Star With a Barter-Style 'Night Market'A · FULL TRANSLATION
# IVS2026# startup conference# Kyoto# networking# event design
Key Points
- Japan's largest startup conference IVS2026 runs in Kyoto this July
- A new barter-style matching feature, the 'Night Market,' redesigns networking
- Big business events are using experience design to deepen real connections
Analysis
The most valuable thing at a startup conference was never the talks but the contacts—IVS2026 makes that the main show. Running July 1-3 in Kyoto, it elevates networking from a side activity into a star experience with a barter-style 'Night Market.' Under the 'Japan is Back' banner, it aims to make connections feel real. The trend: when information is all online, big physical events' core value returns to the real connections you can't get online—whoever designs networking deeper keeps the founders and investors flying in.