Three years have passed since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic marks. While the Japanese government left it up to the individual to decide whether to wear a mask or not, people have become so accustomed to wearing masks that we are surprised to see so many people continuing wearing masks outdoors.
The exhibitions and events came back to life earlier than expected in the last financial year, boosting our sales steadily since September as the busy season started. The annual sales performance in the last financial year even recorded about 8% above the level of 2019 before the Corona crisis.
On the other hand, due in part to the rapid increase in workload after prolonged shutdown, some employees returning from the long leave to the worksite and Narita Studio became physically and mentally exhausted and fell ill in fall when the busy season reached its peak.
The shortage of manpower onsite is particularly serious, requiring us to swiftly secure resources including back-office staff this year.
As for the outlook for this year, 2023, now that the world has returned to normal as the COVID pandemic ebbed, we feel the urge to release what has been held back over the past three years.
Many people are expected to venture abroad for travel and business, and it is likely to be a busier year than usual for the exhibition and events industry. In particular, the shortage of technical engineers is a serious issue for the future, and we intend to secure excellent talents, even if it takes time and money to recruit young people with potential interest in the sector.
We are also planning to renovate some of our offices to make them barrier-free in preparation for more diversified workforce.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of our Narita Studio. One of our strengths - our component supplies and the mobility to make use of them - are all underpinned by the existence of the Narita Studio.
Looking ahead to the next decade or two, larger capacity to store materials and goods in custody are likely to be in demand.
As sales grow, so do the workforce and the materials. Warehouses that were spacious 20 years ago now feel cramped.
This may be the time to review the size and flexibility of the warehouse and consider investments to further complement our "strength in component supplies."
CEOEtsuo Toyoda