Keio University Graduate School of Media Design (KMD) opened its doors to the world for the KMD Forum 2019 event over the 24-hours from 18:00, Friday, November 1 to 18:00, Saturday November 2. The challenges, successes, and setbacks which have characterized the creative processes and production of innovation at KMD were shared with the entire globe under the KMD Forum 2019 theme of "BEHIND & BEYOND—Behind the Scenes and Beyond the Stage." This year, the event was divided into two main components—OnAir (online streaming) and OnStage (exhibition).
OnAir consisted of a 24-hour program of online streams, kicking off at 18:00 on Friday, November 1. OnAir involved insider’s view transmissions on KMD’s YouTube channel about the Real Projects that form the core of the KMD curriculum and aspects of student life not usually seen by the public, as well as details of anticipated future prospects and activities at KMD. It also brought together current students, alumni, and faculty members who joined in sharing their experiences. KMD Forum OnAir represents the first time worldwide that an open house event has streamed online for a 24-hour period.
Held in the main venue at the Collaboration Complex at Hiyoshi Campus, and in parallel at the Osaka satellite campus, OnStage played host to exhibitions and live talks, beginning from 10:00, on Saturday, November 2. Visitors met the KMD family and availed of the access to talks and information on aspects not normally touched on at other official events of KMD. OnAir successfully facilitated trans-boundary discussions, with live feeds shared among the main venue at Hiyoshi Campus, the Osaka venue, and with other participants in Europe and the United States. Public viewing locations were also set up at the newly opened Shibuya Scramble Square building and KMD’s Osaka satellite campus.
One of the highlights of the event was the Information Session "In your language." As more than half of the KMD community comprises international students, it was decided in advance to provide information sessions in some of the languages spoken by our students—these included sessions in English, Indonesian, Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, and Thai.
The cumulative number of participants among the exhibition venues and online audiences from Japan, the Americas, Europe, and Asia, meant that we surpassed 1000 visitors over a single day. KMD Forum 2019 expanded the event to a global scale and showed that its activities are not limited to the confines of the Collaboration Complex, while reaffirming KMD's commitment to achieving social impacts and diversity of values.