From Godzilla to Indiana Jones, ancient theatres to art-themed hotels, to embracing change and the human imagination, Yeoh Siew Hoon finds it all here.

Outside Hotel Groove, where I am staying on the 36th floor, is Toho Cinemas where a huge replica of Godzilla looks like it’s trying to gobble up Harrison Ford. The sign advertising the latest “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” movie says, “To the final challenge that will change our destiny.”

“To the final challenge that will change our destiny.”

Okay, our first physical return to Tokyo to run WiT Japan & North Asia, after an absence of three years, isn’t exactly as dramatic as Indiana Jones’ latest adventure, in which the 80-year-old Ford is de-aged, thanks to AI, CGI and other tools, but it certainly felt like “a challenge that could change our destiny”.

Other than wishing I had the same AI and CGI tools to de-age me, I felt we had a lot to live up to, with more than 10 years of history behind us, and this could be a “make or break” moment for us.

Either we’ve still got it or we’ve lost it, was how I felt, and, I am pleased to report, from the buzz at the opening party at Hotel Groove and closing party at Westin Tokyo, it felt like we have still got it, with lots of people coming up to thank us for bringing the industry together and for the learnings our speakers provided.

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