EIEA 2020

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Ai Naruse, was reflecting about the challenges that Covid-19 pandemic has brought during 2020. As she reflected on the situation, she started to recognize that bigger changes must be made to keep updating EIEA in this accelerated adoption of digital technologies and to keep creating new services for the foreigner and local community in Ena City. As she also contemplated a new expansion strategy to keep attracting new members, she knew that the following two years would represent the most demanding moments as Executive Director. With an important board meeting approaching in December 2021, she wanted to present to the board members and EIEA´s President the first globalization strategy for EIEA. Ena City International Exchange Association (EIEA) initially grew through using traditional marketing channels like paper-based advertising (e.g newspaper, pamphlets, free paper) and face to face events to promote the EIEA´s programs. However, from 2014 to 2019, the number of members decreased by 25%. Due to the global pandemic, all face-to-face programs were suspended, causing it to cancel all EIEA´s activities and forcing to create new programs for its members. Naruse started collaborating with the University NUCB Business School to start a co-creation process to attract new members through online services, and also, to create business models that can sustain economic and social benefit for local businesses in Ena city. After 2 consecutive collaborations with NUCB in 2020, EIEA has implemented a free cultural-exchanges video conference programs that are reaching local users and external users from other countries and cities of Japan. However, by leading a non-profit-business collaboration, between an international business university and EIEA members, and by starting to considerate globalizing EIEA´s services, Naruse is wondering about if her bridging role in these innovation co-creation processes is what the organization required to the growth of EIEA´s community.

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