First, Shigeru Ibata, President and CEO of Kashima Antlers F.C., gave an opening address, and Professor Yoshiaki Osawa of the University of Tsukuba explained the academic alliance.
Shigeru Ibata, President and CEO of Kashima Antlers F.C.
"This is our second research presentation. It's an opportunity for everyone to summarize and present the results of the research they've been working on since last year. The titles alone are very interesting, and I believe we will enjoy listening to them. Also, as a new initiative, Antlers acquired official Facebook and Twitter accounts this year. Following this, and this will be my final point, I would like to announce our use of social media to the press."
Professor Yoshiaki Osawa, University of Tsukuba
"Thank you very much for this opportunity. There are several aims of the academic alliance, but let me first mention two. The first, of course, is research. Director Suzuki has said, 'Antlers has been centered on experience and intuition, and that has not been wrong. However, we want to verify it with scientific evidence.' The philosophy of our social engineering or service engineering lies precisely there, and from that perspective, our first point is that we would like to conduct joint research. The second is education. Japan is facing a declining birthrate and an aging population, and naturally, we believe that the younger generation must work hard. Today, we have brought over 20 students. Listening to such research presentations in this setting, or interacting with Antlers staff at social gatherings, provides invaluable real-world experience. We consider this a very valuable opportunity for both research and education. I intend to study diligently all day today."
After that, the presentations moved on to the research topics.
1. Weather Forecast Accuracy and Ticket Sales by Kazuhiro Sakurai (Associate Professor, Rissho University)
2. Fan Club Analysis Using Mosaic by Shimpei Akatsuka (Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Solutions Co., Ltd.)
3. Traffic Simulation Around Kashima Stadium by Tsutomu Suzuki (Professor, University of Tsukuba)
In addition to these research presentations, Repucom Japan, a global sports marketing analytics company, presented on the current state of social media in the global sports business, and Antlers presented on their current official social media operations.
Finally, Hideki Suzuki, Director of Kashima Antlers F.C., gave a closing address to summarize the presentations.
Hideki Suzuki, Director, Kashima Antlers F.C.
"I feel that tangible results are steadily emerging from our academic alliance. We may have felt like we were relying on experience and intuition, but it's gradually being backed up that this wasn't far off. Now, our desires are growing, and we want even more analysis. Especially for traffic analysis, I think we'll be asking for more. However, the ultimate goal of all these efforts will be how they impact attendance numbers. Currently, throughout the J-League, there's talk of the '20,000 barrier.' What this means is that a league cannot be considered successful unless its average attendance exceeds 20,000. Antlers is a team with an average attendance for the J-League. Therefore, if Antlers surpasses an average of 20,000, the entire J-League will break through its shell. Leagues considered among the top 5 in the world have attendance exceeding 20,000. Other developing nations have attendances in the thousands. There are over 100 leagues worldwide with average attendances between 18,000 and 19,000, and they cannot be considered successful leagues. The biggest challenge for these leagues is how to attract an additional 2,000 people to become successful. We must make every effort to exceed 20,000, and I hope that our good relationship with all of you will lead to positive numbers. I believe this will continue for some time, so I ask for your cooperation, and we will also do our best. Thank you."