How to get the most out of IVS2026: The ultimate guide to bringing home real results with 80% preparation and 20% execution #IVS2026

Hello. This is Sunagare, the PR representative for IVS2026.

Finally, IVS2026 will be held in Kyoto from Wednesday, July 1 to Friday, July 3, 2026. This is an event where more than 10,000 people are expected to gather. With a scale like this, many of you might be a bit cautious, thinking, "I want to go, but I'm shy so I'm anxious," "I feel like the three days will end just with exchanging business cards," or "I don't really know what I should do in the first place."

This is my personal opinion, but I feel whether you can bring back results from IVS is decided by "80% preparation and 20% execution." How you move on the day is incredibly important, but as someone who involved in PR every year, my feeling is that what you can bring back changes significantly depending on how much you prepared before going.

Furthermore, the dates, the venues, and the participation system have all changed from last year. So, as someone in my fifth year of doing PR for IVS, I have summarized "How to get the absolute most out of IVS2026."

First, I will summarize "what is different this year," and then I will guide you through the preparation, the event days, and the post-event steps. Just one disclaimer first. Various details for the day—such as registration, how to pick up passes, venue maps, and shuttle buses—are detailed in the official "GUEST GUIDEBOOK."

I'll leave those details to the guidebook, so this article will focus strictly on "how to get the absolute most out of IVS."

What's Different About This Year's IVS

• From Wednesday, July 1 to Friday, July 3, 2026. The three venues are Miyako Messe, ROHM Theatre Kyoto, and Hotel Okura Kyoto.

• The invitation-only area "IVS CORE" is newly established. This is an invitation-only area for about 1,000 people, and Hotel Okura Kyoto is the stage. Details will be provided in the latter half of this article.

• "Referral Tickets," which allow you to invite your peers, have started. Alongside this, the "IVS Family Tree (Referral Graph)" is also a new system.

• The networking methods for the day have been redesigned. New initiatives, such as the "Black Market" where matching is done through bartering, have increased.

• This year's theme is "Japan is Back."

Let me explain a little more about this "Japan is Back." Until now, IVS has greatly expanded its base of participants, but this year, we are focusing even more on "high quality" beyond that. Re-presenting the true value of Japanese startups to the world. This year's IVS consists of three days carrying those thoughts.

Now, from here, let's look at "how to move to get the best results" step-by-step.

Preparation: Deciding Your Goal and Getting Connected

First, Narrow Down Your Goal to One

I believe the most important part of preparation is narrowing down "what you want to do at this year's IVS" to a single goal. Do you want to raise funds, hire great talent, or find business partners? Once your goal is set, the people you want to meet and the places you should visit will naturally be determined. Conversely, if this is vague, you are likely to spend the three days in a daze and end up with nothing.

Get Connected Before Going with 4S

IVS has a participant platform called "4S (Force)." We recommend starting your preparation here this year.

First, express your participation. This year, you can use a dedicated generator (https://ivs.4s.link/ativs ). There are eight stances: "Want to raise funds," "Want to invest," "Want to do M&A," "Want to hire executives," "Want to change jobs," "Want to expand globally," "Want to make friends," and "Want to get tipsy." When you choose the one closest to you, a vertical visual for IVS2026 is automatically created (you can also write whatever you like, like I did).

Posting this on social media conveys to others "this person is coming with this kind of purpose" even before you meet. It lowers the hurdle for talking to each other compared to suddenly speaking on the day. If you are having trouble deciding on a goal, choosing one from these eight is also a good option.

Once you have expressed your participation, create your profile on 4S and look for people you want to meet. Since you can send meeting requests before the event dates, it is much more certain to schedule a few appointments before going, rather than relying on chance encounters on the day.

In fact, at last year's IVS, there were about 3,900 meetings. This is one of the features that those in the know are utilizing to the fullest! Please make full use of the features rather than just relying on accidental encounters.

And starting this year, "Referral Tickets," which allow you to invite up to two trusted peers with your code, have begun. You can track who invited whom using the "IVS Family Tree" on 4S. Many of you might find it easier to move around with someone you know well rather than coming alone.

Using the IVS Family Tree...

"Oh, this person and that person are connected!"
"I've been wanting to talk to that person for a long time. If I ask Mr./Ms. ⚪︎⚪︎, they might introduce me."
"I want to connect this person and that person, so I'll invite them via referral."
"Since we are on the same family tree, I'll try contacting this person."

And so on, I hope you will make effective use of it.

Personally, I have contacted people saying things like, "I didn't know you guys were close enough for you to invite them. Let's go grab dinner together sometime." Also, when using the meeting function of 4S, understanding who is whose parent, child, or who the founder is will make communication much smoother.

How to Get Tickets (The Sooner, The Cheaper)

Tickets are cheaper the sooner you take action. The free campaign for the first 6,000 tickets has already ended its distribution, and from here, the discount price from referral codes is the best deal.

Prices rise as the event dates approach. When using a referral code, it is 19,800 yen from June 23 to June 30, and 29,800 yen starting July 1.

For students, "IVS PASS Student" is available for 4,980 yen. If you are interested, I think it is best to get a code early.

Prepare for the People You Will Meet

Once you secure an appointment, research the person you are meeting. Gathering information using generative AI like ChatGPT or Perplexity, and compiling it in NotebookLM, will make the conversation smoother on the day. Knowing even a little bit about the other party's business or recent posts makes them happy, and because you can skip some of the explanations to have a deeper business discussion, there are only benefits for both sides.

Regarding this, it is something you can do even while on the move without putting in much effort—simply by "letting generative AI research it first"—yet it still delights the other party, so please take this opportunity to adopt and habitualize it.

At the same time, it is reassuring to prepare self-introduction materials or videos that you can send after exchanging business cards. If it's only verbal, meeting many people often leads to "who was that person again?" having something they can look back on later will keep you in their memory.

Of course, IVS also has materials prepared. This year, we have set up a press kit page where media and sponsors can download materials. Having these documents and pages ready makes subsequent follow-ups go much smoother.

Another recommendation is to bring a creative way to convey "what you do" at a glance. Having your company logo or service name prominently displayed on a T-shirt is super important at these kinds of events. Companies make full use of various methods to promote themselves, such as wearing original Happi coats, or bringing/wearing characters.

T-shirts with a subtle logo on the chest or only on the back might not be visible to the other party at all if you are moving around wearing a backpack or a jacket (this is surprisingly common). Please take this opportunity to pay attention to your self-promotion, including what you wear.

Plan Your Side Events

A big part of what makes IVS fun is the many side events held around the main IVS event. Popular events fill up quickly, so be sure to sign up for the ones you want to attend in advance.

On top of that, making your own "schedule," like creating a timetable for a festival, will save you from getting lost on the day. If you list the sessions you want to see, meetings you've set, and side events you want to attend along a timeline, you will know where to be at a glance.

Regarding side events, over 500 were held last year. Since various events are held from morning to night, please use 4S's event page to find them. It might sound a bit strange coming from the management, but IVS is only complete when you participate in side events!

Every year, we receive various reports of people getting jobs from people they met at side events, making best friends, finding co-founders, and having deep conversations with prominent figures they had always wanted to meet.

I also host a side event for PR/communications professionals every year.
Startup PR Night (A side event for PR/communications professionals, CxOs, and individuals interested in PR)

On the Day: Deciding Your Base and Networking Like Crazy

If you are prepared, moving around on the day becomes much easier. From here, I will discuss how to move around the venue.

First, Choose One Base for Yourself

My recommendation is to decide on a "base" for yourself. The base can change every day. Doing a quick lap around the venue first thing in the morning helps you physically remember where everything is. On top of that:

• Let's focus on looking at the "IVS Startup Market" on the 1st floor.

• Today, I will focus entirely on sessions, listening deeply and also participating in the post-session meetups.

• I want to meet various people, and since I've told Mr./Ms. ⚪︎⚪︎ that we should meet at the venue, I'll use the meetups as a base and tell people around me, "I'll be at the meetups a lot today, so let's meet up there!"

And so on. When it's too vast and you don't know what to do, I think it's best to set a personal base and think about how to bring home practical benefits.

(The "meetup" referred to here means places where people gather, such as "IVS Meetup" introduced later or networking after sessions.)

Get the Most Out of the Provided Networking Spaces

This year, the networking area has been significantly redesigned. Several mechanisms have been set up to spark interaction even without you initiating it. Here are some prime examples:

Visit Must-See Areas

IVS has several areas that you definitely want to see. If they match your goals, check out "IVS LAUNCHPAD" where you can watch startup pitches, "KYOTO ZONE" where Kyoto's deep tech gathers, and "IVS Startup Market" where promising startups showcase daily. Explanatory articles for each are summarized at the end of this article.

Connect with the People You Meet

I wrote about this last year too, but it is highly recommended to take a photo together on the spot with people you meet. With business cards alone, names and faces tend to blur together as you meet many people over the three days. Having a photo helps you remember when looking back later. Even as someone whose job is photography, this is the most effective method.

Lunchtime is also a great opportunity for networking, and posting on social media with "#IVS2026" and "#atIVS" makes it easier to connect with people at the venue.

Look at the Passes Before Speaking

The passes for IVS2026 will look like the ones above. They can be identified by the strap color or the color at the bottom of the pass. Also, stickers like "STARTUP" or "INVESTOR" can be pasted on the passes. Since you can tell their attribute from those stickers too, please make use of them.

Knowing what role the person is attending in makes it easier to choose your first words. If they are an investor, start with business talks; if they are a fellow founder, start with shared struggles. This serves as a great icebreaker.

Post-Event: Turn Encounters into Business Within 24 Hours

Where people surprisingly differentiate themselves is how they move after the event ends. Whether you handle this carefully determines if the three days end with "it was fun" or turn into "practical benefits."

The Golden 24-Hour Rule

This is the most important thing. Contact the people you met and spoke with within 24 hours. The more time passes, the more both memories and enthusiasm cool down. While faces and conversations are still fresh, send a message, even if it's brief. This alone will greatly advance your relationship moving forward.

Send Materials and Decide Who to Follow Up

When you contact them, including the self-introduction materials or videos prepared in the preparation phase makes it easier for the other person to remember you. Especially for key persons you really wanted to meet, adding a single page tailored to them is a polite touch.

This year, functions like the meeting feature and the IVS Family Tree have made it easier to build connections even before meeting. Review your 4S connections, exchanged business cards, and the IVS Family Tree to decide who to follow up with. Don't forget those you connected with beforehand, in addition to those met on-site on the day.

By the way, if I were a participant, I would probably use tools like Claude Code to quickly build a simple one-page self-introduction site specifically for IVS.

Try Hosting Your Own Post-Event Side Event

Another recommendation is to host a small side event of your own after the event ends. Gathering people you met at IVS to talk again at a later date deepens the relationship dramatically.

Post-IVS side events are held in a state where people share the enthusiasm and common language of having gone to IVS, so I think you can host a very rich event. It is highly recommended.

For Those Who Want to Know More Deeply

Since this article is about how to get the most out of the overall experience, we leave the details of each part to dedicated articles. Please take a look at the ones that interest you.

• IVS consists of the main IVS event and the invitation-only area "IVS CORE." What IVS CORE is is explained in detail in this article (link).

• If you're unsure what to see at the venue: Introduction article for "KYOTO ZONE" and "IVS Startup Market" (link).

• For those coming for PR/communications work: A guide for PR representatives to make 100% use of the event (link).

• For those who are shy and hesitate to network: The story behind the mechanisms IVS has prepared for such individuals (link).

• For students and young professionals: Introduction of "SPIKES" for students and "NEXT Staff (Volunteer Staff)" involved in management (link).

• For those who want to know what the management team thinks when building the space: Report of a discussion stage with management members (link).

In Closing

So far, we have introduced how to make the most of IVS2026 by dividing it into three phases: preparation, the day, and post-event. Looking at them again, the steps are simple. Decide on one goal before going, and connect with people you want to meet. On the day, make full use of the spaces provided and take photos with the people you meet. After it ends, reach out within 24 hours. Just doing this will completely change the outcomes of your three days.

As a first step you can take today, try deciding on one thing: "What do I want to do at IVS?" Everything starts from there.

I would be happy if your three days become a part of that enthusiasm. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. I look forward to meeting you at the venue.

See you there!