This year's IVS is seriously a "no time like the present" moment. What is the "Referral Ticket" that lets you attend for free and invite your friends?

Hello. I am Nagare, the PR representative for IVS2026.

At this year's IVS, we have introduced a brand new system that has never existed before! It's called the "Referral Ticket" system.

If I had to explain the "Referral Ticket" system in one word, I'd say it is "tickets that connect people through introductions." Although it might sound strange coming from me as the PR manager for the event, isn't it often the case with paid business events that people only decide to go after all the speakers and content are announced, or once they know who else is attending, or (fingers crossed) if someone gives them a free pass?

However, you might want to rethink that for this year's IVS.

Why? Because to celebrate the launch of the "Referral Ticket" system, we are running a campaign where up to 3,000 tickets will be free! The sooner you act, the greater the chance not only for you to attend IVS for free, but also for your colleagues, teammates, and friends to attend for free starting from you.

This year's IVS is truly a case of "strike while the iron is hot!"

So, this time, I will introduce the "Referral Ticket" system, how to make the most of the campaign, and the "IVS Family Tree (Referral Graph)" which visualizes connections. I've also snuck in some highly valuable information, so please stick with me until the end. And if you already have a referral code, be sure to try this out.

Invite the people you want to go to IVS with for free and make IVS even more meaningful!

First, let me explain the "Referral Ticket" system once again.

IVS PASS utilizes the ticket platform "4S (Force)". Through this 4S platform, holders of referral tickets can issue a referral code, and those who receive it can obtain a PASS for free until the 3,000-person limit is reached.

By receiving a code and also registering with 4S, referral codes for two people will be issued to you as well, allowing you to invite someone else.

The referral code you receive can be used below.
Where you purchase tickets, there is a guidance that says "If you have a referral code, click here." Just enter the code you have, like "S06ULFUJ," there and you are good to go.

https://4s.link/ja/ivs26?_gl=1*we1b4d*_gcl_au*NzY5MDM1MzA1LjE3Nzc4MDUxNTg.

By the way, the code above is a genuine code that I received for this article from Mr. Yoshida of the IVS PR team. It is first-come, first-served for one person, but entering this code will allow you to attend IVS for free.

Referral codes are held by IVS staff called "Progenitors," official side-event organizers, IVS2026 speakers, funding partner representatives, and those who branch out from them. If you would like to attend IVS2026, please reach out to a Progenitor or someone who looks like they might have a referral code. Alternatively, if you plan a side event yourself and get it approved as an official side event, you will receive one "Referral Ticket". You can also use the referral codes for two people attached to this ticket to invite friends and attend IVS together.

Also, in the latter half of the article, although it is geared toward PR professionals, we will provide information about a pre-event (side event) where you might also have a chance to obtain a referral code.

Utilize the "IVS Family Tree" to see the entire connection of invitations!

IVS Family Tree Sample

One of the features of the "Referral Ticket" system is that you can see the entire picture of connections, from the person who invited you to the people you invited, at a glance as an "IVS Family Tree" (Referral Graph).

With yourself at the center, if you trace back to the person who invited you and the person who invited them, you can go all the way back to the "Progenitor," the original starting point of the chain. Conversely, branches will grow and spread out to the people you invited and the people they invited.

The diagram attached above is an IVS Family Tree sample modeled after IVS representative Toshi-san. Although fictional, here is how you can use the family tree.

For example, four generations down from Toshi-san, there is a representative of a brewery that makes lager named Mr. Jo Toshina (this is a sample). As Mr. Toshina is tracing this family tree...

He finds that Ms. Toshiyo Ichiyanagi, the 5th generation proprietress of a Kyoto cuisine restaurant, is in the same family tree (this is a sample). Suppose Mr. Toshina has dined at this Kyoto restaurant once before and really wanted to share his passion for his brewery's lager with Ms. Ichiyanagi.

Ms. Ichiyanagi and Mr. Toshina are like "distant relatives" who branched off from the same Progenitor. So, when he contacted Mr. Okinaga (one generation below Toshi-san), he was able to get introduced to her on the first day of IVS.

...

..

.

And that's the kind of thing that can happen with the "IVS Family Tree."

"Oh, this person and that person are connected!"
"The person I've always wanted to talk to... 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."
"We are on the same family tree, so I'll try reaching out to this person."

And so on. I hope you make good use of it.

Honestly, just looking at someone's IVS Family Tree is fun because you can see their relationships, and I even reached out to people myself, thinking, "I didn't know these two were close enough for one to invite the other. Let's all grab food sometime in the future."

By the way, the IVS Family Tree is a feature that only IVS attendees can view. You can view your own IVS Family Tree from the 4S screen.

You can get a feel for how it works from the sample below, so please go ahead and try it out.

So, now that I've explained most of the "Referral Ticket" system, I would finally like to announce a pre-event (side event) where you might be able to get a referral code.

Get a referral code too!? We are hosting a pre-event for PR!

An IVS pre-event for PR will be held on Monday, June 1st from 19:30 in Tokyo.

In addition to giving an overview of this year's IVS, we will talk about "How Public Relations and PR can make 100%+ utilization of IVS." Since I will have one referral code directly linked to me at this pre-event, we plan to set aside some time for everyone in the venue to circulate referral codes starting from that single ticket.

While this is intended for Public Relations and PR representatives, we also welcome startup CxOs, advertising agencies and entertainment-related people who are curious about IVS, government officials, corporate new business development heads, and others to join us.

In closing, to repeat what I said at the beginning, the earlier you act for this year's IVS, the more opportunities you'll have to not only attend IVS for free but also give your colleagues, teammates, and friends a chance to attend for free starting with you.

This year's IVS is truly a case of "strike while the iron is hot!"