Welcoming New Members to Our Largest Event Ever! SUNNY SIDE UP GROUP 42nd Term Kick-off Meeting Report

Hello! This is Sunny-chan from the Public Relations Department. Although the rainy season has begun, there has been little rain, and it feels as though we are heading straight into a full-blown summer. How is everyone doing? 🌞

At SUNNY SIDE UP GROUP, we held our annual Kick-off Meeting, an important milestone for the company, and we are pleased to share this report with you!

On a certain day in June, the “42nd SUNNY SIDE UP GROUP Kick-off Meeting” was held at the Hilton Tokyo in Nishi-Shinjuku. This year marked the first kick-off meeting since new members joined the group, resulting in our largest gathering ever with approximately 450 members in attendance, significantly exceeding last year’s numbers. 🎉

SUNNY SIDE UP × STEADY STUDY: First-ever Joint MC! The 42nd Term Begins

The MCs for today’s presentation were Hisamitsu from SUNNY SIDE UP and Ohara from STEADY STUDY. This was the first time that members from these two companies have jointly served as MCs. Dressed in outfits incorporating “Sunny Colors,” they demonstrated perfect synchronization throughout the proceedings. 🎤

The toast was proposed by Watanabe, Director of SUNNY SIDE UP GROUP. As the entire group raised their glasses, the Kick-off Meeting officially began! The program proceeded as guests enjoyed a delicious course meal. 🥂

Group Video Theme: “GOOD NEWS”

The event kicked off with a video presentation on the venue screens, summarizing the previous term’s performance and future outlook for each group company.

The theme for this year was “GOOD NEWS,” the group’s first video media outlet launched just this January! Reporters from each SUNNY SIDE UP GROUP company conducted surprise interviews with representatives and members regarding their respective topics and future prospects.

Members who just joined the company in April also appeared in the commercial segments interspersed throughout the video! A humorous surprise production by Tsugihara was also revealed; the venue was filled with laughter at this glimpse of a charming side of her that is a bit different from the usual.

Celebrating Serious Commitment! This Year’s “SUNNY AWARDS” 🏆

The “SUNNY AWARDS” is an annual event that recognizes projects handled by the group that have created the most “fun commotions.” It is a special time for the entire group to praise the days when members faced clients with total commitment and passion, as well as the results born from those efforts. This year, many wonderful projects were selected, and messages of joy were received from each winner.

👑 Grand Prize – “Happy Kuji” Project

Through planning and PR activities that maximized the appeal of various character IPs, this project recorded numerous hits and drove significant business growth. “During the busy summer season when demand surged across the entire industry, many members pushed themselves to the limit and overcame challenges as one. We will continue to work hard to deliver results next year as well,” the winner said, expressing gratitude and determination for the coming term. The team’s collective effort in engaging with clients and content to produce significant results was highly commended.

🌟 Special Award – “Kappa Sushi Campaign Tomica” Project

By planning and developing original Tomica cars focused on the unique experiential value of Kappa Sushi, the team used PR-driven manufacturing to generate a massive response on social media. “Thanks to the support of many people both inside and outside the company, as well as the team, we were able to create a huge impact. I want to take the whole team out for a delicious meal,” the winner said, expressing their gratitude. The deciding factor for the award was the sincere effort that went beyond a one-off measure to build a long-term partnership with the client.

💐 Distinguished Service Award – Owned Media Project

The operating members of SUNNY DAYS, the Official Instagram, and SDGs Magazine received this award. Their consistent daily updates continue to communicate the group’s appeal. “The appeal of this media is thanks to everyone in the SUNNY SIDE UP GROUP. As for how to split the prize money, we will decide strictly at the Editor-in-Chief meeting,” the winner said joyfully, drawing laughter from the audience.

In addition, Excellence Awards were presented to a total of seven projects, including the “CRAFT SAKE WEEK 2026” project, one of Japan’s largest sake events which drew a record 300,000 people as a culmination of its 10th anniversary, and the “Market Creation Project through ‘Community PR'” which proposed new ways to use Asahi Kasei Home Products’ “Ziploc®” to create a new market. Every project was filled with the passion of professionals who strongly supported their clients’ business growth.

Watanabe, who served as the presenter for the Special Award and the Distinguished Service Award, offered warm closing remarks: “While wonderful projects are nominated every year, I feel that the owned media initiative is a fantastic and fresh approach for a PR company.” Regarding the Kappa Sushi project, he added with a touch of humor, “It made me want to go eat sushi and get (an original Tomica) myself!”

Furthermore, Tsugihara provided a general review of the awards, saying, “It is wonderful to see everyone so engrossed in their work. I want you to make full use of the company to realize your dreams and the work you truly want to do,” offering a message of encouragement for the members’ further success.

The First Step Toward a New Structure! Special Talk Session: Tetsuro Koda × Tsugihara

While the excitement of the awards was still lingering, a special video was shown on the screen. The video featured Tetsuro Koda, Representative Director and CEO of Akatsuki Inc., visiting “Snack Shinonome,” which actually exists within the Akatsuki office. In the video, the setting was changed to “Club Akatsuki,” where “Mama Etsuko” waited in a kimono, making for a humorous presentation.

When the video ended and the lights came up, Mr. Koda and Tsugihara, who will lead the group together from now on, appeared on stage! Following the successful completion of the TOB the previous day, a talk session was held regarding the background of Akatsuki’s major decision to pursue a management integration and the reactions from members. Their words conveyed a sense of resolve for the new future they will create together, and the entire venue was filled with great anticipation.

Creating “Fun Commotions” in the 42nd Term with New Partners

The event concluded with a passionate speech from Tsugihara: “I am excited to make a new start from here with partners who share the same vision for the future.”

With the addition of new members and having made an unprecedentedly major decision, SUNNY SIDE UP GROUP has taken a step onto a new stage. In the 42nd term, we will continue to create a “GOOD impact” on the world by leveraging our respective strengths!

Please look forward to our future activities 📸