I attended the Creative Awards ceremony.

I was invited as a Best Reviewer, so I quietly attended the note Creative Awards ceremony.

The venue was note place, where many note events are held; it's a stylish property that makes someone unaccustomed to fancy buildings feel nervous.

As someone who doesn't live in Tokyo, I got off on the wrong floor in the elevator, but I eventually reached the venue, which was perfectly set up for the ceremony, and was guided to my seat by staff members who had that urban vibe, where I waited for it to start.

There were about 80 people in the venue, including the winners and related parties like the selection editorial department, plus the note staff, creating a lively and friendly atmosphere.
I also mustered up the courage to talk to the person next to me, who was also a Best Reviewer, and listened to what others were saying...

Then, after the MC's greeting, the ceremony began.
The flow was such that we all watched as the photographer took pictures of the winners receiving their trophies or medals, and those who received trophies also had a time for their own comments.

Since people of all ages and genders were winning awards, I realized that note has a wide range of users.
However, I am a contributor to the fantasy novel category, and it seemed there were no winners in that category, so I thought a little about whether note has its own unique color after all.

And then, after the ceremony, there was a reception.

Light meals and drinks were prepared, and everything was delicious.
There were many items that went well with alcohol, like tapas and canapés, so it was a shame that I could only drink non-alcoholic beer due to my plans afterward.

I was hungry for one reason or another, so at first, I ignored the socializing and silently stuffed my face with salmon and avocado.
But a note staff member spoke to me in a friendly way, so after that, I managed to interact with other people.
Talk about social media management, talk about the note creation calendar, talk about web tools, and the joys and sorrows of contest contributors...
It was nerve-wracking to talk to people I was meeting for the very first time, but it was an exciting and fun time.

Finally, what left an impression on me was that the note employee who was the MC said that even if you win a Creative Award, please don't graduate from note and continue your activities.

To be honest, as someone invited as a Best Reviewer, I also felt like I might make note a good memory of the past, much like how it's hard to go back to a ramen shop that treated you kindly.

But there aren't many places like note, so I will probably continue to use note from now on.

Thank you for the wonderful opportunity!

(By the way, I use other submission sites too, but for example, if Kakuyomu is like manuscript paper for novels, I like note because it's more like practical graph paper, which is more useful than a blank sheet where everything is free.)