September brought good news for Macau’s MICE industry. The city was awarded the titles of “Best Convention City (Asia)” and “Best City for Conferences and Business,” thus renewing the status it had already achieved last year.
International Recognition
Alan He Haiming, president of the Macau Convention, Exhibition and Tourism Sectors Association, told our newspaper that the awards are proof of international recognition and demonstrate that both the local “software” and “hardware” are top-tier. In his opinion, this is due to the authorities’ leadership in expanding the industry to international markets, cultivating talent, and promoting the coordinated development of the MICE sectors in Macau and Hengqin.
He emphasizes that after participating in a roadshow in Cyprus, he discovered that not only Southeast Asian and Lusophone markets are interested in Macau’s offerings, but also countries in the Middle East and Eastern Europe are beginning to consider holding conferences and exhibitions in the city. “Therefore, we need to promote Macau’s internationalization and professionalism through collaboration with IPIM, so that more people become aware of us.”
Paul Wong, president of the Macau Leisure Tourism Innovation and Services Association, also believes that these international awards should be leveraged to enhance promotion in foreign markets. “They help foreign clients understand the advantages of Macau’s MICE facilities, thus attracting more international conferences and events in the future.”
Vincent U U Sang, president of IPIM and one of the main drivers behind the MICE industry, affirms that these international awards are a recognition of the available facilities, but also of the guest experience and participant evaluations. “This includes the ease of organizing meetings during their stay in Macau, their overall experience, as well as the fast response of hotel services and staff to the needs of exhibitors and guests. This ultimately determines whether they continue to hold meetings in Macau.”
Government MICE
The awards are expected to increase demand for Macau, but Haiming believes that supply is scarce during peak seasons, calling on the government to create its own MICE spaces using idle or reclaimed land. “Currently, the large MICE venues are owned by casinos, and some religious or medical conferences also require non-gaming-related spaces,” he explains.
He also mentions central government policies that have helped alleviate demand, including the policy allowing mainland tourists to make multiple round trips between Macau and Hengqin for a period of seven days. Additionally, efforts in the Cooperation Zone are providing more accommodation. “Hengqin currently has about 9,000 hotel rooms, and as far as we know, the conversion of four or five commercial buildings into hotel rooms will be completed next year, adding more than a thousand additional rooms,” he notes.
