At G2E Asia 2026 on Tuesday, Grant Chum, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of Sands China Ltd., delivers a keynote address to 200 industry leaders and tourism stakeholders from across the region. The keynote shed light on insights to Macao’s integrated tourism development and pathways to its citywide diversification.
At the opening ceremony of G2E Asia 2026, the annual trade show and conference for the Asian gaming industry, Grant Chum, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of Sands China Ltd., delivered the keynote address at The Venetian Macao before around 200 industry leaders and tourism stakeholders from across the region.
The speech focused on Macao’s integrated tourism development and the city’s diversification path.
Under the theme “Evolving Together: Advancing Macao’s Diversification Through Integration, Innovation, and Inclusion,” the keynote outlined how Sands China’s development model has combined vision, innovation and inclusive growth to support Macao’s sustainable future.
The company’s role in Macao dates back to the vision of Sheldon G. Adelson, the late founder of Las Vegas Sands Corp. Sands Macao opened in 2004, followed by The Venetian Macao in 2007, the city’s first large-scale integrated resort combining retail, entertainment, hospitality and MICE facilities.
Since then, Sands China has helped lay the foundation for the Cotai Strip and a new phase of tourism growth in Macao.
At G2E Asia 2026 on Tuesday, Grant Chum, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of Sands China Ltd., delivers a keynote address to 200 industry leaders and tourism stakeholders from across the region. The keynote shed light on insights to Macao’s integrated tourism development and pathways to its citywide diversification.
At G2E Asia 2026 on Tuesday, Grant Chum, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of Sands China Ltd., delivers a keynote address to 200 industry leaders and tourism stakeholders from across the region. The keynote shed light on insights to Macao’s integrated tourism development and pathways to its citywide diversification.
At G2E Asia 2026 on Tuesday, Grant Chum, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of Sands China Ltd., delivers a keynote address to 200 industry leaders and tourism stakeholders from across the region. The keynote shed light on insights to Macao’s integrated tourism development and pathways to its citywide diversification.
Sands China said it has continued to invest in hospitality, MICE, entertainment and retail to support economic diversification. Its 14,000-seat Venetian Arena has hosted large-scale concerts and performances by international artists, helping raise Macao’s profile on the global stage.
The company also operates more than 1.6 million square feet of MICE facilities, which Chum said has helped attract international conferences and business visitors, extend visitor stays and strengthen Macao’s position as a business tourism destination in Asia.
In retail, Sands China cites management of the city’s largest retail offering, with nearly 780 duty-free stores.
Chum also pointed to Macao’s long-term stability under the “One Country, Two Systems” framework, its proximity to the Greater Bay Area and government-supported infrastructure such as the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge as key factors supporting the city’s competitiveness.
He added that the combination of integrated resorts and tourism infrastructure continues to help Macao attract diverse visitor segments.
Following his keynote address at G2E Asia 2026, Chum (centre) gathers with Bill Miller (left), President and CEO of the American Gaming Association, and J.B. Son (right), Senior Vice President of Reed Exhibitions, Asia Pacific.
Looking ahead, Chum said the “event economy” will play an increasingly important role in the next phase of diversification. He noted that Sands China’s focus will remain on curating major international events with long-term value and wider economic spillover effects.
He drew attention to The NBA China Games in October 2025 as an example, saying the event generated about 3 billion online impressions across mainland Chinese social media platforms and expanded Macao’s visibility in global sports and entertainment markets.
Sands China also organised around 100 related activities, including NBA House, community programmes, fan experiences and Macao’s first NBA flagship store.
The company said sustainable diversification should benefit the wider community, including volunteer services, arts and culture, SME support and district revitalisation.
Sands China reaffirmed its confidence in Macao’s future and said it will continue investing in high-quality non-gaming projects alongside the government, industry and the local community.
