Special feature
Standing out in a competitive MICE landscape
Asia-Pacific is an extremely competitive MICE landscape . Singapore , Hong Kong and Thailand are well-established in the industry , with success in the sector stretching back decades . How will the small city of Macao jostle with these long-standing MICE giants ?
Greater Bay Area initiative : A new Megalopolis China ’ s plan to build the Greater Bay Area into a giant , inter-connected business hub puts Macao in a favourable position . Further to the huge sea bridges across the Pearl River built in the last 10 years , more investments are sure to come . In December last year , a new convention centre was unveiled in Macao – Galaxy International Convention Centre , featuring 40,000sqm of meeting space .
As neighbouring cities like Shenzhen and Zhongshan grow into economic powerhouses , organisers can benefit from bringing delegates to this booming region . The opportunity to establish relationships with buyers and sellers in local markets could prove highly profitable .
Dual-city : The Macao-Hengqin link Another factor setting Macao apart from other MICE destinations is its dual-city feature with Hengqin . The Macao-Hengqin link – a bridge it takes five minutes to cross – gives event planners access to both cities ’ extensive venues , services , and cultural offerings . Together , Macao and Hengqin contain over 261,000sqm of event space , which is significantly more than most MICE destinations . This dual-city status opens up more options for event planning , with the possibility of organising multi-venue events taking advantage of Hengqin and Macao . Hengqin is equipped with natural reserves and theme parks – a complement to Macao ’ s bustling leisure industry .
The ' Las Vegas of Asia ': leisure capital of China Over the last 20 years , Macao has earned a reputation as Asia ’ s Las Vegas . With gaming revenue far outstripping that of the Nevada city , Macao ’ s casino industry attracts large swathes of tourists from the Chinese mainland every year . As is true for Las Vegas ,
Below : The Hong Kong-Zhuhai- Macao Bridge , the longest sea bridge in the world the infrastructure that comes with the casino industry serves the MICE industry too . Casino-resorts like The Venetian Macao , Grand Lisboa Palace , Galaxy Hotel , MGM Macao , Orpheus – City of Dreams and Wynn Palace , to name a few , feature event space for exhibition organisers to take advantage of .
These hotels are fitted with a range of luxury facilities , such as triple Michelinstarred restaurant Robuchon au Dôme in Lisboa Hotel , triple-starred Jade Dragon at the City of Dreams in Cotai and single-starred restaurant Lai Heen on the 51st floor of the Ritz-Carlton .
Favourable . tax policy : a shopping haven for high-end delegates Like Hong Kong , Macao is a tax haven . Residents and non-residents alike benefit from ultra-low taxes , with no value-added tax ( VAT ) or goods and services tax ( GST ). Shopping for luxury goods is even more attractive in Macao than in Hong Kong , with some of the lowest prices in the region . High-end delegates can take advantage of this policy on trips to Macao and purchase items with no added charges .
Many of the luxury resorts in Macao have their own shopping centres , such as City of Dreams , The Venetian and Galaxy Macao . Other large centres include Our Central Macao , The Londoner and The Parisian . Shoppers can find high-end electronics , jewellery , clothing , cosmetics and more .
66 Issue 5 2024 www . exhibitionworld . co . uk