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Organised by Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, the 10th Macao International Trade and Investment Fair (MIF) officially opened at 11:00a.m. on 20th October on the 3rd floor of Macao Tower Convention and Exhibition Centre. The opening ceremony was presided over by Chief Executive of Macao SAR Mr. Edmund Ho Hau Wah, Deputy Director of Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in Macao SAR Mr. Bai Zhi Jian, First Vice Chairman of All Chi-na Federation of Industry and Commerce Mr. Hu De Ping, Minister of Eco-nomy, Dev-lopment and Competitiveness of Cape Verde Mr. João Pereira Silva, Minister of Industry and Commerce of Mozambique Mr. António Fernando, Vice Minister of Ministry of Commerce of the PRC Mr. Liao Xiao Qi, Vice Director-General of Taiwan Affairs Office of the PRC State Council Mr. Sun Ya Fu, Deputy Commissioner of the PRC Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Macao SAR of the PRC Mr. Huang Song Fu, Deputy Director Genral of Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office of the PRC State Council Mr. Zhou Bo, Secretary for Eco-nomy and Finance of Macao SAR Mr. Francis Tam Pak Yuen, Vice Governor of Liaoning Province of PRC Mr. Li Wan Cai, President of Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute Mr. Lee Peng Hong and President of the Event Co-ordinator Macao Convention and Exhibition Association Mr. Jing Chong Yun, over a thousand guests including government officials, heads of chambers of commerce, entrepreneurs and company executives attended the ceremony.
Building a platform to attract investors and foreign capital, promoting regional economic and trade developments
The theme of MIF this year was "Promoting Regional Co-operation – Developing Economic Diversification" and was aimed at promoting regional co-operation and attaining a goal of mutual development. Drawing on Macao's strengths, MIF deployed various types of services and measures to promote the territory's economic diversification. MIF acts primarily to promote Macao as a commercial platform by holding different kinds of activities such as exhibitions, product fairs, forums, conferences, and business matching and in the meantime showcasing Macao's three business service platforms including the Service Platform for Economic Co-operation between China and Portuguese Speaking Countries, the Economic Co-operation Platform for Mainland China, especially Pan Pearl River Delta and Western-Guangdong and Co-operation Service Platform for Macao and Overseas Chinese Businessmen.
During the 4-day exhibition, MIF drew 80,050 visitors to peruse 345 booths of which 225 were indoor and 120 were outdoor featuring numerous kinds of products and services. The exhibition also attracted 120 delegations with total of 1,950 government officials and businessmen from 38 countries and regions, namely Angola, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Burma, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, Mainland China, Czechoslovakia, Chile, East Timor, France, Germany, Guinea Bissau, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Mozambique, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, The Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Singapore South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Vietnam and Taiwan, all the delegations supported Macao as an economic and trade platform and also benefited from massive business and networking opportunities offered by this annual trade event.
Distinctive Theme Areas
With support of various chambers of commerce from Mainland China, overseas and Macao, the exhibitions featured different themes in special pavilions and zones such as "Macao Commodities Pavilion" organised by the Industrial Association of Macao, Macau Importers and Exporter Association, Association of Knitting and Spinning Industry of Macau and Macau Shipper's Association, the "Macao – Ideal Place to Live" planned by Macao Association of Building Contractors and Developers, Realty Association of Macao and Association of Real Estate Sector of Macao, "Digital and Photography Product Exhibition Zone" organised by Macau Photography and Printing Traders Association, "All – China Federation of Industry and Commerce Exhibition Zone" set up by 14 members of the All – China Federation of Industry and Commerce (ACFIC) and "Fashion Designers' Club" arranged by CPTTM aimed at further promoting creative business development in the territory. Additionally, the German Macao Business Association and ICEP Portugal also had a themed exhibition area, along with foreign consulate-gene-rals, trade commissions and trade promotion institutions at home and abroad forming an area that became one of the brightest areas of the exhibition.
The support and assistance of Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) assisted IPIM in setting up an "ATPF Pavilion" to introduce the functions of ATPF and provide information on its members, publicising the 19th Forum to be held from 23-24 February 2006 in Macao.
The establishment of an outdoor plaza further reinforced Macao's role as Trade Service Platform for China and Portuguese speaking countries and Western Guangdong. The outdoor plaza included a " Portuguese Speaking Countries Pavilion" run by the Secretariado Permanente do Forum para a Cooperacao Econicaoe Comercial entre a China e os Paises de Lingua Portuguesa (Macau) and IPIM with seven Portuguese speaking countries joining this year's MIF strengthening the business co-operation with Portuguese speaking countries. The " Portuguese Speaking Countries Pavilion" contained 40 booths with 25 enterprises participating exhibits included furniture, frozen meat, coffee, tea, beverages, textiles, marbles, wood carvings, alcohol and tobacco products. Strategically perched on the mouth of Pearl River, Macao has long enjoyed a close trade relation with Western Guangdong, boosted by the implementation of CEPA and Pan Pearl River 9+2 Co-operation. The outdoor plaza had 6 cities from Western Guangdong, namely, Foshan, Jiangmen, Yangjiang, Yunfu Zhanjiang and Zhuhai, their attendance further strengthening the role of Macao as Service Platform for Western Guangdong, and using it as platform to develop international markets especially Portuguese speaking countries. Exhibits from Western Guangdong included knives and scissors, marble, dried seafoods, snacks, beverages, electrical appliances, textiles, medical equipment and kitchen appliances. The Small and Medium Enterprises Association of Macao also motivated their members to participate in MIF in order to have a platform for their further development.
Business Matching/Buyer’ s Corner
The business matching database that we set up for this Fair attracted 830 projects, recorded 274 actual matches and 41 partnership agreements signed in MIF. The products involved included mines and mineral products, real estate, tourism, conventions and exhibitions, telecommunications, electrical products, sports products, pharmaceutical products, mineral water and wines from Mainland China, Portuguese speaking countries, Hong Kong and Macao.
Following our experience and success with "Buyers' Corner" launched at last year's MIF, we organised another this year with more international and local companies joining in. We had a total of 202 matches, an increase of 88 % compared to the figures of last year. The satisfactory outcome of Buyers' Corner reinforces Macao's role as trade services platform for all interested potential business partners.
International Trade and Investment Forum 2005/Seminars and Presentations
The "International Trade and Investment Forum 2005", organised by IPIM with the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce as well as the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade as supporting Organisers, was held on the first day of the Fair. The Secretary for Economy and Finance of Macao SAR Mr. Francis Tam Pak Yuen was invited to give the opening speech, followed by speeches on "Promoting Regional Co-operation – Developing Economic Diversification" and "International Co-operation in Trade and Investment" by First Vice Chairman of All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce Mr. Hu De Ping, Minister of Economy, Development and Competitiveness of Cape Verde Mr. Joao Pereira Silva, Minister of Industry and Commerce of Mozambique Mr. Antonio Fernando and Assistant Chairman of China Council for the Promotional of International Trade Mr. Wang Jin-zhen enabling participants to identify more opportunities derived from international co-operation and economic development.
There were 42 forums, conferences, seminars and presentations held in which 2,473 participants attended, covering topics such as investment, tourism, jewel-lery, wines, digital products, financial products and information technology. Seminars included the "International Trade and Investment Forum 2005", "How to co-operate with Wal-Mart China", "Doing Business in Eastern Europe" on 20 October, "Guangxi Tourism and Investment Resources Se-minar", "Great Bu-siness Opportunities between China-Portuguese Speaking Markets", "Investment Environment Seminar of Cape Verde", "Brazil China Relationship", "Macao Tax System and Incentives", "Establishment Ceremony of Macao Businesswomen's Association" on 21 October, "Youth Entrepreneurs Forum 2005 for Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and the Chinese Mainland", "Is Market Sentiment Still in Favour of the Dollar in Q4", "MOTIX – Macau's E-Ticketing Network"on 22 October and "Castel Product Introduction and Seminar", "High Quality Manufactures of Macao – Hang Chao"on 23 October.
MIF Survey Opinion
In order to evaluate the Fair objectively and analyse the results scientifically, our Institute again appointed the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities from the University of Macao to carry out a survey, in which 690 completed questionnaires were returned from professional visitors and 1,103 from the general public. For the exhibitors, around 60% were satisfied with the overall exhibition arrangements, organisations and contents, 50% recognised that MIF could assist in developing Mainland China and overseas markets. For the 508 company representatives who were questioned, 30% had attended the seminar and presentations sessions of which 60% felt very satisfied with the content, 20% had attended the business matching sessions of which 50% felt very satisfied with the results. In addition, all the 655 professional visitors interviewed, nearly 50% pointed out that they found business partners at the Fair and 60% of them were satisfied.
MIF will continue providing good opportunities for local members meeting overseas professionals from the convention and exhibition industry to explore business opportunities and share ideas for improvement in its services and professionalism. This year, MIF attracted the Hong Kong Exhibition and Convention Industry Association, Japan External Trade Organisation and other international convention and exhibition organisations so it provided good opportunities for Macao's convention and exhibition companies to absorb and exchange ideas.
Global Association of the Exhibition Industry accepted MIF as an UFI approved event
Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute received official notification from the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI) informing it that during the 72nd UFI Congress held from 19 to 22 October 2005 in Moscow, Russia, Macao International Trade and Investment Fair (MIF) organised by IPIM had been accepted as an UFI approved event and IPIM as a full member of UFI. The admission of IPIM as full member and MIF as an approved event gave both an excellent opportunity in promoting Macao's exhibition industry as well as raising the industry standards. IPIM will share the network and resources from UFI with local industry members, connecting with international industry which also assists in raising the levels and standards of the MICE industry in Macao.
The 10th MIF is sponsored by several "Distinguished Sponsors", including Seng Heng Bank Ltd., Siemens Ltd. as well as Venetian Macau, Ltd. – Convention and Exhibition. Meanwhile, the 10th MIF is also sponsored by several "Supporting Corporations", including Creation Advertising Co., Ltd., Macau Expo Group Ltd., Multinational Holdings Group, Skyworth Group, Sun Kian Ip Group, Turbojet and VC Financial Group.
This article was prepared by IPIM’s Research and Information Division
