The 2016 Guangdong & Macao Branded Products Fair (GMBPF), jointly organised by the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute and Department of Commerce of the Guangdong Province, was held in Exhibition Hall B at the Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel from 29 to 31 July.

During the three-day event, a total of 83,000 visitor arrivals were recorded and 67 business matching sessions were conducted by enterprises from Guangdong (Jieyang, Huizhou and Maoming), Hong Kong, Macao and Indonesia. Products discussed in the sessions included famous food and beverages, daily necessities, clothing and accessories, toys, cultural and creative handicrafts. Held concurrently at the same venue were the Macao Characteristics Finance and Economic Forum to introduce the current financial structure and changes and the advantages of financial leasing in China, and how to integrate Macao’s advantages to develop a characteristic financial industry with the support of financial leasing was also discussed in the forum.

The carnival style GMBPF encompassed trade, cultural exchanges, shopping, leisure and entertainment. Exhibition floors were extended to 9,000 square metres, with 357 exhibition booths, translating into a two-fold increase in the number of booths. Major pavilions were: Guangdong Products Exhibition and Sales Area, Macao Products Exhibition and Sales Area and Indonesian Products Exhibition and Sales Area.

The Guangdong Products Exhibition and Sales Area took on 195 exhibition booths, with 148 participating enterprises to showcase food, daily necessities and gifts, hotel supplies and home appliances. Participating enterprises were all carefully selected by the Department of Commerce of Guangdong Province, many of which have obtained the titles of Famous Chinese Brands, Notable Trademarks of China, Famous Brands of Guangdong Province, therefore ensuring confidence in the quality of the products. Whereas the Macao Featured Products Exhibition and Sales Area had 112 exhibition booths from 112 participating enterprises. These products were mainly “Made in Macao”, “Macao Brands”, “Designed in Macao”, or Macao Cultural and Innovative Products, and products handled by Macao agents. To encourage the establishment of the “Three centres” and the commercial and trade co-operation service platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, there was a dedicated area for food from Portugal, as well as for sales of products and food with Portuguese characteristics.

“Brand Expansion Continues, Business Opportunities To Be Seized” – Macao Franchise Expo 2016 (2016 MFE) was held at the Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel, (Hall A) from 29 July to 31 July.

It was also held at the same time and location of the “2016 Guangdong & Macao Branded Products Fair” (“twin events” for the first time). The two concurrently run expos were a great success and enterprises reacted enthusiastically to the exhibitions. The three-day event attracted about 17,000 visitors, including nearly 2,600 professional visitors.

There were 103 matching sessions in the business matching area in the three day exhibition, which mainly involved franchising, chain stores, brand agency and others. According to figures from the organiser, 1,314 business negotiation sessions were conducted for specially invited trade visitors. Contracts for 18 projects were signed on-site involving the co-operation of chambers of commerce and associations; chain and franchising projects in the food and beverage industry; brand agency services for the marketing of branded products; and brand franchising and so on. This year’s MFE promoted the self-matching service through “Online Business Matching Service Platform” for the first time and encouraged exhibitors/enterprises/purchasing agents to register so as to take part in communication and matching. In the three day exhibition, there were 198 enterprises involved in business negotiations using the business matching service platform.

With the Macao SAR Government and the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR as the guiding organisation and IPIM as the supporting organisation, the Dynamic Macao Business and Trade Fair-Kunming, Yunnan, hosted by the Macao Convention and Exhibition Association, was held in Kunming from 4 to 6 June 2016.

Hosted by the Ministry of Commerce, with the Macao SAR as a member of the event, the 19th China International Fair for Investment & Trade (CIFIT) will be held in Xiamen, Fujian Province from 8 to 11 September.

The 19th China International Fair for Investment & Trade Hong Kong Promotional Symposium and the 19th China International Fair for Investment & Trade Macao Promotional Symposium, organised by CIFIT Organising Committee, were held on 29 June in Hong Kong and Macao respectively. At the 19th China International Fair for Investment & Trade Hong Kong Promotional Symposium, IPIM’s President Jackson Chang said that Macao, being the guest of honour region of CIFIT, will organise a series of events during CIFIT such as the Dynamic Macao Business and Trade Fair – Fujian Xiamen, aiming to promote liaisons and co-operation between enterprises in Mainland China, Macao and PSCs, as well as assisting Macao SMEs in going global. The event was also attended by IPIM’s Executive Director Irene V. K. Lau and over 200 invited entrepreneurs and representatives from business associations in Hong Kong.

IPIM and the Department of Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao Affairs of the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China co-organised the 2nd “Training for Macao Convention and Exhibition Talents”. It was held in Dalian, China, from 9 to 12 August. The courses integrated theory with practice, the training programme was conducive to enhancing the professional standards of Macao people working in the city’s convention and exhibition industry. It also aimed to strengthen exchanges and co-operation between the convention and exhibition industry in Mainland China and that in Macao.

IPIM organised a delegation of 20 representatives from the Macao convention and exhibition industry that joined the training seminar in Dalian. IPIM’s Executive Director Irene V. K. Lau, headed the delegation. Deputy Director General of the Department of Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao Affairs of the Ministry of Commerce Kang Wen, Vice Chairman of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Dalian Branch Office Zhou Ming Jie gave welcoming speech at the training session’s opening ceremony on 10 August.