“One-Stop Service” for MICE Bidding and Support in Macao Attracts Exhibitions to the City

“One-StopService” for MICE Bidding and Support in Macao Attracts Exhibitions to the City
The convention and exhibition industry isone of Macao’s faster growing emerging industries in recent years, the SARgovernment set up the Committee for the Development of Conventions andExhibitions as early as 2010, tasked with promoting, guidance and support forthe development of the sector. A number of incentive measures and services invenue rental, transportation and accommodation, advertising and promotion areprovided, namely the Convention and Exhibition Stimulation Programme,International Meeting and Trade Fair Support Programme as well as the IncentiveTravel Stimulation Programme. IPIM also established the “One-Stop Service” forMICE Bidding and Support in Macao to provide comprehensive support services toconvention and exhibition organisers wishing to run events in Macao.

The opening of various world-renownedinternational hotel and resort complexes in Macao provides diverse event venuescovering over 170,000 square metres for various events. Meanwhile, anincreasing number of large MICE events and business conferences are beingorganised in Macao. During the first three quarters of 2014, 743 events wereheld in the city attracting 1.55 million visitors, showing an increase of 59%and 48% year on year respectively. Over the past two years, MICE events wereheld with themes like the environmental protection, hotel supplies,automobiles, trade and investment, chain and franchise operation,entertainment, as well as conventions for international organisations,government and multi-national corporations. The local important events as theMacao International Trade and Investment Fair (MIF), Macao InternationalEnvironmental Co-operation Forum and Exhibition (MIECF), and the G2E Asia, havebeen accredited by the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI) asUFI approved events. It is also worth mentioning that, the successfulorganisation of the 8th APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting in September 2014, aswell as the 3rd Global Tourism Economy Forum in October signified that Macao’sMICE service has reached an international standard gaining worldwiderecognition.

“One-StopService” for MICE Bidding and Support in Macao Begins to Reap Rewards
To be in line with the development ofMacao’s convention and exhibition industry, IPIM launched the “One-StopService” for MICE Bidding and Support in Macao in early 2013. As of mid-January2015, the programme has followed up on 122 convention and exhibition events, ofwhich 34 have been held in Macao and 13 have designated to be held in Macao.Categorised in accordance with the nature, the events covered 83 conferences,15 exhibitions, 24 conventions and exhibitions, involving medical, finance,food and beverages, information technology, tourism, cultural and creative,arts industry. Various conventions and exhibitions have been well organised andco-ordinated with the assistance of the “One-Stop Service” for MICE Bidding andSupport in Macao since 2013, namely the Asian Seed Congress, IEEE TENCON 2015and the 14th IAVE Asia-Pacific Regional Volunteer Conference organised byinternational business organisations in related industries. Certain conferencesorganised by overseas enterprises involving a vast number of participants werealso successfully held in Macao with the assistance of the “One- Stop Servicefor Mice Bidding and Support in Macao”. For example, Jeunesse Expo Macau 2014and the 2014 Greater China NU SKIN Academy have attracted the participation ofmore than 7,000 and 8,700 local and overseas visitors to Macao respectively.

The “One-Stop Service” for MICE Bidding andSupport in Macao attracts and introduces convention and exhibition projects toMacao, assists in bidding for convention and exhibition projects, provides MICEupdates for venue and service providers, co-ordinates and liaises with Macaogovernment departments, designates staff to follow up and assist in organisingevents in Macao, assists in the application for the financial support schemesfor conventions and exhibitions implemented by Macao Economic Services,provides publicity and promotion opportunities in local and overseas eventsorganised by IPIM, as well as providing MICE co-operation matching service insearch for potential partners.

IPIM’sLaunches a Series of Efforts to Promote the Development of the Convention andExhibition Industry
In 2015, IPIM will launch a series ofmeasures to promote the growth of the local MICE industry. Since thecommencement of the “One-Stop Service” for MICE Bidding and Support in Macaotwo years ago, IPIM has been constantly reviewing the effectiveness of theprogramme and seeking ways to further enhance the services. To facilitateoverseas business visitors’ participation in local exhibitions, IPIM isplanning to work with relevant departments in Macao to provide more convenientsupporting measures to outbound business visitors and exhibitors. On publicityand promotion, IPIM aims to work with different countries and regions toorganise Road Shows, promote the strengths of Macao’s MICE industry as well asthe “One- Stop Service” for MICE Bidding and Support in Macao, with the aim ofattracting more conventions and exhibitions to be organised in the city. MIFhas been organised by IPIM for twenty years, an increasing number of newcomponents on business, trade and economic co-operation will be introduced,focusing on publicity, promotion and series of trade and economic networkingevents in PSCs and the Mainland to further consolidate MIF’s role as animportant annual event for business and trade negotiation and co-operationbetween Macao, the Mainland and Portuguese-speaking Countries (PSCs). IPIM willalso further improve the hosting and co-ordination of 2015 MIECF, 2015Guangdong-Macao Branded Products Fair (MBPF) and 2015 Macao Franchise Expo(MFE). This year, IPIM will work with the Macao Government Tourist Office toco-organise local MICE and tourism sectors to participate in international MICEevents in Macao and overseas and further explore liaison and communicationchannels with international convention and exhibition operators, to promote thestrengths of Macao’s MICE industry, and attract more convention and exhibitionorganisers to host events in Macao.