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The third edition of Global Tourism Economy Forum ("GTEF" or "the Forum") is scheduled to take place at the Venetian Macao from 27-29 October 2014 around the theme "Maritime Silk Road - From Macau We Begin". A press conference was held at the Tourism Activities Centre in Macau today (14 July) to announce details of the Forum. Chief of Office of the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macau SAR Government, Cecília Cheung and Director of Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO), Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes both delivered a remark in the conference, followed by an introduction presented by Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of GTEF, Pansy Ho. GTEF is a high-level tourism event hosted by the Secretariat for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macau SAR Government in collaboration with the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). Its third edition will feature the historically glorious "Maritime Silk Road" ("MSR") as its theme, exploring strategic intercontinental cooperation in tourism and business opportunities across nations, provinces and cities along the MSR route, carrying on the same exploratory spirit of our predecessors who reshaped the economic landscape decades ago. Effective international exchange platform inspires in-depth discussion
The Forum plays a significant role for a global tourism destination like Macau, with tourism being the pillar of the city's economy. Chief of Office of the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Cecília Cheung commented, "Macau has been closely following the Central Government's Twelfth Five-Year Plan to establish the city as a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure as well as a regional trade and business service platform." She added, "The third edition of the Forum will be held in late October, a time also to welcome the 15th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Macau SAR, making the event particularly meaningful. As Macau undertakes the mission to develop into a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure, it is essential to possess a global vision and knowledge of the current trends in the world. We expect the third edition of GTEF to gather tourism heavyweights and experts who can share insightful perspectives around this year's theme while exploring new drives and elements which the Maritime Silk Road can become to enhance regional and global tourism development." MGTO Director Senna Fernandes addressed, "Macau is dedicated to building "one centre, one platform" as the strategic goal to promote adequate diversification of the city's economic development. The GTEF is going to be held in Macau for the third year in a row. It serves as a great opportunity for Macau to function as a platform and forge ahead with the goal of becoming a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure through learning the latest tourism trends and gaining relevant experience from the international forum." Expressing her gratitude to the entire Macau community for its support, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of GTEF, Pansy Ho expects the Forum to ripple its value as a platform of idea exchange and as a springboard for the promotion of multilateral cooperation. She said, "The 3rd GTEF is designed to emphasize the unique role Macau plays in the ancient Maritime Silk Road. Today, we hope the same spirit can be rekindled, using tourism economy as the new driver for regional cooperation." She added, "The valuable results of GTEF are highly recognized by many countries and mainland provinces, Kazakhstan, Mexico, JiangXi and Shandong are already actively working with the organizer on their featured participation. We have also expanded the exhibition element under popular demands." The first two editions of GTEF have achieved phenomenal success, earning a solid reputation as an effective platform that brings to Macau key decision-makers in the global tourism industry, as they exchange perspectives with their Chinese counterparts, explore business ideas and generate solutions to far-reaching issues. Last year, the second edition of GTEF attracted over 1,100 representatives from 29 countries and regions as well as delegations from 10 provinces and cities of Mainland China. Recognizing the unique values of GTEF and its growing momentum, many international organizations are building closer partnerships with GTEF. During the Forum in 2014, UNWTO and the coordinator of GTEF, Global Tourism Economy Research Centre will be publishing the first report of their joint research projects on the issues discussed in the past two editions of GTEF and on the subject of tourism industry development in cities along the MSR. In addition, the Forum has partnered with Pacific Asia Travel Association Foundation to host its closing dinner as a charity fundraising event for the sustainable development of regional tourism projects. Distinctive Panel Setting Drives Flourishing Ideas
This edition of GTEF is designed with a delicate mix of various activities. The Face to Face, Ministers and Private Sector CEOs session is set to be the Forum's centre of attention, putting global leaders from the private sector into real-time discussion with tourism ministers of European and Asian countries on current and future development of tourism and related industries under the topic of "Driving synergy to deepen cooperation on the 21st century Maritime Silk Road". It is coupled with a comprehensive introduction of MSR under the topic of "21st Century Maritime Silk Road in Motion" in the [Passage from the Past to the Present – The New Silk Road] session, and the kick-off of the forward-thinking [Shaping the Present for the Future] session which discusses the topic about MSR countries thriving on the 21st century backdrop. The fascinating panels are enriched with Presentation by Featured Country, Interview with Travel and Tourism Leaders, GTEF 2015 Partner Country Presentation and networking luncheon. The new addition of Pavilion Exhibition also brings fascinating dimensions to the Forum; comprising a variety of exhibitions, presentations and performances, the pavilion will be opened to the public on 29 October 2014, expected to create more networking opportunities for participating countries and regions with different sectors in Macau. About the organizational structure of Global Tourism Economy Forum
Co-organized by the China Chamber of Tourism under the authorization of All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce (ACFIC) and coordinated by the Global Tourism Economy Research Centre, the first three editions of GTEF are hosted by the Secretariat for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macau SAR Government. The Forum also earns continued support from its supporting units including Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macau SAR, Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the Macau SAR, China National Tourism Administration (CNTA), World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) and Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO). Vice Chairman of The National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Ho Hau Wah is the Forum Chairman of GTEF, while Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macau SAR Government, Cheong U is the Executive Chairman of GTEF.
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Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) received a mega incentive travel delegation comprising 3,500 business visitors coming from Australia and the United States to Macau for a series of meetings and team-building activities. Originated from Australia, Flight Centre Travel Group chose to hold its annual global gathering in Macau last week for eight days in a row. The event gathered 3,500 management personnel and elites coming from Australia and the United States. The program of the annual gathering includes senior leader meetings, area leader meetings, global gathering meeting, team building sessions, gala dinner and awards night, etc. Founded in the 1980s, Flight Centre Travel Group currently owns 12 travel agency brands which operate their business across 11 countries and regions with over 15,000 employees around the world. MGTO hosted a welcome dinner for the delegates of which 200 also joined a sightseeing tour around the Historic Centre of Macau. In her welcome speech during the cocktail reception, MGTO Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes shared about the tourism development in Macau; she also invited Flight Centre Travel Group to join hands with MGTO's market representative in Australia to promote Macau as a travel destination together. MGTO has been making strenuous effort to expand the international tourist market for Macau and enhance the city's profile as a business tourism destination, striving to draw a greater diversity of visitors to Macau. In recent years, numerous groups and organizations have chosen Macau as the destination to host mega events and conferences. These have been great opportunities to show to the world that Macau has a range of world-class tourism facilities to offer along with its capability to host MICE events as a city also flourishing with the unique cultural nourishment of East and West. According to the statistics, over 1,000 conventions and exhibitions were held in Macau in 2013, including 60 mega conferences which hosted a total of 2.03 million participants. The number of visitor arrivals topped 12,851,806 in Macau in the first five months this year. The figure shows a remarkable rise of 8.8% from the previous year. Over 1.2 million are international visitors among the total. This press release is available at: http://industry.macautourism.gov.mo/en/pressroom/
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Consumer Council conducted its specific price survey on over-the-counter drugs on 10 July for the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12 June. Result of the mentioned survey has been uploaded to the Council's website (www.consumer.gov.mo) and is available in the Council's 'Supermarket Price Information Platform' iPhone and Android apps. For inquiry, please call the Council's hotline: 8988 9315.
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The exhibition Collotype • Recurrence – Spatial Convergence of John Thomson and Wong Ho Sang, organized by the Macao Museum under the Cultural Affairs Bureau, registered a large number of visitors, receiving approximately 30,000 people since its opening at the end of May until June 30. In addition to the exhibition, the Macao Museum will hold the Wet Plate Photography –Esthetics of Contemporary Nostalgic Images seminar at 3 pm on July 19 (Saturday). Admission is free. The Exhibition Collotype • Recurrence – Spatial Convergence of John Thomson and Wong Ho Sang consists of two sections. The first section showcases photographic works by British photographer John Thomson (1837-1921) taken on his first visit to the Far East in the 19th century, and published in Illustrations of China and Its People (London, 1873-1874), also on display. The photographs were taken by Thomson, using the collotype printing technique, when he travelled throughout China from 1868 to 1872. The second section presents works obtained via wet plate processing by contemporary Macao photographer Wong Ho Sang, especially for the exhibition. This section not only provides visitors with a better understanding of the photographic method employed by Thomson in the 19th century, but also offers the public an insight into the most advanced printing technique at the time, that allowed the production of images of high resolution and effectively solved the problem of definition in photos processed through traditional printing methods. The seminar counts on photographer Wong Ho Sang as speaker, who will briefly introduce the historical background, operating techniques and contemporary tendency of wet plate photography. The seminar will be conducted in Cantonese. Those interested should reserve seats through the number (853) 8394 1218 (Ms. Leong), during office hours. Seminar participants will be offered free admissions to the Macao Museum on the same day, as well as a chance to participate in the secret room game The Secret of Wet Plate Photography at the temporary exhibitions educational area. Participants who complete this game in two minutes or less can win a set of "Old Photographs of Macao" postcards, available on a first-come-first-served basis and while stocks last. The Macao Museum opens daily from 10 am to 6 pm (ticket office closes at 5.30 pm) and is closed on Mondays. Admission to the Museum is free on Sundays for local residents, upon presentation of a valid Macao ID or student ID. For more information about the above-mentioned exhibition and other related activities, please call: (853) 2835 7911, during office hours, or visit: www.macaumuseum.gov.mo or www.icm.gov.mo.
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The 26th Macau International Fireworks Display Contest will be held above the sea area before Macau Tower on 8, 13, 20, 27 September and 1 October. Ten contesting teams will brighten up the city skyline with spectacular fireworks on the nights. Macau International Fireworks Display Contest is an event organized by Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO). During the press conference held today (10 July), MGTO Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes unveiled the program highlights of this year's contest. Director Senna Fernandes expressed, "The city welcomes the 26th edition of Macau International Fireworks Display Contest this year. We are glad that the event has won ardent support from many well-known fireworks companies from across the globe in the past 25 years, making it one of the most stunning events of the year which fascinates more than ten thousands of citizens and visitors flocking into town for the fireworks show every year." The 26th Macau International Fireworks Display Contest is scheduled to take place above the sea area in front of Macau Tower from 8 September to 1 October. The two teams from Croatia and Taiwan, China will stage their fireworks displays on 8 September, a night to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival. Different outstanding pyrotechnic companies came from around the world to join Macau International Fireworks Display Contest each year in the past, and this year makes no exception. The ten teams this year come from (according to the order in the contest program) Taiwan, China; Croatia; China; France; Korea; Poland; Portugal; Australia; Italy and Spain. Croatia and Poland are two new countries in the contest; similarly, the companies from Spain and Australia will stage their first performance in Macau. Over the past 13 years, Mirnovec Pirotehnika from Croatia has organized a number of international fireworks festivals which involved internationally-acclaimed fireworks companies. The Croatian company has also actively joined various international fireworks contests and won great awards, including the second place in International Fireworks Festival in Malta in 2012 and in Belgium and Canada respectively in 2013. Surex, on the other hand, is a Poland company which holds great passion for pyrotechnics and excels at producing a diversity of tailor-made products. The company also received a range of accolades in numerous important international events, including the third prize in International Fireworks Competition in Shanghai in 2012. The pyrotechnic businesses from Spain and Australia will make their debut in Macau. The Spanish company Pirotecnia Zaragozana once joined various international contests and often came out among the top three. In 2012, the company won the first prize in Pyrotechnic Art Festival of Cannes in France. Coming from Australia, Skylighter Fireworks has been in charge of the fireworks show on New Year's Eve in Brisbane since 2009 and the Australia Day celebrations in the city from 2010 to 2014, creating wonderful displays which attracted 40,000 spectators every year. The other six teams have come to Macau for the contest before and some of them ranked among the top three. The Italian company La Tirrena has a long history since founded in 1898 over a century ago. The company has earned outstanding awards along the years, enjoying wide recognition across Italy and the international community. Five years ago, La Tirrena won the second prize in the Macau contest. Coming from Portugal, PYROFEL - Pirotecnia Lda. joined the Macau contest twice and was once the champion in town. The company specializes in creative fireworks design and incorporating into fireworks displays a range of multimedia elements such as light, laser, water and music. Based in Hunan, China, Sunny Fireworks won the third place in Macau before and the second place in International Fireworks Competition in Shanghai in 2012; whereas the pyrotechnic businesses namely SODIP Pyrotechnie and Daehan Fireworks Co. from France and Korea respectively both joined the fireworks display contest in Macau twice in the past. Sy Yuan Fireworks Co., Ltd. from Taiwan, China also took part in the Macau contest two years ago. Overall the teams demonstrate competitive experience and are ready to bring on a myriad of spectacular displays for both citizens and visitors. This year, MGTO again requests the teams to choreograph their fireworks displays to both music and laser light projections to enhance the audience's experience with a more fascinating light and sound spectacular. Spectators can view live broadcast of the fireworks shows with background music on TDM - Radio Macau's Chinese Channel (FM 100.7) and TDM – Macau TV Channel every fireworks evening. MGTO and Companhia de Telecomunicações de Macau S.A.R.L. (CTM) have co-launched "Macau International Fireworks Display Contest SMS Game" since 2010. The game has won enthusiastic feedback with over 2,000 text messages received last year. MGTO will again present the SMS Game with CTM this year to encourage citizens' participation in the event. The Office will actively promote this year's fireworks display contest through an array of international, regional and local media and advertising channels, including advertisements broadcasted through international media in neighboring regions and promotion via key media and travel magazines in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau. Other strategies include poster and leaflet distribution and so forth. The event is also widely promoted in regional and overseas travel fairs and exhibitions. The Office uses the Internet as a promotion platform as well. MGTO and the General Union of Neighbors Association of Macau will jointly present the Fireworks Carnival again to add more fun and color to the fireworks evenings. Over 66,000 individuals enjoyed the five-day carnival last year. MGTO accepts applications for the Trophy Design Contest, Photo Contest and Student Drawing Contest of the 26th Macau International Fireworks Display Contest starting from today (10 July). A prize-giving ceremony was held today (10 July) to award the winners in the Trophy Design Contest, Photo Contest and Student Drawing Contest for last year's Macau International Fireworks Display Contest. MGTO will keep on presenting more wonderful events and programs for visitors while enriching the diversity of local tourism products to boost the glamour of the destination, working in line with the goal of developing Macau into a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure.
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The 6th Shenzhen Anime Festival will be held at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Centre from 16 to 20 July 2014. The Cultural Affairs Bureau will, once again, organise the participation in this event of local entities engaged in the comic and animation industry, and set up a Macao Creative Pavilion to introduce the development of these industries in Macao. The participation is conducive to promoting local brands, strengthening exchange for professionals in the field as well as encouraging regional cooperation. The Macao Creative Pavilion, inspired by the "thinking bubbles" used to express the thoughts of comic and animated characters, is a streamlined pavilion with a dynamic design. The products of participating entities shine on "imagination clouds", which represent the aspirations of these professionals to put their dreams into practice and physically showcase them to audiences. Macao participants will present their creations over the years, such as original animation videos, mobile applications, illustrations, comic magazines and comic and animation related products. There are 11 entities participating in the Macao Creative Pavilion this year, namely Master Club Toy and Gift Shop; Chun Man Publishing Co., Ltd.; Maple Studio; Force Publication Ltd.; Creative Gate 3D Animation World; Comic's Kingdom; Choo Choo Culture Creative Ltd.; Hyper Comics Society; Macau Comickers Association; Yoilo Macao Animation and Media Co., Ltd.; and Morpheus Animation Studios Co., Ltd. The Shenzhen Anime Festival has been held every summer since 2009, becoming the largest comic and animation event in the city. The Festival, this year under the theme of "Season of Anime Dreams", is divided into Experimental, Exhibition and Activities areas. The organiser hopes that this event can enrich the cultural life of young people during the summer, set up a platform for businesses to publicize their products, connect industrial chains, exchange information and facilitate trade transactions. The Festival aspires to attract the participation of worldwide professionals, national comic and animation centres, animation R&D production and training institutions, comic and animation enterprises from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and overseas, audiovisual companies and book and magazine publishers, while also appealing to cartoon merchandise companies, toys and gifts manufacturers, e-sports, online games and comic and animation organisations, professional institutions of higher education, comic and animation associations, freelancers, risk investors, authorised manufacturers, business development groups and professionals.
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Consumer Council conducted its third 'Supermarket price survey' in July on 9 July for the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12 June. Surveyed locations included 8 supermarkets in Toi San, Ilha Verde and Fai Chi Kei areas in N. Sra. de Fátima Parish. The latest 'Supermarket Price Survey' is now available on Consumer Council's website (www.consumer.gov.mo), and the 'Supermarket Price Information Platform' iPhone and Android apps. The survey is also available free of charge at the offices of Consumer Council, IACM's Iao Hon and S. Domingos Markets, bookstores and libraries. Consumers may also access the resources through WAP channels on their mobile phones. With reference to the local six parishes and the number of supermarkets in each parish, the Council has divided around 100 supermarkets into 8 areas for price collection. The Council collects prices from these supermarkets for the provision of a more comprehensive database for consumers to check price discrepancies and make price comparisons according to their desired locations. For inquiry, please call 8988 9315.
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The 8th Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Tourism Ministerial Meeting and the 45th APEC Tourism Working Group Meeting, hosted by the National Tourism Administration (CNTA) and organized by the Macao Special Administrative Region Government, will be held in Macao from 8 to 14 September. At a press conference held by the Macao SAR Government today, the Secretary-General of the Macao organizing committee for the APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting, Mr Alexis Tam, disclosed that the preparation work is progressing smoothly and the Government is well prepared for the event. Participants include 21 APEC economies and numerous international bodies The ministerial meeting is to be held at the Macao East Asian Games Dome International Conference Center on 12 and 13 September 2014. Participants will include the tourism ministers or their representatives from the 21 APEC economies as well as representatives from 10 international organizations such as the APEC Secretariat, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Secretariat, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA). It is anticipated that Macao will receive more than 500 delegates for the event, which is being organized with a budget of 75 million patacas. With the theme "Exploration of Asia Pacific Tourism Cooperation and Future Development", the tourism ministerial meeting will focus on exchanges between and discussions concerning integration of Asia Pacific tourism markets, facilitating transformation and growth of the tourism industry, promoting intelligent tourism with modern technology and interconnection of Asia Pacific travel, and encouraging low-carbon development and co-operation between tourism operators. The ministerial meeting will conclude with a discussion to pass the "Macao Declaration". In accordance with APEC practice, the 45th Tourism Working Group Meeting will be held prior to the Tourism Ministerial Meeting, in the Four Seasons Hotel Macao, from 8 to 11 September. Opportunity to promote Macao's features and image The Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) will also arrange tours for the APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting and the 45th Tourism Working Group Meeting participants, with itineraries covering the landmarks of the World Heritage - Historic Center of Macao, to showcase the 400-year cultural heritage of Macao to the members of the APEC economies and guests. A tour around Taipa and Coloane will also be organized for attendants and guests of the tourism working group meeting so they can experience the customs and traditions of the Islands District. A fireworks display will be held on the evening of 13 September. The MGTO will also promote the event through co-operating with Greater China, overseas and local television stations, online networks and printed media, and distribute news and updates about the meeting via global tourism websites and international magazines. Various publicity channels will also be used in Macao to update local residents and visitors on this international event. Official website for the event to be launched soon The official website of the 8th APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting https://www.apec-tourism.gov.mo will be launched at 9 am (Beijing time) on Friday (11 July). The main contents will include program schedules, meeting venues, media information and travel information. The website will also feature a registration system, to enable APEC economy members and delegates to register online. Media center to serve journalists The ministerial meeting will attract journalists from various local, mainland and overseas media. All media organizations covering the events may register online immediately after the official website is launched at 9 am on 11 July. The closing date for registrations is 11 August. Media organizations can download the registration form from the official website, fill in the required information and submit the application by e-mail, together with attachments of required photos in the required formats and electronic copies of personal identity documents, to media@apec-tourism.gov.mo. During the 8th APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting, the Government Information Bureau will set up a media center in the Conrad Macao Hotel Cotai Central. The media center will open from 12 to 14 September, offering 160 working seats, essential facilities, and light refreshments. The organizer will also provide a shuttle bus service between the media center and the event venues to facilitate the media in covering most of the activities. Significance of Macao's role as organizer With China serving as the APEC host country for the first time in 13 years; it is of great significance for Macao to host the APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting. This will be the highest-level multilateral economic summit hosted by China since its new leadership assumed office. The choice of Macao as the meeting venue reflects the full support of the Central People's Government for the Macao SAR Government. Through the organization of this ministerial meeting, APEC economies will have a better understanding of the successful implementation of "one country, two systems" in Macao, and enrich their knowledge of Chinese and Western cultural heritage in Macao. This will help foster the future co-operation and development of Macao and the APEC economies and generate momentum for shaping Macao as a world tourism and leisure center. The Secretary-General of the Macao organizing committee, Mr Alexis Tam, said the ministerial meeting is one of the most important events to mark the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the Macao Special Administrative Region, and a golden opportunity to promote Macao's image to the world. The Government will seize this opportunity, when tourism ministers from various countries are gathered in Macao, to let them appreciate the diversity of Macao, with the hope of exploring more potential co-operation and scope for development. Chief Executive leads preparation work Last November, while attending the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation Between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries in Macao, Vice Premier Wang Yang announced that the Central People's Government had given approval for Macao to organize the 8th APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting in 2014. Early this year, to make sound preparations for organizing the APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting and proceed with all related arrangements as soon as possible, Chief Executive Mr Chui Sai On signed an Executive Order establishing an organizing committee for the 8th APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting. He personally leads work related to the meeting, promoting co-operation among all government departments and ensuring their devotion to the task. After six months of intensive preparations, the Macao organizing committee has held numerous co-ordination meetings with the National Tourism Administration and relevant departments, to discuss the detailed arrangements for the ministerial meeting. Encouraging results have been achieved in the preparation work on venue arrangements, hospitality for visiting delegations, media coverage and security issues. Officials attending today's press conference included the Director of the Macau Government Tourist Office, Ms Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, and the Director of the Government Information Bureau, Mr Victor Chan Chi Ping.
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Consumer Council conducted its second 'Supermarket price survey' in July on 7 July for the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12 June. Surveyed locations included supermarkets near Iao Hon Market and the Border Gate area (Portas do Cerco ) in N. Sra. de Fátima Parish. The latest 'Supermarket Price Survey' is now available on Consumer Council's website (www.consumer.gov.mo), and the 'Supermarket Price Information Platform' iPhone and Android apps. The survey is also available free of charge at the offices of Consumer Council, IACM's Iao Hon and S. Domingos Markets, bookstores and libraries. Consumers may also access the resources through WAP channels on their mobile phones. With reference to the local six parishes and the number of supermarkets in each parish, the Council has divided around 100 supermarkets into 8 areas for price collection. The Council collects prices from these supermarkets for the provision of a more comprehensive database for consumers to check price discrepancies and make price comparisons according to their desired locations. For inquiry, please call 8988 9315.
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The initiative organized by the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-Speaking Countries (MACAO), in partnership with the University of Saint Joseph that has the collaboration of Catholic University of Portugal takes place from July 6th 2014 to July 20th 2014 in Portugal. The opening ceremony of this colloquium was held on July 7th 2014 in the Catholic University of Portugal in Lisbon with the presence of the Deputy Secretary General, representing Macao Special Administrative Region, of the Permanent Secretariat for the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-Speaking Countries in Macao, Ms. Rita Santos; Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Portugal, Dr. Luís Campos Ferreira; Representative of the Ambassador of China to Portugal, Consul for Economic and Commerce, Ms. He Ding; Ambassador of East Timor, Ms. Maria da Costa; Representative of the Ambassador of Angola, Ms. Maria Perez; Representative of the Ambassador of Cabo Verde, Ms. Filonmena Lopes; Vice –Rector of Catholic University of Portugal, Professor Isabel Gil; Registrar of University of Saint Joseph, Dr. Ricardo Rato; Head of the Economic and Commercial Delegation of Macao stationed in Lisbon, Eng. Raimundo Rosario; Former Governor of Macao, General Vasco Rocha Vieira; Representative of the Brazilian Mission to the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries, Dr. Durval Luís Pereira; Coordinator of the Liasion Office and also as Representative of Angola delegation at the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-Speaking Countries in Macao, Dr. Joaquim Gama; participants of the Colloquium and other public and private institutional representatives taking part in the colloquium. The Deputy Secretary General of the Permanent Secretariat from the Forum, Ms. Rita Santos; Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Portugal, Dr. Luís Campos Ferreira; Vice –Rector of the Catholic University of Portugal, Professor Isabel Gil; Registrar of the University of Saint Joseph, Dr. Ricardo Rato and the student representative of the colloquium delivered their opening speeches respectively at the opening ceremony where over 80 participants attended which included 9 scholarship holders studying at higher education institutions in Portugal from Macao. The "Colloquium for the Conception and Management of Community Cooperatives in the Portuguese – Speaking Countries" included themes chosen by representatives of Portuguese-Speaking Countries based on the advantages of Macao and respective countries. It was the first time that the Centre for Training at the Forum (Macao), based on the recommendation of members in the Portuguese-Speaking Countries, implementing a course in one of the member of Portuguese-speaking countries of the Forum. The Colloquium takes place in Portugal with a total of 25 participants whom are chiefs or technicians of public services from Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal and East Timor. The Deputy Secretary General of the Permanent Secretariat from the Forum, Ms. Rita Santos emphasized the importance of this topic and the materials that will be the subject of study is the exchange of experience in the topics such as "Diversification of production with the aim of import substitution and promotion of exports"; "Challenges and Strategies for Successful Brand Management"; "Venture Capital in Agriculture" etc. Further, the theme is also illustrated with specific case studies of Portuguese- Speaking Countries such as: "Challenges of development in post-conflict society faced by Angola", "Challenges and opportunities of agribusiness in Brazil" and "Economic Promotion in the agricultural and agro-industrial sector with focusing in Mozambique and other countries in the African Continent". She also reinforces that this colloquium solidifies the plan for the cooperation of development in education and human resources of the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-Speaking Countries and also reinforce the role of Macao as a promotional exchange and service platform for China and Portuguese-Speaking. The speakers in the colloquium include, Deputy Secretary General of the Permanent Secretariat, representing Macao Special Administrative Region, from the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-Speaking Countries in Macao, Ms. Rita Santos; Nuno Cardeal, Pedro Celeste and Ricardo Reis of Catholic University of Portugal – Católica Lisbon; Belarmino Jelembi, Director General of the Angolan NGO – ADRA (Action for Rural and Environmental Development), Firmino Mucavele, Eduardo Mondlane University in Mozambique, Leticia Costa from INSPER, Brazilian Institute of Education and Research. The participants of the colloquium will also go on site visitis, those included: Lezirias Company which is one of the major agricultural – fauna companies of Portugal with 177 years of history; Adega Maior, a tourist destination for wine tasting and olive oil production & storage; Guided tour of the Alqueva Dam, the biggest potential zone for agriculture in Portugal; Visit one of the most innovative examples of strategic regional planning institutions in Portugal, the Coordination and Development Commission in the Region of Alentejo; The colloquium will also meet with AICEP - Agency for Investment and Foreign Trade of Portugal and IAPMEI - Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation and visit to COKART, corkage factory and various sites within the cities of Lisbon and Porto.
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