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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that a total of 191 MICE events were held in the first quarter of 2016, down by 20 year-on-year (consisting of 14 meetings & conferences and 6 exhibitions). Total number of participants and attendees decreased by 50.4% to 124,960. According to the information, 4 of the exhibitions held in the first quarter of 2015 were scheduled to be held in the second quarter of this year, resulting in a significant decline in the number of MICE participants and attendees in the first quarter of 2016. There were 187 meetings and conferences held in the first quarter, down by 7.0% year-on-year; number of participants dropped by 28.7% to 15,457. The average duration of the meetings and conferences was 2.0 days and total floor area used was 74,876 m2. Concurrently, 4 exhibitions were held, down by 6 year-on-year; number of attendees declined by 52.4% to 109,503. The average duration of the exhibitions was 2.8 days and total floor area used was 10,130 m2. The 4 exhibitions held in the first quarter were organized by non-government organizations, of which 2 exhibitions were held for the first time in Macao and 2 were repeated exhibitions. In accordance with information collected from the organizers of the 4 exhibitions, receipts of these exhibitions amounted to MOP 5.44 million, coming primarily from rental of exhibition booths (81.2%), and financial support from government or other organizations accounted for 17.2%. Expenditure of the exhibitions totalled MOP 6.17 million, which was mainly incurred on production, construction & decoration (28.4%), publicity & public relations (22.3%) and rental for venue (20.5%). The exhibitions attracted 267 exhibitors, coming primarily from Hong Kong (77.5%); professional visitors totalled 420, of which 52.4% were from Macao. Information from 121 interviewed exhibitors in the first quarter indicated that 98.4% of their receipts came from sales of products, while rental paid for exhibition booth accounted for 70.5% of their expenditure. Regarding comments about the MICE venue and services, 76.8% of the interviewed exhibitors were satisfied with the venue management, up by 1.0 percentage point quarter-to-quarter. As regards planning and organization of the exhibition, the proportion of interviewed exhibitors who were satisfied with the arrangements of the exhibition increased by 2.2 percentage points quarter-to-quarter to 64.5%; meanwhile, 35.8% of the exhibitors were satisfied with the promotion of the exhibition, down by 7.6 percentage points, while 28.3% considered that improvement was needed, up by 11.1 percentage points. Furthermore, the proportion of interviewed exhibitors who were satisfied with the work efficiency & attitude of the venue staff decreased by 9.7 percentage points quarter-to-quarter to 68.8%.
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The 2016 Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Film Production Investment and Trade Fair (hereinafter referred to as “the Fair”), will be held in August, with the aim of providing an exchange platform for film producers and investors from the three regions, facilitating pairing services, investment opportunities and the development of the film projects. The Fair is now calling for the submission of Macao film projects and all interested parties from the film industry are welcome to submit their works. The call for submissions is open from 14 June 2016 to 28 June 2016. Co-organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC), the Guangdong Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television and the Hong Kong Film Development Council, the Fair has been held in Macao since 2014, with the aim of providing a high quality and convenient communication platform for film producers and investors from the three regions, establishing investment opportunities and pairing services for the film industry, in order to cultivate film professionals and promote the development of the film industry in the three regions. Applicants of selected film projects will meet up with investors from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao at the Fair. Every year the Fair invites 30 producers and over 60 investors and guests to participate. In 2015, through successful pairing, a Letter of Intent was signed between the Guangdong producer of San Chong Mei Ying and the Guangdong Zhujiang Film Group Co., Ltd. Applicants of Macao film projects to the 2016 Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Film Production Investment and Trade Fair must be 18 years old or above and must hold a valid Macao S.A.R. Resident Identity Card. Each applicant may submit one unfinished film only; he/she must be the director of the film and must have directed one feature film with a running time of over 20 minutes, which must have been screened to the public. The adjudicating panel, composed by a group of professionals from the film industry invited by IC, will select a maximum of ten film projects for the Fair based on four criteria: creativity of the story, experience and executive capability of the applicant, experience and executive capability of the executive producer and production company, and budget rationality. Application forms can be downloaded from the Cultural Affairs Bureau website (www.icm.gov.mo) and from the Macao Cultural and Creative Industries website (www.macaucci.com). Applicants should submit the completed application form and all required documents to the Department for Promoting Cultural and Creative Industries of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, located at No. 567, Av. da Praia Grande, Edif. BNU, 12th floor A-D, Macao, before 28 June 2016. For enquiries, please contact Mr. Chong, staff member of IC, through tel. no. (853) 2892 4040, during office hours.
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The Government will begin on 4 July to send out cheques to Macao residents under the city’s Wealth Partaking Scheme 2016, according to a by-law published today in the Macao SAR Gazette. Under the scheme, those qualified receive either 9,000 patacas if they are a permanent resident, or 5,400 patacas if they are a non-permanent resident. Beneficiaries such as senior citizens, teaching staff, current and retired civil servants, college students receiving student aid, and those who receive other forms of subsidy from the Government, will have the cash handout deposited in their respective bank accounts. Other recipients will receive their payments in the mail on various dates over the next 10 weeks and up until 16 September. Holders of a Macao Special Administrative Region Resident Identity Card that is valid up to 31 December 2015 – or is valid up to that date and is renewable subsequently – are entitled to receive the cash payment. Macao ID holders currently living abroad are also entitled to the cash handout – provided they have relevant documentary proof of identity. The Government has operated the Wealth Partaking Scheme for nine consecutive years, with the aim of sharing the fruits of Macao’s economic development with the people of Macao.
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Organised by the Macao Orchestra under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau and supported by Sands China Ltd., the concert Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY was held on 11 June at The Venetian Theatre. It drew a full house and was enthusiastically received by music aficionados. The Macao Orchestra also invited underprivileged groups to enjoy the performance, showing its solidarity close by the community. The Macao Orchestra performed for the first time under the baton of Grammy award winner conductor Arnie Roth the concert Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY, featuring music by Japanese video game music composer Nobuo Uematsu. The familiar music and spectacular images of the game, were synchronously projected on screen, offering a visual and aural experience well-received by the audience. A concert-goer acclaimed the refreshing and gorgeous selection of songs, stage effects and production of the programme, and hoped that similar concerts would be staged in future. In conjunction with the concept of boundless music, the Orchestra and Sands China jointly invited a number of local charitable associations and underprivileged groups to enjoy the performance, including the Concordia School for Special Education, the Escola Caritas de Macau, the Fuhong Society of Macau, the Richmond Fellowship of Macau and the ECF Fellowship Orphanage, allowing people from various backgrounds to experience a fantastic world-class art performance and intensifying the integration of handicapped people in the community through the power of music. This is the first time that Macao Orchestra introduced a large-scale symphonic concert which was very well received. The Orchestra anticipates the launch of new forms of performances in the future, enriching the art of music and bringing new musical experiences to both residents and tourists. The Macao Orchestra will present its 2015-16 Concert Season closing concert entitled Così Fan Tutte, an opera buffa of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, in concert version. Tickets are now on sale at the Macau Ticketing Network. For more details and programme enquiries, please visit the Macao Orchestra website at www.icm.gov.mo/om or call OM through tel. no. 2853 0782, during office hours.
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The Civil Aviation Authority of Macao SAR (AACM) and SEMAC Security Company jointly organize a crisis management course on aviation security commencing today (13 June 2016) to teach personnel in the security forces about crisis management procedures and relevant knowledge and skills. The course is taught by a SEMAC instructor who has worked in aviation security for many years and possesses enriching teaching experience in lecturing the relevant field. The course is convened at the training centre of SEMAC which is located at Macau International Airport, from 13 to 17 June 2016, targeting at the middle to senior level management personnel who are responsible for airport emergencies and aviation security tasks. The course syllabus includes regulations and requirements in crisis management, concept of crisis management, key components in a crisis management plan, the handling of a crisis when it arises and so on. A total of 20 participants are enrolled in the course, who represent the Unitary Police Force, the Macao Customs Service, the Public Security Forces, the Judiciary Police and the Fire Services. Particpants who have completed and passed the assessment will be awarded with the course certificate. The course instructor is the Senior Director of SEMAC, Mr. William Yeung. Before working in Macao, he had worked in the Police Force of California, USA, for over 18 years; he had then moved to Hong Kong to work in the Aviation Security Company of Hong Kong majoring in aviation security operations and training for over 10 years. William is a certified instructor of both International Civil Aviation Organization and International Air Transport Association. In addition, he is a certified instructor in emergency coordination, firearms and chemical agent on an international level. AACM organizes different types of courses on a regular basis to provide necessary training to the industry partners and the organizations involved in aviation safety and security so that the participants can enhance their understanding of the regulations and international standards, with the objective that the participants can increase their capacity and skills in handling emergencies.
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The Macao Orchestra, under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, presents the chamber music concert “Serenade Romance” at Dom Pedro V Theatre on Friday, 17 June, at 8pm. The concert features two serenades, offering the audience an evening of refined romantic music. Tickets are on sale at the Macau Ticketing Network. When we think of a serenade, we usually think of a love song performed for a lonely lover in a silent night. Great composers like Mozart, Schubert, Tchaikovsky have all composed their own delightful and expressive serenades. The programme of this concert “Serenade Romance” features Mozart’s Serenade No. 12 for Winds in C Minor, characterised by a distinct and refined style, as well as Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings in C Major, one of the composer’s most famous pieces. Tickets for OM’s concert “Serenade Romance” are priced at MOP120 and MOP100 and there are various discount packages available. Ticketing hotline: 2855 5555. For details of the programme, please visit the Macao Orchestra’s website at www.icm.gov.mo/om.
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The Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT) hosted on 2 June a 1-day workshop on tourism planning and development that was aimed at representatives of tourism-related government bodies from Portuguese-speaking countries. It was the first time IFT hosted a training workshop tailor-made for representatives from Portuguese-speaking countries. The workshop was part of the ongoing work by IFT to support the Macao SAR Government’s efforts to promote the city as a cooperation service platform between The People’s Republic of China and Portuguese-speaking countries. The programme was headed by IFT Visiting Professor Dr. John Ap. Before becoming an academic, he was a town planner specialising in recreation and tourism planning. He has also served as a consultant for several organisations, including the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) and the United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO). The workshop was divided into 2 sessions. In the morning part, participants discussed the guiding principles of tourism planning; different approaches to tourism development; and related operational and technical requirements. During the afternoon, the group and Dr. Ap conducted a study tour to several tourism attractions in Macao to discuss the respective tourism planning strategies relevant to those attractions. “This was a very valuable workshop and will help us improve our tourism planning,” stated participant Mr. Amostra Alfandiga, a representative from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Mozambique. The 10-strong group was in Macao at the invitation of the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) for a 2-week training opportunity. Earlier on October 12, 2015, Macao SAR Government and United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Macao. The objective was to enhance cooperation between the two parties in improving the quality of human capital and increasing the competitiveness of tourism destinations (particularly in the Asia Pacific Region) in order to achieve sustainable tourism development. The Global Centre for Tourism Education and Training, soon to be set up by the Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT), Macao is tasked with the responsibility to organise training and education programmes, and other projects in collaboration with UNWTO, to achieve the objectives set out in the Memorandum. In the future, the Centre will additionally provide training courses targeted to representatives of Portuguese-speaking countries, with the aim of enhancing exchanges and mutual learning between Macao and Portuguese-speaking countries in the field of tourism. Established in 1995, the Institute for Tourism Studies, Macao (IFT) offers the most extensive selection of tourism and hospitality related bachelor degree programmes in Macao, and about twenty thousand participants attend its vocational and professional training courses annually. IFT collaborates with 97 universities and tourism organisations around the world, and builds strong links with 500 leading tourism and hospitality corporations to offer internship opportunities to its students. Being the first institution accredited by the UNWTO.TedQual Certification System for tourism education, IFT has now 7 bachelor degree programmes with the Certification. Currently, the Institute has the most number of bachelor degree programmes certified under the System of any tertiary education establishment worldwide. IFT has received the Medal of Merit in Tourism from the Macao SAR Government, and won twice the Gold Award in ‘Education and Training’ from the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA).
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Since January this year, Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) has assumed the responsibilities of co-ordinating and promoting MICE-related activities in Macao, and adopted the slogan “Macao – Mega Events City” in promoting its advantages in conventions and exhibitions industry as well as the “One-stop Service” for MICE Bidding and Support in Macao. In the first half of this year, IPIM has organised several delegations for operators of the convention, exhibition and tourism sectors to participate in various overseas MICE trade shows, including AIME 2016 (the Asia-pacific Incentives and Meetings Expo), IT&CM China 2016 (Incentive Travel & Convention, Meetings China), and IMEX Frankfurt (the Worldwide Exhibition for Incentive Travel, Meetings and Events in Frankfurt). Operators of the convention and exhibition industry who have participated in the events acknowledged the fruitful outcome, given that, in addition to assisting them in business expansion, through contacts with their international counterparts, they could broaden their horizons and enhanced their standards. They are also generally optimistic about the development of the MICE industry in Macao, as the city, offering world-class facilities and infrastructures along with qualified professionals, is capable of holding various types of MICE-related events. Therefore, the charisma of “Macao – Mega Events City” has already reached the world stage. Fruitful outcome achieved in the convention and exhibition sector, thanks to the concerted efforts of government and private entities to make Macao a world-class event destination One of the delegation members, the Director and Deputy General Manager of Top Holiday-P&E International Travel Co., Ltd., Ms. Elisa Ng, said that through the participation in trade shows abroad, she managed to sourced two conventions that are likely to be held in Macao, in the areas of information technology and direct marketing. These two events are expected to attract approximately 200 to 1,000 participants. The Director of Inbound Department of China International Travel Service (Macao) Ltd., Mr. Cooper Zhang said that, soon after his participation in the trade shows, he had received three to four enquiries from customers in Belgium, Sweden and other European countries, requesting quotations of itinerary for around 50 to 60 participants over a period of five to six days in Macao. Supports convention and exhibition industry to achieve self-improvement and to develop overseas markets In addition to business development, participation in MICE trade shows could also help operators of the convention and exhibition industry to enhance their standards, and increase the “added value” of their businesses. According to the Director of Commercial Division of TurboJET, Mr. Alcuin Li, he has gathered a number of travel agencies contacts during his participation in the trade shows, and also took the opportunity to introduce to these agencies the advantages of his company in the area of maritime passenger transport in the Pearl River Delta region, as well as the various types of their products, thus promoting the corporate image. The Project Managers of 615 Event Planning Company Ltd., Mr. Keith Ngai and Ms. Sio Ng, said that participation in the trade shows enabled them to expand their international vision, connect with the world and improve their perspectives, and, thus, increase the “added value” of their companies. Combination of advantages in different areas to promote the development of “Macao - Mega Events City” The development of Macao´s convention and exhibition industry advances “progressively”. The Project Manager of Macao Expo Group Ltd., Mr. Andrew Jiang and the Sales Manager of MGM Macao, Ms. Sherry Xu both agreed that Macao not only offers an array of prime hotels, providing integrated services in the areas of fashion retail, catering, accommodation and transportation, to meet the requirements of different types of events, the strengths of Macao also include its ideal geographic location, being adjacent to the Pearl River Delta Region and a hub where Chinese and western cultures meet, the close ties with the Portuguese-speaking, European and US markets, as well as the subvention programmes to support the convention and exhibition industry, in particular, the “One-stop Service” for MICE Bidding and Support in Macao offered by IPIM. These advantages, coupled with sophisticated hotel facilities, are crucial factors to attract more business to choose Macao to stage their events. Given that they are optimistic on the good development momentum of their development of the MICE industry in Macao, MGM plans to strengthen their investments in software and hardware facilities. The project currently under construction at Cotai, will offer new entertainment elements, namely, the Grande Praça and a multi-purpose theatre, which are intended to provide more support services for conventions and exhibitions. New Ideas to explore New Potentials In the current era of rapid changes, innovative thinking is essential. In this connection, the Travel Industry Council of Macau (TICM), has since the beginning of the first half of this year, participated in the delegation as an “organisation”. Mr. Paul Wong, Vice-President of Board of Directors of Travel Industry Council of Macao, said that, compared with the past, when he participated as an “enterprise”, this year he was able to meet a greater number of officials and semi-official organisations related to the convention and exhibition industry and believed that, by means of their business contacts and social impact, help to promote and publicise Macao advantages, in a more systematic and organised manner. On the other hand, Mr. Clemson Lo, General Manager of C&E Conference and Exhibition Management Ltd., with over 30 years of experience in the participation in tourism and MICE exhibitions and trade shows, said that he agrees IPIM in the launching of the “Ambassador Programme of Conference” to, through the concerted efforts of the academic associations and organisations, to jointly bid for the organisation of international conventions in Macao, as he believes that such initiatives would facilitate the publicity of “Macao - Mega Events City” . Regarding the best method to fully utilise the convention and exhibition activities to promote social economy, the Account Director of MICE Sales and Destination Marketing at Studio City Macao Mr. Patrick Ma agreed that the recommendation of the events to the respective event participants would benefit community consumption and thereby promotes social economy. Industry praised IPIM for their first-time organization of delegations to MICE trade shows Most of the participants praised IPIM for the effort in its first-time organisation of delegation to participate in local and overseas MICE trade shows. In addition to the organisation of the briefing sessions before departure, IPIM´s staff, has also set up a social group on “WeChat” to facilitate contacts and provided first-hand updates on the trade shows and the trip. Furthermore, it also enabled members of the group to know each other and facilitate networking, in a bid to promote co-operation. Furthermore, participants also praised the contemporary design of the “Macao Pavilion”, which highlighted the positioning of Macao´s convention and exhibition industry. They believed that it will help to lead the participants, through international trade fairs, to “go global”. Some participants suggested the “Macao Pavilion” to showcase coffee from the Portuguese-speaking Countries, as well as Portuguese wine or typical Macanese snacks, to promote the characteristics of the integration of the Chinese and Western cultures, given that, in their opinion, this could assist in the exploration of potential business opportunities. Furthermore, in the second half of this year, IPIM will continue to organise the delegation of local convention and exhibition industry to participate in CIBTM 2016 (Incentives, Business Travel and Meetings expo China) and IMEX America 2016 (The Worldwide Exhibition for Incentive Travel, Meetings and Events in America), in order to play the role as a bridge to facilitate co-operation between operators of the MICE industry in Macao and their counterparts in Mainland China and abroad, while endeavouring, to promote the charisma of “Macao - Mega Events City”.
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The Government was confident the public finances would be in surplus by the end of this year, said today the Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Leong Vai Tac. The Government expected casino gross gaming revenue in 2016 would be around 200 billion patacas, a 13.4 percent decline compared to the 230.84 billion patacas recorded in 2015. The decline in gaming revenue for the first five months of 2016 had narrowed in year-on-year terms and was within the Government’s expectations for 2016, said the Secretary. The aggregate contraction in such revenue in the first quarter was 13.3 percent judged year-on-year. In the four months to the end of April and in the five months to the end of May respectively, the year-on-year decline had narrowed, to 12.4 percent and 11.9 percent. The Secretary made the comments to reporters after the opening ceremony of the Fourth Annual Conference of World Cultural Forum (Taihu, China), held in Macao. Mr Leong noted that gaming revenue for June was typically lower – judged month-on-month – than that recorded in May. The Secretary also commented on recent cases of irregular fundraising activities by unlicensed parties. Such instances would not affect the stability of Macao’s financial system: most of the loans by official lenders were secured debt. The Government had been liaising closely with the financial sector regarding the latest developments in the city’s economy. Mr Leong said that any loan of money required a cautious evaluation of risk, especially during the adjustment period undergone by the city’s gaming industry, when the value of assets – such as property – had the potential to fall. Regarding penalties for unlicensed fundraising activities, the Secretary said the community needed to recognise the need for balance in the legal system in relation to what degree – if any – public harm was likely to occur. The Secretary noted that the Government was paying close attention to public opinion regarding the issue of unlicensed fundraising.
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The Government is stepping up efforts to diversify Macao’s economy by allocating more support to the MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) sector; to the cultural and creative sectors; and to the traditional Chinese medicine sector. The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, said so today in his opening remarks at the Fourth Annual Conference of World Cultural Forum (Taihu, China). The Government is making every effort to achieve the development goals of transforming Macao into a world centre of tourism and leisure and a commercial and trade cooperation service platform between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries (policies collectively known as “Centre and Platform”), Mr Chui said. The Chief Executive said the Government would put further effort – in pursuing the “Centre and Platform” policies – into making good use of Macao’s unique cultural heritage. Such effort would help create new and pleasurable leisure experiences for visitors to Macao. The Fourth Annual Conference of World Cultural Forum (Taihu, China) is this year being held in Macao, until 9 June. The three-day Forum has the theme “Join Hands for a Human Destiny Community”. The fourth edition of the Forum highlighted the city’s growing role as a platform for cultural exchanges and was a recognition of the importance of the city’s MICE sector, Mr Chui said. Macao would make further contributions in the development of the nation’s “Belt and Road” initiative. Macao would do so via its cultural exchanges with cities and countries on the routes covered by the “Belt and Road” initiative. “Belt and Road” refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road. Only via constant exchanges between communities would the world further the process of development, and cope with the challenges of the times, said the Chief Executive. Mr Chui detailed Macao’s success in the following matters: its advantages arising from the “One country, two systems” principle; and Macao’s inclusion on the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). On Tuesday (7 June), the Chief Executive met with the Vice Chairwoman of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and Honorary Chairwoman of World Cultural Forum (Taihu, China), Ms Zhang Meiying, to exchange views on Macao’s development prospects. During the meeting at Santa Sancha, Mr Chui said the Government was giving its full support to this edition of the Forum. Macao’s successful delivery of the event had great symbolic importance for the diversification of the city’s economy. The “One country, two systems” principle enabled Macao to received considerable support from the Central Government. This was helping to focus the patriotic spirit of Macao people and to introduce younger members of the community in particular to the latest developments on the mainland and the latest progress there, said Mr Chui. Ms Zhang noted that this was her first visit to Macao and that she had been able to experience the city’s unique culture. She added she hoped that Macao’s experience of hosting World Cultural Forum (Taihu, China) would assist the city in developing its bridging role. Macao would benefit from the further effort put into promoting the city’s sustainable development, she said, adding that public policy related to the MICE sector could help to achieve the goal of economic diversification. World Cultural Forum (Taihu, China) is an annual non-governmental event held in China. It aims to promote development of Chinese culture and cross-cultural communications between China and foreign countries.
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