News

This year is the 10th Anniversary of St. Lazarus Church District Creative Industries Promotion Association (CIPA). One of the goals for the year is to launch and promote a new Facebook page to help CIPA disseminate information about their activities for the public to attend and services CIPA provide to artists and designers in Macao. This task was given to IFT Assistant Professor, Dr. Fernando Lourenço and his year 3 students undertaking the Bachelor of Science in Tourism Retail and Marketing Management in 2014. In summary, students started the project by investigating website and Facebook pages of similar nature around the world to learn how best to develop effective campaigns and designs. Subsequently, the development and execution of social media marketing campaigns were initiated with the aim of helping CIPA to promote a brand new Facebook page, gain substantial amount of 'Likes' and engaging stakeholders. CIPA representatives were very impressed with the outcomes and offered IFT students a follow-up project to continue with their work over a period of time to develop further social media marketing campaigns and to build further awareness of their activities and services in the cultural and creative industry and network. This collaboration is a success because IFT has successfully supported a local association, the outcomes was highly recognised by the client and finally IFT provided students with real world experience which will be valuable for their personal development and future career. A like to the page http://www.facebook.com/cipa.macau gives a like to IFT student!
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To enable SMEs to understand more about overseas enterprise's best marketing, promotion and management practices, together with the aim of inspiring SMEs to pursue creative innovation and business transformation, Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) is going to organise a training seminar on the "Best practices of marketing and human resources management of Japan enterprises" with Japan Franchise Association (JFA). The seminar will be held on 28 May from 10:00 to 12:30; 14:30 to 17:00 in the Multi-function Conference Hall of Macao Business Support Centre (263, Alameda Dr. Carlos d'Assumpção, Edif. China Civil Plaza, 19 andar, Macau). According to the organisers, the programme will consist of a training session and a study trip to Japan that aims to benefit Macao SMEs by giving them an insight into how overseas enterprises manage their business. It is believed that this activity will assist Macao SMEs to have a better grasp of the ongoing business trends and development, create broader horizons as well as expand their market through brand building. Invited specialist explains store management, application of technology and techniques and brand expansion
Often, due to limited resources and restraints of operating conditions, SMEs encounter various challenges that may hamper their marketing strategies, innovation, human resources management and business development. As the franchising business model in Japan has reached maturity and is widely accepted by Macao enterprises, Macao SMEs can possibly learn and benefit from the experience of these various successful models. The speaker at the training seminar is Mr. Akihiko Uchikawa, President & CEO Franchise Research & Strategy Institute, Inc. Mr. Uchikawa is a lecturer at the Supervising School at Japan Franchise Association and has extensive management experience in the food & beverage industry and convenience chain stores. A variety of topics will be covered in the seminar, including prevailing management techniques, practices, equipment and technology adopted by Japan SMEs to manage their business, human resources and shop management, franchise business development, as well as building a brand and practical issues in brand expansion SMEs to visit successful enterprises and gain insight into best practices
The training seminar covers various topics suitable for Macao SMEs and is conducted in Japanese (with simultaneous translation in Cantonese). Participants of the training seminar are will be given priority to go on a visit to Japan. The visit will include site visits to enterprises in various industries (food & beverage, convenience stores, service) and logistics and distribution centers; which will enable participants to learn more about successful business practices of overseas enterprises. Enrolment for the visit will be processed on a first come first served basis. For details, please contact Ms. Leong or Mr. Ho of SME Service Centre on: +853 87989711/613; Email: smec@ipim.gov.mo
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For decades now Belgium has been known world-wide for its diamonds, fashion and top-quality food and beverage products. However, in the last 10 years Belgium has also stepped to the forefront of the industrial and product design world, and this small country of 11 million people is now recognised as one of the world's top 10 countries in design and creativity. Especially in the fields of fashion, diamonds & jewellery, premium gifts and industrial design, Belgium continues to surprise the world with the unique quality and craftsmanship of its products. After years of solid growth and increased visibility in Hong Kong, Belgium is now ready to explore the market in Macau. With its vibrant economy and unparalleled tourism sector, Macau is the ideal platform to introduce Belgian products to local customers and to guests from China and the rest of Asia. "A Taste of Belgium" is jointly organised by the Consulate-general of Belgium in Hong Kong, the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) and a dozen local suppliers of Belgian products. The event gives representatives of the Hospitality and Retail sectors in Macau the exclusive opportunity to experience Belgium's unique expertise in F&B and lifestyle products. Discovering Belgium is a journey of many and diverse experiences. This surprising country demonstrates a unique sense of craftsmanship, combining tradition and contemporary designs, dynamism and creativity, trendiness and functional appeal. "A Taste of Belgium" is the platform which shows, among others, beautiful jewellery and glass art, and highly original premium gifts.
The event starts with an introduction of the participating Belgian brands and products. Next is a praline-making demonstration by Belgian master chocolatier Geert Renmans. During the ensuing B2B meeting session guests can enjoy the tasting of some of Belgium's fine beers, chocolates, cookies and other products. Finely-crafted diamond jewellery and retail gift shop souvenirs are on display and complement this seduction of the senses. The informal buffet at "A Taste of Belgium" introduces the guests to more of Belgium's renowned culinary products. The main menu consists of excellent traditional Belgian fries, fresh and clean fish from the Belgian North Sea, fresh vegetables and other such delicacies. The dessert combining manually-made chocolates by Goossens Chocolatier, premium ice-cream by Glacio and signature coffee by world champion coffee master Peter Hernou is the finishing touch to an unforgettable evening. "A Taste of Belgium" is an exclusive promotion event which introduces top Belgian products for the hospitality and retail business, including food & beverages and lifestyle products suitable for Macao SMEs. Hong Kong and Macau-based suppliers will be present at the event to showcase their Belgian products. Registration will be processed on a first come first served basis. An online B to B pre-matching platform can be accessed via http://bm.ipim.gov.mo and for more details about the event, please contact Ms. Leong of Macao Business Support Center on: +853 87989633; Email: smec@ipim.gov.mo.
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Consumer Council conducted its specific price survey on over-the-counter drugs on 22 May 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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Through different cultural and arts events, the 25th Macao Arts Festival hosts over 40 outreach programmes in various formats in order to promote arts to different sectors of the local society. This year the Festival launched its Arts Accessibility Services offering audio description and visual interpretation workshops for selected programmes for people with visual and hearing impairment in order to enable them to enjoy the arts without barriers. In addition, the Festival promoted the activity 'Puppets in the Hospitals' to bring puppet shows to children's wards in hospitals with the objective of enriching their lives through the arts, while the 'Stage Photography Workshop by Hsu Ping' seeks to enable participants to capture all of the behind-the-scenes action prior to performances, including the hard work of the performers and production crews and every exclusively unique moment. In order to promote social inclusion and an opportunity for people from different backgrounds to enjoy various types of arts programmes, the Festival created 'Activities for the Visually and Hearing Impaired' which include professional audio description and theatrical interpretations in partnership with the Hong Kong Jockey Club Arts Accessibility Service Centre and the Arts with the Disabled Association Hong Kong. One of these activities - Venetians Want to Get a House by the Macao Experimental Theatre - was successfully held at Dom Pedro V Theatre on 3 May at 3:00pm counting with the participation of nearly a hundred visually and hearing impaired people. Via simultaneous theatrical interpretation, the audience was able to experience the plot development, the emotions of the characters and the theatrical ambience, whilst immersing themselves in the performance, thereby realising the spirit of 'arts without boundaries'. The Hong Kong Puppet and Shadow Art Centre visited the children's wards of Conde de S. Januário Hospital and Kiang Wu Hospital Via on 9 and 10 May with 'Puppets in the Hospitals', performing Special Creatures, The Little Monkey from Mount Yao, and The Little Monk Going down the Hills. These shows were a fascinating experience and produced endless amusement to the hospitalised children. Puppeteers ingeniously and skilfully manipulated the puppets to present a number of interesting shows. Children who were in the intensive care units who and been there for a long period of time due to their relatively weak immune systems, and who are rarely able to enjoy such shows, also attended the performances. With the aid of the hospitals, a small stage was set up in a specially designed environment, where children could interact with the lovely puppets at close range in order to boost their vitality and cheer them up through the arts. Professional documentary photographer Hsu Ping has engaged in the 'Stage Photography Workshop' since April, guiding students in the shooting of rehearsals of various programmes of the Festival, including Revival, The Legend of the White Snake, Cloning Ecstasy, Rain of Stone, Song of the Sea, etc.. Participants works are displayed at the performances' venues. Currently, the works about the performance Revival are displayed in the Old Court Building on Av. da Praia Grande, and the works on Rain of Stone, Song of the Sea will be presented later in the same venue. Works about The Legend of the White Snake are shown in the foyer of the Alegria Cinema and works about Cloning Ecstasy will be displayed in the Tap Seac Galley. For further information about the 25th Macao Arts Festival programmes, please visit www.icm.gov.mo/fam.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that attributable to the Easter holidays, visitor arrivals increased by 10% year-on-year to 2,636,614 in April 2014; same-day visitors accounted for 54% of the total, at 1,426,093. Analysed by place of residence, visitors from Mainland China increased by 14% year-on-year to 1,743,776, coming primarily from Guangdong Province (685,796), Fujian Province (72,282) and Hunan Province (63,972); Mainland visitors travelling under the Individual Visit Scheme totalled 707,085, sharing 41% of the total from Mainland China. Visitors from Hong Kong (585,824) and the Republic of Korea (33,975) increased by 9% and 11% respectively year-on-year, while those from Taiwan (75,645) decreased by 7%. Long-haul visitors from the United States (15,968), Australia (11,544) and the United Kingdom (5,579) registered year-on-year increase; on the contrary, visitors from Canada (5,906) and France (3,494) marked decrease. The average length of stay of visitors remained unchanged from a year earlier, at 1.0 day in April 2014; overnight and same-day visitors stayed an average of 1.9 days and 0.2 day respectively. In the first four months of 2014, visitor arrivals reached 10,326,780, up by 9% year-on-year, and same-day visitors took up 54% of the total. Visitors from Mainland China (+16%), the Republic of Korea (+17%) and Japan (+5%) increased year-on-year, while those from Hong Kong (-5%) and Taiwan (-5%) decreased. Besides, long-haul visitors from the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom posted year-on-year increase; however, those from Canada and France registered decline.
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Given the recent security situation in Thailand, the Chinese Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Thailand cautions Chinese nationals to carefully consider travel plans to Thailand. Following is the translated version of the full text:
"In the afternoon of May 22, the Thai army announced its takeover of the government and proclaimed a nationwide curfew daily from 10 pm to 5 am. In order to ensure safety and be prepared for any eventuality, the Embassy of the P.R.C. urges Chinese nationals who intend to visit Thailand to critically assess security risks, and cautiously consider travel plans to Thailand. Chinese nationals and Corporations in Thailand should raise their risk awareness, strengthen security measures and stay indoors at night.
In case of emergency, please call the following consular protection hotlines: Embassy 085-483-3327, Consulate General in Khon Kaen: 080-936-6070, Consulate General in Songkha: 081-766-5560, Consulate General in Chiang Mai: 081-882-3283."
The Tourism Crisis Management Office (GGCT) will keep monitoring the latest developments and reminds Macao residents who intend to travel to Thailand to follow closely the safety situation, critically assess security risks, and cautiously consider travel plans to Thailand. Macao residents already in Thailand should strengthen security precautions to protect their personal safety.
As per information collected from the Macao tourism industry, there are 5 Macao tour groups totaling around 70 pax currently traveling in Thailand.
To date, GGCT has received 6 inquiries but no requests for assistance. If necessary, Macao residents can call the 24-hour tourism hotline (853) 2833 3000 or contact the Chinese Embassy and consulates for assistance.
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Aiming to promote the advantages of Macao as a convention and exhibition destination and to attract renowned overseas convention and exhibition organizers to hold more MICE-related activities here, a 3-member delegation from Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM), led by its Executive Director Mrs. Irene V. K. Lau and Senior Manager of Promotional Activities Department Mr. Sam Lei, travelled to Frankfurt, Germany, from May 23 to 25, to participate in IMEX Frankfurt 2014, organized by the IMEX Group and having as its partner, Germany Convention Bureau. IMEX Frankfurt 2014 is currently one of the Europe´s largest MICE-related fairs. The scale of this event is gradually expanding year after year, attracting over 3,000 exhibitors from 150 countries and more than 10,000 qualified buyers every year. Exhibitors at IMEX include tourism bureaux, conference boards, hotel operators, convention centres, technology providers, airlines, exhibition and conference centres, international business associations, destination management industry, conference and public relations industry, transport and travel industry and trade magazines publishers. During IMEX, representatives of IPIM participated in the IMEX Politicians Forum organized by IMEX. Every year, influential dignitaries from the fields of conventions or tourism are invited as keynote speakers at IMEX, with the aim of building a communication platform for exchange between senior officers of government conference boards, conference organizers, international business associations and operators of the destination management industry from all over the world, to jointly discuss the development trend of the MICE industry and exchange information related to that sector. This year, IMEX has invited Mr. Taleb Rifai, Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) as keynote speaker. Representatives from IPIM conducted exchanges with the participants of the Fair, to actively promote the benefits of holding convention and exhibition activities in Macao and the "One-stop-Service" for MICE Bidding and Support in Macao, provided by IPIM, as a mean to expand the international tourism market and attract more international events to Macao. IPIM set-up a promotion counter at the Macao Pavilion, installed inside the IMEX venue, to promote the "One-Stop-Service" for MICE Bidding and Support in Macao, offered by IPIM. In addition representatives from IPIM also attended more than 20 business matching sessions, to talk to potential buyers and to promote Macao as an ideal MICE destination. Other exhibitors at the Macao Pavilion included the Macau Government Tourism Office and local travel agencies, hotels, resorts, professional conference organizers and convention and exhibition venues, all of them with the objective of exploring the international tourist market and to promote Macao´s tourism environment and products.
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Consumer Council conducted its sixth 'Supermarket price survey' in May on 21 May for the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12 June. Surveyed locations included supermarkets in São Lázaro and São Lourenço Parishes. 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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Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO), together with Macau Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) and representatives of five tourism enterprises from Macau, participated in the Worldwide Exhibition for Incentive Travel, Meetings & Events in Frankfurt, Germany (IMEX Frankfurt) from 20 - 22 May to promote Macau's MICE and business tourism products widely. Welcoming its 12th edition, IMEX was held at Messe Frankfurt this year. Secretary General of World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Taleb Rifai as well as the President and CEO of World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), David Scowsill were present in the event. Hosting a booth on the exhibition floor, MGTO not only presented Macau's latest trends and products in the business tourism market for hosted buyers but also facilitated a wealth of business and networking opportunities for the professional buyers and Macau's industry delegates. MGTO also took the opportunity to promote its Incentive Travel Stimulation Program during the exhibition. IMEX Frankfurt attracted over 3,500 exhibitors and 14,000 visitors from more than 150 countries this year, an unparalleled record compared with its past editions. The latest exhibition also boasted 64 new booths and an increase of 11% in its Asia-Pacific exhibition area than last year. Moreover, 200 workshops and sessions were offered to industry professionals through IMEX's education programme this year. The main events in IMEX Frankfurt include talks, workshops, networking, seminars, forums, inaugural ceremony and welcome dinner, etc.
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