Macau is courting Hong Kong associations in its quest for more business events
Given the strong international membership enjoyed by many Hong Kong associations, the Macau Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) is looking across the Macau border for opportunities to grow Macau’s association events market.
It has expressed particular interest in courting association events relating to tourism, leisure, culture and heritage as well as professional associations for healthcare, technology and creative services industries.
Its action plans include forging partnerships between associations in Hong Kong and Macau, and the identification of local and regional hosts which is often a prerequisite for association meetings.
So far, a workshop has been planned to educate associations in Macau on how to bid for and secure events.
Powerhouse MICE president, Todd Cai, supports IPIM’s move, saying: “Macau needs to partner with neighbouring cities like Hong Kong or those in the Pearl River Delta in event bidding because international associations and societies do not set up their branches here (in Macau).”
IPIM’s plans require sound marketing support from local business event suppliers, and several have stepped forward with a commitment to winning over association executives.
Sands Resorts Cotai Strip, which comprises The Venetian Macao, Conrad Macao, Holiday Inn Macao, Sheraton Macao, and Four Seasons Hotel Macao, regularly joins forces with IPIM and the Macau Government Tourist Office to host site inspections of its properties, travelling together to promote Macau as a potential destination for association meetings.
Sands Resorts Cotai Strip’s efforts were rewarded with several association event wins. In 2014 it hosted the 14th Asian & Oceania Congress of Neurology and the APAC Meeting of the World Federation of the Deaf.
It triumphed recently with a successful bid for the Asia Pacific Dental Congress in 2017, a result of close cooperation with the Macau Dental Association, an active member of the Asia Pacific Dental Federation. IPIM will be a supporting organisation for this congress.
Dave Horton, global chief marketing officer with Las Vegas Sands Corp and Sands China, said: “We all worked together to pitch Macau as a destination and to secure this major medical event. It was also recently announced that in 2016 we will be hosting the World Chinese Life Insurance Congress. Securing this event for Macau was the result of close cooperation between IPIM and The Venetian Macao.”
Horton added: “Accommodating a global mix of clientele can be perceived to be challenging at times, however we consistently offer localised packages geared towards different clientele across the globe.
“Teamwork, communication and flexibility – some of our core team strengths – as well as our understanding of the capabilities of our event space, enable us to create solutions tailored to our client’s needs. Delegates and guests can enjoy over 100 international and local restaurants, 650 duty-free shopping options, spa facilities, as well as concerts and entertainment events almost every weekend. Delegates are thus provided with a variety of leisure activities to choose from after their meetings conclude.”
However, Macau’s reputation as a casino destination has made bidding for association events tricky.
According to global events specialist, Pacific World, some clients had refused to consider Macau because of this reputation. Despite the lack of interest, the company is perservering in its efforts to market the destination.
Ivy Sung, destination manager at Pacific World Hong Kong, said, “We always tell our clients that Macau evolves on a daily basis (in terms of new infrastructure coming online) and is a destination that serves multiple needs, especially for business events. It has the necessary space (and they offer) good value.”
Associations’ avoidance of Macau as an event destination is worrying especially since gross gaming revenue for the destination had fallen for 10 months since June 2014. Hotels that have also seen weaker occupancies as a result of the decrease in Chinese high rollers have responded by pitching harder for business events that promise volume bookings.
Sung observed that many hotels have now set new strategies that target business events and corporate clients.
However, MCI Hong Kong’s managing director, Peter Hassall, insisted that there was no need to downplay Macau’s casino reputation.
“(Macau) needs to clearly demonstrate that the benefits it provides an association congress are above and beyond its competitor destinations, and show that there are many non-gaming offerings to partake in. No other cities in Asia can host large numbers of delegates in such close proximity, with thousands of square metres of columnless event space all within walking distance of thousands of hotel rooms, hundreds of restaurants, world-class entertainment options and a rich cultural heritage.” he remarked.
