Macao earned the Best Convention City (Asia) award for the second consecutive time at yesterday’s M&C Asia Stella Awards ceremony, according to the Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute (known by its Portuguese initials IPIM).
The awards event was held as part of Asia’s top convention and exhibitions business matchmaking event, M&C Asia Connection, which was organised in the SAR for the first time on 3 and 4 September and hosted by Sands China.
IPIM noted that the accolade was a reflection of Macao’s “exhibition strength,” “international platform advantages” and the city’s uniqueness as an “international metropolis.”
Speaking to TDM, Irene Chua, one of the event’s organisers, said that Macao was “one of the best” meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) destinations in Asia. She said that judges were impressed by the city’s hotel infrastructure, top tier conference and exhibition facilities, as well as the safe environment.
[See more: The latest MICE figures are very close to pre-pandemic numbers]
Macao has bagged the Best MICE City (Asia) Award a total of three times, including at the Stella Awards’ debut in 2019.
A total of 29 awards across six categories were handed out during the ceremony. Macao also won two other prizes, including Best Meetings Hotel (Macao), which was awarded to the Venetian Macao, and Best Integrated Resort (MICE), which was won by Sands.
Stephanie Tanpure, vice president of sales for Sands China said, “It is an honour to receive these two important MICE awards. Being acknowledged by industry peers for MICE excellence is gratifying recognition of the significant contribution Sands Resorts Macao has made to Asia’s MICE industry. I would also like to acknowledge the hard work and professionalism of our MICE team for ensuring that we offer a true one-stop service. We are also thrilled to host M&C Asia Connections for the first time in Macao, welcoming delegates from various countries to experience our premier offerings.”
More than 30 international MICE organisers participated in this year’s edition of M&C Asia Connection, where they had the opportunity to hold private meetings with 13 Macao and Hengqin-based MICE suppliers. The two-day event also gave them the opportunity to inspect MICE facilities in Macao and explore Hengqin’s burgeoning MICE industry.
In recent years, Macao has been working to develop its MICE industry in an effort to further diversify its economy away from gaming. The policy direction appears to be bearing fruit, with the latest data indicating that the city held 702 MICE events in the first six months of this year, generating a non-gaming revenue of around 2.47 billion patacas or 30 percent more than the same period in 2023.
