Macao hosted 702 MICE events in the first half of this year, according to the latest figures from the Statistics and Census Service (known by its Portuguese initials DSEC). MICE is the collective term for meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions.
The figure was just 32 events shy of the same period in 2019, before Covid-19 pandemic restrictions all but shuttered the industry. It represented a 96 percent recovery on the first half of 2019, and a 42 percent increase on last year’s result.
The sector generated around 2.47 billion patacas in non-gaming revenue, 30 percent more than it did in the same period in 2023. MICE visitors spent close to 5,000 patacas per person, on average – more than double the amount leisure tourists spent.
[See more: Sport, art and culture will be at the heart of more MICE events]
The second half of the year is expected to be even busier, with peak MICE season usually falling between September and November. In a statement, the Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute (known by its Portuguese initials IPIM) predicted that a total of 1,500 MICE events would be held in Macao in 2024.
More than 70 percent of events between January and June fell into the categories of trade and management, tourism, information technology, and finance. IPIM noted that these categories aligned with the SAR’s overall economic diversification strategy, which includes the MICE sector as a key emerging industry.
It also noted that while attendees were down by 30 percent year-on-year, the number of exhibitors and trade visitors rose by nearly 40 and 80 percent respectively – with many more coming from overseas.
