Corporate Bits | Sands China kept large-scale conference running smoothly during typhoon

When a super typhoon struck Macau last month, the Jeunesse Expo 9 was taking place at The Venetian Macao. In spite of the storm, the conference – which ran between September 11 and 17 with more than 23,000 delegates – concluded successfully, with more than 11,000 delegates in attendance on the day the typhoon hit.

According to a statement issued by Sands China, “in the face of this super typhoon, relevant Sands China departments reacted promptly to follow the company’s typhoon contingency plan, which included addressing the immediate needs of the company’s team members, hotel guests and conference attendees to ensure their safety and well-being.”

In preparation for the storm, the chef for the event ordered two 20-foot containers in advance to use as freezers in the expo hall’s loading bay, and stocked them with food. With other combined efforts, the team was able to make it through the typhoon while keeping the expo running as planned.

 “Our appreciation goes to the Macau government for its leadership during the storm,” said Wilfred Wong, president of Sands China Ltd. “With the dedication and team spirit of our team members, our integrated resorts were able to pass safely through this difficult time. With a short supply of labour on hand, and with a hotel occupancy rate of 90 per cent, our team members continued to deliver extraordinary service that exemplified true professionalism. Sands China is extremely proud of their accomplishments.”

 Mark Wang, marketing director of Jeunesse in Greater China, said: “We are so grateful for the entire team at The Venetian Macao for making sure our conference was a success under what must have been extremely difficult circumstances for them during the typhoon.”

China duty free group to open at Lisboa palace

Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, S.A. (SJM) and China Duty Free Group Co., Ltd. (CDFG) announced yesterday that they have entered into a binding Memorandum of Understanding for CDFG’s Macau flagship store to open at Grand Lisboa Palace, SJM’s planned integrated resort on Cotai, Macau.

Spanning approximately 7,500 square meters in a prime first-floor retail space at the Grand Lisboa Palace, this anchor tenant will be CDFG’s first off-airport outlet in Macau. Established in 1984, CDFG is China’s leading operator of duty free shops, and is a subsidiary of the travel giant China National Travel Service Group Corporation Limited. With more than 200 stores across China, CDFG reportedly runs the most duty free outlets in any single country.

CDFG’s Macau flagship store will be located in Grand Lisboa Palace’s 53,000-square metre retail mall, which will cover the first and second floors of the development. According to a statement issued by SJM, the mall “is designed to delight visitors with an innovative ‘Fantasy Garden’ theme, invoking feelings of splendour and luxury with the use of delicate topiary, ornamental birdcages, and elegantly formed garden walkways.”