Events surge by 30% in 2024, but attendees drop 21%

The number of Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) events increased by 31.4% (+364) year-on-year, reaching 1,524 in 2024, according to the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) in a recent release.

The report also highlighted that events focused on “Commerce & Management” and “Tourism” saw increases of 140 and 78, respectively.

However, the total number of MICE participants and attendees fell by 17.1% year-on-year, to 1,332,000, driven by a decrease in exhibition attendees. MICE-driven receipts in Macau’s non-gaming industries were estimated at approximately MOP 5.48 billion in 2024, a decrease of 8.2% from the revised 2023 figure of MOP 5.97 billion.

The vast majority of MICE events in 2024 (93.4%) were meetings and conferences (1,423), reflecting a year-on-year increase of 32.2% (+347). Conferences accounted for the most significant increase compared to the previous year, rising by 61.1%.

The drop in participants and attendees (17.1%) was primarily attributed to the decrease in attendees, who fell by 20.5%. This was partially offset by a rise in participants, which increased by 8.2% year-over-year to 185,000.

Additionally, the number of exhibitions declined, with a total of 61 events, down by three from the previous year.

These exhibitions attracted 7,093 exhibitors and 52,651 professional visitors, representing year-on-year decreases of 1.5% and 12.1%, respectively. Over half of the exhibitors (51.9%) and professional visitors (51.5%) were non-locals.

A positive trend was observed in incentive events, which increased by 100% (+20) year-on-year to 40, with the number of participants rising by 22.5% to 13,000.

Meetings account for 92% of MICE events

The 2024 MICE statistics report noted that “Association Meetings” (586) and “Corporate Meetings” (584) dominated the top spots, with “Government Meetings” (224) coming third. These three types of meetings accounted for 91.5% of all MICE events in 2024, compared to just 4% for “Exhibitions” (61).

MICE events themed around “Commerce & Management” made up 42% of the total (640), followed by “Information Technology” (164), which accounted for 10.8%. Events focused on “Medical & Health” numbered 154, making up 10.1% of the total.