Infrastructure delays principal challenge for MICE sector

Bruno Simões

At the launch of the Macau Meetings, Incentives and Special Events (MISE) association, Bruno Simões, secretary of the executive board, told the Times that he considers the accessibility and infrastructure of Macau to be the greatest challenges facing the development of Macau’s Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Events (MICE) industry.
Referencing the delays in infrastructure construction, Simões said, “we are still waiting for the ferry terminal, and the [Hong Kong-Zhuhai-­Macau] bridge, and the metro [light rail project] … those projects will take time to finish.”
He added that while in Cotai the situation is “very good,” Macau’s infrastructure elsewhere requires further development. “The greatest challenge over the next five to ten years is probably the accessibility of Macau,” said Simões.
Bruno Simões made these comments on the sidelines of this week’s launch of the new association, which was hosted at the St. Regis Macau. According to organizers, over 100 professionals from the tourism and events industry attended the evening ceremony, as well as representatives from the Macau Trade and Investment Promotion Institute.
The newly-launched MISE association seeks to support the development of Macau’s MICE industry through three main avenues: the promotion of Macau as an international destination for MICE events; the hosting of education events, with the goal of increasing Macau’s offerings of internationally-recognized industry certifications; and the production of whitepapers and case studies to recommend “solutions” for the sector.
At the launch ceremony Simões announced the first three proposed areas for whitepapers. The first areas they intend to cover include “Transportation”, “MICE Statistics” and “Special Venues for Events”.
The association also intends to fill a gap in the market, according to various members of the senior leadership team, who revealed that other associations in Macau neglect the promotion of incentives and special events.
“There are many associations in Macau [for the MICE industry], but most of them are focused on exhibitions. There is no other local association that covers these particular segments, namely incentives and special events,” said Todd Cai, President of the Board of Directors.
“We felt that nobody was covering certain areas and we thought that we could help,” added Bruno Simões.
Another goal for the association is to establish a networking platform accessible by all MICE professionals, as a means for connecting industry employees with an independent entity. This “will not only support members’ activities, but also work as a platform for education,” a press statement from the organization read.
Last year, the Macau government announced that one of the biggest objectives in the diversification of the economy would be to attract high-level events to Macau, and help transform the MSAR into a word-class destination.
However, promoting Macau’s name and brand abroad will also be part of the challenge in attracting such events to the MSAR. While Macau is well-known in the Asia-Pacific region, people further afield are often unaware of the territory. “Macau is still relatively unknown outside the region,” Simões admitted.
“[Developing the MICE industry] is an important task,” he concluded during his speech at the launch ceremony, “and it is going to take time, but with the support of all of you, it can be achieved.” Daniel Beitler