MELCO supports local SMEs through wave of creative and promotional opportunities

Melco Resorts and Entertainment (Melco) continues to organize events to provide creative and promotional opportunities for local small and medium enterprises (SMEs), with a staff uniform design competition presented in association with the Macau Productivity and Technology Transfer Centre (CPTTM) launched recently to kick off the most recent wave of activities.
The design competition is a creative initiative to simultaneously update Melco’s range of uniforms and support the local fashion design, clothing supply and manufacturing industries. It is organized as part of Melco’s endeavors to continue developing positive partnerships with the city’s designers, suppliers and manufacturers through dedicated Made in Macau projects, to support the local creative industry, as well as to provide a platform for local designers to showcase their talent.
Melco invited 70 representatives from 40 local SMEs to an announcement event at City of Dreams to publicize the official opening of the competition. After the conference, the representatives were shown around the resort’s employee-only Heart of House area to familiarize local SMEs with Melco’s standards and requirements.
City of Dreams’ Heart of House hosts the resort’s wardrobe facilities that bring together employee uniform operations for approximately 8,000 employees. Attendees were also shown samples of Melco’s current uniforms to better understand the Company’s standards in the area.
Melco’s Mr Jarlath Lynch, Executive Vice-President, Hotels and Food & Beverage, said, “The development of local SMEs and Macau procurement has been a key long-term focus area for Melco. Further to our Studio City T-shirt Design Competition hosted in collaboration with CPTTM back in 2016, we are glad to continue supporting and promoting local design talent, suppliers and manufacturers through our latest Made in Macau project initiative to create new uniforms for Melco’s almost 400-strong Environmental Services Team.”
Ms. Monica Ng, Executive Director, Supply Chain of Melco, introduced details of the competition to the event’s guests, SME representatives, and media attendees.
“The competition will create new uniforms for the Company’s Environmental Services team colleagues working in various roles at Melco’s Macau integrated resort properties,” Ms. Ng noted. “Judging criteria will include alignment with the Melco brand, aesthetics, design concept, practicality, comfort and material selection.”
The competition is now open for application until early January 2020 to all Macau residents aged 18 and above. It encourages participation from those interested in fashion, professionals working in the industry and/or those with their own design brand, uniform retailers, and garment manufacturers.
For a participant to win the award, three stages will be passed through: the initial selection of the top ten entries; followed by the selection of the top three entries to be manufactured into actual sample garments; and the selection of the winner, 1st Runner up and 2nd Runner up as voted by Melco’s employees. The final award ceremony and event wrap-up is scheduled for the end of March. Further details of the competition can be found at: https://events.cpttm.org.mo. Illustrating of the efficacy of Melco’s SME initiatives, announcement event attendee Ms. Candy Chan, Director of Macau Shen Da Garment Factory Limited, a local manufacturing company established 37 years ago and which survived a period of significant difficulties, recalled that it was support from Melco that had given her team the confidence to explore new opportunities and expand to newer markets.
“All in all, we can feel Melco is very supportive towards local SMEs, especially for those in the garment industry,” Ms. Chan said. “As many companies in our industry are struggling to survive, we would say that Melco’s support contributed significantly to preventing us from going out of business. We really look forward to continuing our relationship with Melco.”

The second major event from Melco to support SME development is a month-long Christmas Bazaar open to the general public at Studio City from December 1 to 31. It will feature emerging SME brands from Macau, and is a warm-up for an even bigger initiative; pop-up stores exclusively for local SME participation within the integrated resort in 2020 to continue supporting local vendors.
Demonstrating Melco’s commitment toward the development and advancement of local SMEs for the sustainable future of Macau, the Christmas Bazaar will provide rent-free booths to over 40 local SMEs to showcase products and services at the festively decorated outdoor marketplace.
Targeting representation of a wide range of business categories from food & beverage, handicrafts, toys, decorations and furnishings, and other gift categories, the marketplace aims to attract visitors, tourists, and gift shoppers during the festive season.
Also on offer will be a range of family-friendly activities such as face painting, handicraft workshops, performances and giveaways. The Studio City Christmas Bazaar will take place at the integrated resort’s French Garden daily between 5pm and 10pm, covering the entire Christmas month.
“We are pleased to announce the forthcoming Studio City Christmas Bazaar to support Macau’s local merchants,” Mr Geoff Andres, Property President of Studio City, said. “In addition to acting as a marketing and sales platform for SMEs, we believe the event will serve as a communications channel between SMEs and Melco by enabling Melco to learn about local SMEs and their offerings, whilst at the same time helping SMEs identify products and services they can offer Melco and the broader market.”
Soon after the Christmas Bazaar project, Melco has announced it will host a Macau-first pop-up store initiative exclusively for local SMEs at Studio City, serving as a continuation of the Melco philosophy to create and support the growth of local SMEs. Demonstrating Melco’s ongoing and steadfast commitment to SMEs, the scheme provides rent-free retail space and essential operational resources to participating SMEs subsidized by Melco to underpin revenues through the marketing and sales of their products and services directly to Studio City’s visitors, tourists and shoppers.
Melco’s “Knowing You, Knowing Us” initiative is designed as a communications platform between SMEs and Melco and highlights Melco’s unyielding support for local emerging entrepreneurs.
Recently, as part of the initiative, Melco hosted an exclusive Open House tour of Studio City for 18 local SME representatives from 13 companies, including members of the Industrial Association of Macao, covering a diverse range of business sectors such as Garments, Food & Beverage, Construction Materials, Trading, and Logistics.