MIF to open next month, adding a Spanish-speaking countries industry pavilion

The Macao International Trade and Investment Fair (MIF) will add a pavilion for Spanish-speaking countries for the first time when it opens next month. The 31st MIF will run from Oct. 21 to 24 at The Venetian Macao’s Cotai Expo.

Organized by the Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM), the four-day event will cover 16,000 square meters and be held alongside the 2026 Portuguese-Speaking Countries Products and Services Exhibition (PLPEX) and Macao Franchise Expo 2026 (MFE).

The new Spanish-Speaking Countries Industry Pavilion at this year’s MIF will bring together exhibitors from 11 countries, according to IPIM. The institute said the addition is intended to strengthen Macao’s platform role in connecting China with Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking economies, while opening channels to markets in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

This year’s fair will be organized around four core areas: technology and creativity; big health and modern life; trade, investment and industrial cooperation; and Macau enterprises. The technology and creativity area will focus on artificial intelligence and innovation opportunities in the Greater Bay Area (GBA), while the big health section is designed to support international expansion for traditional Chinese medicine and health-related businesses.

Meanwhile, the trade, investment and industrial cooperation area will focus on international market expansion and economic partnerships. The local enterprises section will promote upgrading by local companies and help them seek opportunities in mainland and overseas markets.

According to IPIM, the fair’s program also reflects the city’s effort to link its conventions and exhibitions industry with emerging sectors.

On Oct. 23, a forum titled “Low-altitude Economy: Preliminary Results in Macau’s Moderate Economic Diversification Exploration” will examine the city’s role in a sector spanning drones, logistics, urban air mobility and related technology.

Another session, organized by the Macau Changchun Friendship Association, will focus on economic and trade cooperation between Changchun and the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin.

MIF’s opening day on Oct. 21 will be reserved for trade visitors from noon to 6 p.m., while the fair will be open to the public from Oct. 22 through Oct. 24.

IPIM has said MIF will include business promotion and matching sessions aimed at presenting Macau’s diversification strategy and opportunities in Hengqin. The addition of the Spanish-speaking pavilion gives that agenda a broader geographic reach, according to the institute, as the SAR seeks to strengthen its role as a platform between China and Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking markets.