Northstar

M acao is made for meetings of all sizes, offering fully integrated convention districts, over two million square feet of meeting space and 37,000 hotel rooms, all conveniently within about 12 square miles. The ease of access is excellent via Hong Kong International Airport and Macao International Airport. By land, Macao has been a gateway to mainland China for over 400 years. It's a destination with a diverse set of offerings, as Asia's entertainment center and home to a UNESCO World Heritage site. MACAO TRADE AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION INSTITUTE (IPIM) Macao takes meetings and events seriously, as witnessed by the role of IPIM. This government agency is responsible for trade and investment, as well as for the promotion of Macao as a business events destination. It has made Macao into a one-stop service for business events. Event planners will benet from a series of support programs created for the convention, exhibition and events industry. NUMBERS TELL THE STORY In recent years, Macao's MICE industry has been growing signicantly. In fact, the number of conventions and exhibitions held in Macao increased almost four-fold between 2002 and 2016, from about 260 events to 1,276. During that time, the number of attendees also increased to over 1.7 million. RISING STAR According to the latest Asia Pacic City Ranking Report, which is issued by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) to rate meetings destinations, Macao was 59th in 2012 and rose to 17th in 2016, up 42 places in just ve years' time. Macao Conventions Are Rising to the Top 14 NOV-DEC 2017 SPECIAL FEATURE MICE PROGRAMS IPIM has launched two convention programs titled the "Convention and Exhibition Stimulation Programme" and the "International Meeting and Trade Fair Support Programme." These two efforts cover many aspects of event support and coordination, such as accommodations, F&B, keynote speakers or buyers, promotion and marketing, opening ceremony production, translation and much more. WHY MACAO? A HOST OF REASONS TO CHOOSE MACAO: Travel and time efficiencies. As Macao is 12 square miles in total area, nowhere is too far away there. Everything is within 20 minutes travel time or less, creating enormous conviences for convention, meeting and event attendees. This helps minimize logistical issues and makes travel time shorter. Conversely, it frees up more time for meetings, excursions and event options. Big enough to handle anything. Macao has Asia's largest integrated resorts, incorporating meeting space, accommodations, entertainment, dining and retail. With more than 37,000 hotel rooms, there are more than 2 million square feet of space for exhibitions and meetings. It can host large-scale meetings and events under one roof and often within one district, allowing signicant cost and logistics advantage. Meeting planners can enter contracts with a minimal number of hotels/ venues to plan and execute an event. A "new" face in the industry. Macao is a relatively new destination, which is often an appealing aspect for planners looking for different locations. It has a steady stream of new venues, hotels and attractions to offer. A booming economic region. Macao is an open trading port providing ease of access to the world's second-largest economy (China). Located on the doorstep of China, Macao offers unprecedented business

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