Northstar

DESTINATION | MACAU 26 JAN-FEB 2018 meetings & conventions • mcmag-asia.com A year of welcomes Words Catherine Nicol Macau's 2018 hotel openings offer dynamic unique spaces for events properties is that everything is under one roof," says Campbell. At Galaxy Macau, an integrated MICE campaign will be launched in the first quarter of 2018. In the meantime Samson Woo, VP MICE sales says, "Hong Kong and China are the key markets for us for small-to-medium sized MICE business and we are seeing increasing demand from international markets such as Southeast Asia and North America for bigger events. Groups love the Grand Resort Deck activities in particular." 2018 looks to be an exciting year for hotel openings. According to MGTO the December 2017 tally of 116 hotels provides just over 37,000 rooms, while IPIM expects this will turn into 50,000 within the next few years. A palatial welcome at MGM Cotai's central plaza – Grande Praca JW Marriott Hotel Macau's Grand Ballroom foyer "Hong Kong and China are the key markets for us for small- to-medium sized MICE business and we are seeing increasing demand from international markets... " – SAMSON WOO, VP MICE SALES, GALAXY MACAU One of the most anticipated openings happened this January. MGM COTAI is the sparkling 'jewellery box' resort of 1,390 hotel rooms and suites, 2,870sqm of meeting space and Asia's first dynamic multi-use theatre. Serving as a prelude to this property, the original MGM MACAO launched the "Learn & Play! teamLab Future Park" last year, four interactive spaces that create an art exhibition with entertainment, fun and technology. Melco Crown Entertainments' fifth hotel Morpheus, designed by the late architect Dame Zaha Hadid, will open early 2018, with two towers of 39 floors and 780 rooms. Meanwhile, recent reports announced Crown Towers Hotel will be rebranded NUWA in Q2 of this year, marking the first step towards the complex's Phase III launch. The Grand Lisboa Palace, incorporating the Grand Lisboa Palace Hotel and Palazzo Versace Macau will add 2,000 rooms later in 2018, with 90% of its offerings non-gaming continuing the diversification theme. At Sands China Ltd, Donna Campbell, executive director public relations, says the group has had a strong 2017 with plenty of MICE business including long-haul from the USA, who see Macau as a safe destination. At the Sheraton Grand and The St Regis Macao, 'Meetings Beyond Imagination' just launched numerous special offers. The group has – across its five properties – 13,000 hotel rooms, the 15,000 pax COTAI Arena, three theatres, over 100 restaurants and nearly 100 shops. "The best thing about our

• Cover