Northstar

MAY-JUN 2018 35 MEETINGS & CONVENTIONS MCMAG-ASIA.COM +853 8798 9292 | mice-onestop@ipim.gov.mo | www.ipim.gov.mo Convention and Exhibition Financial Support Programme The programme offered by The Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) brings signicant subsidies that cover accommodation, F&B, transportation and promotion expenses etc. , making the MICE organisers' job easier and Macao an even more rewarding destination. General Convention • For groups of more than 100 delegates • For events lasting at least two days or one day of meetings and one day of activities International Convention • For groups of more than 200 delegates • For events lasting at least three days or two days of meetings and a half-day of activities I think the Macao event was good for everyone involved; for the employees' morale and bonding, for the company and internal brand strengthening, and for the conference destination itself. Q: Were there any challenges you faced and how did you overcome them? A: Generally speaking there weren't many challenges. We called upon our staff to participate in the organisation of the conference, rather than using a service provider, to make it more meaningful and because we're familiar with the city. We started off with a few site inspections of the hotels and also studied mock-up images and detailed information, then made a choice to hold the event in a hotel that was about to open. However, the catastrophic Typhoon 10 delayed the opening of the hotel leaving us very little time for nal preparations. In addition, as our delegates were ying a heavy fog hung over the island with storms in Zhuhai and almost all our ights were delayed or cancelled. Despite the difculties our partners — the hotel and transport company — helped us solve all the problems in a very professional way. Q: Could you summarise the most important elements you feel Macao delivered? A: For organisers the rst and most important consideration is the venue. Even for us relative locals, and I who travels to Macao regularly, we witness changes every time we visit: new hotels, new MICE facilities, new technology. The second most important element is the professional service. To me Macao is an ideal convention destination as the warmth of the service also stands out. I feel the hotel staff and our company organisers work together as partners at rst and end up as good friends. And the third most important element for us is price, taking into consideration the airfare as well as the hotels. The exceptional value for money offered in Macao, subsidised by government support and the funding scheme, is a big plus for my company.

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