Inside Asian Gaming

INSIDE ASIAN GAMING | June 2011 20 Cover Story the façade to the small details, and is imbued by GEG’s “World Class, Asian Heart” philosophy. GEG opted to offer Asian, rather thanWestern, hotel brands at Galaxy Macau. The property’s combined 2,200 five-star rooms, suites, and villas are distributed across the internationally renowned Banyan Tree and Okura brands, as well as GEG’s own Galaxy Hotel. The Hotel Okura Macau is Macau’s first Japanese hotel brand, and Mr Lui hopes it will drive greater visitation from North Asian customers. Another differentiator is Galaxy Macau’s centrepiece attraction, the 52,000-square- metre rooftop Grand Resort Deck, where a 350-ton white sand beach surrounds the 4,000-square-metre Skytop Wave Pool, and which“offersguests theultimate in relaxation amidst an enchanting network of swimming pools, luxurious bungalows, soaring palms and lush tropical gardens.” The outdoor Grand Resort Deck stands as a distinctly different attraction to the Venetian’s indoor canals and the ‘House of Dancing Water’ show at City of Dreams. Galaxy Macau’s differences continue through to the pan-Asian selection of F&B outlets, the bright lighting in the main casino floor and even the diverse selection of slot games. GEG has been operating in Macau since 2004, and its brand identity really began to emerge in 2006, when it opened its hitherto flagship property in the city, StarWorld Hotel and Casino. Owing to StarWorld’s small footprint, however, GEG’s brand-building to date has largely been driven by its strong service mindset and relationship building skills. Galaxy Macau finally provides the platform for the company to convey its broader identity. The HK$14.9 billion (US$1.9 billion) Galaxy Macau has been shaped by GEG’s determination to “give our customers what they want,” states Mr Lui, “whether they are the mass market, hotel guests, diners, or our VIP guests. We want to make sure we not only give them what they want, but also to anticipate what they may want in the future. Saying ‘these are our customers over the next five years,’ and asking ‘what do we need to do in order to keep them coming back to us?’ “It starts from knowing your customer well. I have been working in China since 1985, so I keep saying that if there is a person in Macau who understands what the Chinese customer will look like in the next five or ten years, it is probably somebody like me, who has been there doing business in China, seeing them evolving. “The product was designed in such a way that we are not going to be obsolete in five or ten years’ time. If you look at some of the properties that have been built in Macau recently, some of them might have a problem five years in the future, especially the ones built with a more gaming-focused design. I think the customers will evolve so that they prefer a more integrated and wholesome experience.” Inside Asian Gaming caught up with a very busy Mr Lui ten days on from the Galaxy Macau opening, and spoke to him about the overwhelmingly positive reaction to the property and his prognosis for the Macau gaming and leisure market. IAG : Although it’s early days yet, the initial results a week after Galaxy Macau opened seems to suggest it has expanded the overall market, rather than cannibalising other existing properties. We would like to think so. The first week has been very encouraging. There’s something I’d like to emphasise. We are not concerned about market share. Our emphasis has always been on creating a new market, and hopefully the customers are going to stay longer. This way there will be enough money for six of us to continue to be profitable. And this is the only way to do it. If we create an environment that attracts customers from all walks of life to come enjoy the experience of Macau, it’s good for Macau and good for the industry. Cannibalisation—trying to take market share from other people—is the wrong approach. We are happy that we’re part of the industry, we’re happy we’re going to grow the market, we’re happy we’re bringing new and different products into the place, and attracting people from different walks of life to come stay with us. The next thing we’d be looking at is to extend the stay of the customers here. Right now it’s about 1.5 days. In Vegas it’s about 3.6, in Hong Kong 3.5, Singapore 4.2. So there’s still a lot of potential for us to make the customer stay longer. A nod to North Asia—Galaxy Macau allows guests to experience a traditional Japanese tea ceremony