Inside Asian Gaming

IAG JUN 2023年6月 亞博匯 84 number of events held before the COVID pandemic,” said recently promoted President of the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) Vincent U U Sang in January. IPIM stated that Macau would hold about 30 conventions and exhibitions in June and July, including the “2023 Guangdong & Macao Branded Products Fair” and “G2E Asia”, expecting over 270,000 participants. “The MICE industry has recovered quickly after the pandemic prevention measures were fully relaxed,” the President of the Macau Federal Commercial Association of Convention & Exhibition Industry, Osborn Lo, told IAG . “Many MICE companies have resumed organizing events.” In just four months since the reopening of borders, Lo explained, the number of large- scale MICE events and the number of participants have returned to between 70% and 80% of pre-COVID levels. The speed of recovery, especially for smaller conferences, has been impressive. “After Macau reopened all borders, some companies which had not organized MICE events in Macau for three years are now planning exhibitions in Macau,” Lo said. “I understand that some antique watch exhibitors have chosen to set up roving exhibitions within the [properties of the] six gaming concessionaires inMacau, which was rare even before COVID.” Lo explained that the increased space dedicated to MICE – such as the newly opened Galaxy International Convention Centre – is the main reason for the rapid recovery of MICE activities. IN FOCUS