The 55th ICCA Congress – organised by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) – was held in Kuching, Malaysia, from 13 to 16 November 2016. Six ICCA members representing Macao, as well as the Executive Director of the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) Irene V. K. Lau, attended the annual event.

ICCA is the world's foremost organisation for conferences. The 2016 ICCA Congress aimed to enhance exchanges and collaboration among its global membership. Approximately 800 members of ICCA from various parts of the world attended the event. In a bid further to boost Macao’s communication and co-operation with the international conferences industry, IPIM hosted a luncheon on the first day of the 55th ICCA Congress. IPIM’s Executive Director Irene V.K. Lau took the opportunity to brief the attendees about the advantages of Macao’s conventions and exhibitions industry, deepening attendees’ knowledge about Macao and raising the city’s reputation as “an ideal MICE destination”.

Every year, ICCA chooses one of the world’s leading cities for its annual Congress – an event that attracts a great number of reputable representatives of the conventions and exhibitions sector, as well as industry leaders from various countries. IPIM has reached a consensus with the Macao members of ICCA to establish a Preparatory Committee for the city's forthcoming bid for the 2020 ICCA Congress. A successful bid to host such a significant international event would strengthen the local conventions and exhibitions industry’s connectivity with the world, helping to promote the industry’s visibility at an international level and to attract a greater number of international meetings and conferences to Macao.