The Centre for Gaming and Tourism Studies of the Macao Polytechnic University (MPU) recently held the Asian Gaming Markets Seminar Series. The Series focused on the future development direction of the Macao gaming industry by exploring the competitive situation of Asian gaming and discussing the city’s software and hardware requirements for Macao to expand its overseas tourist base. Two lecture sessions were delivered by Mr. Andrew Scott, Vice Chairman and CEO of Inside Asian Gaming, and Mr. Jun Fu, a senior architectural designer, both of whom possess rich experience in the field of integrated resort development across Asia.
The first industry lecture was presented by Mr. Andrew Scott, Vice Chairman and CEO of Inside Asian Gaming, with a focus on industry magazine publications and other events covering gaming in Asia. From the perspective of gaming revenue, he divided the Asian gaming market into several levels, presenting the gaming development in the Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Australia and New Zealand. In addition to comparing Macao with these gaming jurisdictions, the speaker pointed out the advantages and disadvantages of Macao. Mr. Scott concluded that the forthcoming gaming concessionaires must identify their competitive advantage and differentiate their tourism products from other Asian destinations.
The second industry lecture centered on the hardware perspective of a tourist attraction. Mr. Jun Fu is a senior architectural designer and founder of a local interior design firm with casino resort design projects in Macao and Southeast Asia. In the lecture, Mr. Fu first expounded on the evolution of modern casinos and discussed how an integrated resort is perceived through the five senses, i.e., light, sound, humidity, colour and temperature. From the cultural perspective, Mr. Fu explained the characteristics of tourists from all over the world and shared the architectural design and functional features of an integrated resort, with specific reference to the role of tourism facilities and infrastructure in attracting non-local tourists in Southeast Asian casino resorts.
These two industry lecture series have been well received at MPU. Each lecture session was attended by more than 60 participants, including undergraduate and postgraduate students in gaming management, as well as academic staff and researchers. Participating students remarked that the local gaming industry is at present undergoing changes and Macao needs to attract overseas guests to the city. Having attended the lecture series, they learned about the situation of the gaming market in Asia and thought more about the market strategies that need to be adopted in Macao.
