The Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM), in response to industry development trends and industry needs, has continuously organised targeted training courses on various exhibition and convention-related topics. From January this year to now, it has coordinated and held six training courses. At the same time, under the “MICE Bidding and Support Team” mechanism, multiple professional exhibition and convention certification courses organised by international exhibition organisations will be held in Macao from June to December this year. Four professional exhibition and convention training courses organised by international exhibition organisations, covering areas such as venue management and project bidding strategies that cater to the needs of the local industry, have been successfully introduced. In addition, government departments and the industry have also launched various practical exhibition and convention training programmes. Through talent cultivation, it further promotes the industry’s transition from undertaking projects to attracting more international professional exhibition and convention projects to be hosted in Macao, thereby promoting the professionalisation and internationalisation of Macao's exhibition and convention industry.
From Professional to More Professional: International Professional Certification Courses to be Held in the Second Half of the Year for Talent Cultivation and Reservation
On 5 June, the kick-off ceremony for MICE training courses was held during the celebration of “2024 Global Exhibitions Day”, announcing three international professional MICE courses to be organised by local MICE associations in the second half of the year, with the purpose of cultivating MICE project co-ordination talents, including the “Certified in Exhibition Management” (CEM CHINA) programme organised by the “International Association of Exhibitions and Events” (IAEE) and the “Training Centre of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade” (CCPIT), the “UFI-Exhibition Management School Programme” (UFI-EMS) organised by the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI), and the ICCASkills organised by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA).
IPIM will also co-operate with the Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL), the local higher education institutions and the local MICE industry to launch professional MICE training courses, such as the “Performance and Conference Audio System Basics” and the Macao professional license course “MORS - Event Specialist (Intermediate Level)” to promote the transformation of Macao’s labour force into the MICE industry and reserve skilled talents for the industry. In addition, in terms of the occupational safety, IPIM will continue to work with DSAL to co-organise “Occupational Safety and Health Lectures for MICE construction personnel”, in order to ensure the work safety of construction personnel in large exhibitions.
Specialised Exhibition and Convention Training Courses Are Held in Response to Industry Development Trends and Industry Needs
Through the joint efforts of the SAR government and the industry, Macao’s exhibition and convention industry has achieved multi-faceted development in recent years. Currently, Macao has over 240,000 square metres of international conference and exhibition venues, with world-leading hardware and software facilities, as well as a professional exhibition and convention team. In the first quarter of this year, Macao held 307 exhibition and convention activities, an increase of 31.2% year-on-year, and the number of exhibitions has exceeded the same period in 2019, with a significant increase in the proportion of overseas exhibitors and professional visitors. At the same time, with the implementation of the boundaries management of the Guangdong-Macao In-depth Co-operation Zone in Hengqin in March, combined with the series of Macao-Hengqin travel facilitation measures such as “multi-entry visa for tourist groups” implemented in May, more favorable conditions have been created for diversified co-operation such as “Multi-venue Event” in Macao and Hengqin.
To cultivate talent for the exhibition and convention industry and promote the high-quality development of the exhibition and convention industry, and to further enhance Macao's reputation as an international metropolitan area, IPIM conducts specialised MICE training sessions on a variety of targeted topics to facilitate the talent cultivation in the industry. Six training courses have been organised since January this year, which are respectively: “[Webinar] Join & Win: The Importance of International MICE Associations”, “ICCA Certified Conference Bidding Strategy Workshop”, “Workshop on Customs Clearance and Declaration for Exhibitions”, “Occupational Safety and Health Lectures for MICE construction personnel”, “Carbon Emissions and Practice of MICE Events” and [Webinar] Unleashing the Potential: The Power of Research in Winning International Association Business”, attracting over 290 participants online and offline, including local and mainland MICE practitioners and people interested in joining the industry.
Large International MICE Events Help Build Professional Teams
In the first five months of this year, Macao has successfully hosted a number of internationally influential conventions and exhibitions, such as the “2024 UFI Asia Pacific Conference” in March, which further affirmed Macao’s ability to organise international exhibitions and conferences. And Macao’s image as an international MICE city is further improved. At the same time, these large-scale conventions and exhibitions held in Macao have also enriched the practical experiences of Macao’s MICE talents, injecting new impetus into the construction of professional teams in the local market and the sustainable development of the local MICE industry.
