As part of the celebrations of the 75^th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and the 25^th anniversary of Macao’s return to the motherland, the 29^th Macao International Trade & Investment Fair (29^th MIF) and the Macao Franchise Expo 2024 (2024MFE) will be held concurrently at Cotai Expo, The Venetian Macao from 16 to 19 October (Wednesday to Saturday).

With the theme of “Economic Diversification and Development Opportunities” and “Brands Gathering with Business Opportunities” respectively, the two events will span four exhibition halls with ten exhibition zones, attracting over 1,300 exhibitors, including prominent tech players among the Fortune China 500 from the mainland, popular China-chic tea brands, and world-renowned exhibition companies, to showcase their offerings. The four-day events will adopt new arrangements and arrange over 80 trade and investment promotion sessions revolving around “1+4” industries, among others, connecting traders with the latest opportunities in China, Portuguese-speaking countries (PSCs) and beyond, in an attempt to convert more participating traders into investors, attract investment and achieve empowerment through exhibitions, and ultimately raise Macao’s profile as a global metropolis.

“A new attempt”: exhibitions extended to three working days for the first time

This year, the two events will span three working days – from Wednesday to Saturday – with one extra working day compared to previous years. This adjustment is aimed at staggering the dates of leisure and business tourists’ visits to Macao and reducing the cost of attending exhibitions in Macao for business tourists, thus increasing their willingness to participate in the events. Additionally, a longer stay will also facilitate more in-depth business discussions and exchanges among business tourists from various regions, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of the exhibitions in terms of business-to-business (B2B) interactions.

Facilitating “new trade arrangements”

With a total exhibition area of 38,000 square metres, the two events will feature ten exhibition zones with over 1,300 exhibitors from mainland China, nine PSCs, Canada, Malaysia, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Macao and more. This year’s events will also be adorned by the participation of first-time exhibitors, bringing together old and new friends to promote exchanges and create new business opportunities.

Against the backdrop of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) collaboration, this year’s events boast the widest range of GBA elements, with a record number of 195 exhibitors from the region – a huge increase of 112 from last year, including 80 GBA delegations.

Shenzhen has been invited to be MIF’s Partner City for the first time this year, and will bring more than 40 enterprises from sectors such as technology innovation and cultural tourism to set up a Shenzhen Pavilion of 405 square metres. Moreover, the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Co-operation Zone in Hengqin will host the largest pavilion, the Hengqin Pavilion, at this year’s MIF, with over 60 well-known enterprises occupying nearly 900 square metres of space.

At the same time, the Macao segment of the 3^rd Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Fair for Trade in Services will be held for the first time at the same venue during the 29^th MIF and 2024MFE, which is expected to give new impetus to the innovative development of trade in services in the GBA while demonstrating the advantageous arrangement of “multi-venue events”.

Specifically, parking discounts will be offered to buyers travelling from Hong Kong to Macao by car via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge this year, in the hope of providing them with a better and more convenient experience.

In addition, the “Portuguese-Speaking Countries Market Zone” will be set up at the venue this year, along with more than ten trade promotion activities focusing on PSCs. This arrangement is designed to leverage Macao’s role as a platform between China and PSCs to give participating traders an in-depth experience of the unique appeal of PSCs, while creating more trade and economic ties between China and PSCs, as well as between PSCs and the rest of the world.

In line with Macao’s “1+4” strategy of adequate economic diversification, the addition of the “Diversified Industries Zone” and the “Macao International Coffee Festival Pavilion” also adds a new dimension to the events by introducing international competitions.

Creating “a new experience” for audiences: gifts worth MOP500,000, including 7,525 coffee and tea drinks, to be given away to celebrate the two anniversaries

To celebrate the two anniversaries, 7,525 coffee and tea drinks and other gifts with a total value of over MOP500,000 will be offered at the events. Attendees can collect these free gifts by taking photos at designated spots in the exhibition venue and posting them on social media. In response to the large consumption promotion event “Macao Consumption Rewards”, attendees who consume on-site at exhibitors in the “Macao Local Enterprise Sales Area” at the 29^th MIF via mobile payment will be eligible to join the e-vouchers lucky draw and the ultimate grand prizes draw.

The events will also elevate the overall experience through multi-party collaboration. A variety of cutting-edge technologies, including bionic robots and technology products for the low-altitude economy, will be displayed at this year’s MIF. The “Master Sky Shot” – a drone photography system – and a drone demonstration area will also be introduced to the events to enhance participants’ engagement and experience through a host of arrangements. Meanwhile, a world-renowned China-chic tea brand will make its Macao debut at this year’s MFE.

Encouraging “new achievements” by enterprises

Over 80 trade and investment promotion sessions have been planned for this year’s events, up 22% from last year, including eight themed matching sessions on “1+4” industries such as modern finance and big health. In addition, there will be five multi-venue events and two livestream “Macao Ideas” sales sessions, all aimed at fostering more collaborations and achieving better business outcomes through a richer variety of professional and thematic activities.

As of 14 October, more than 300 pre-arranged business meetings have been held to facilitate multi-party exchanges and expand new co-operation opportunities using the platform provided by the events.

The two events will be open to trade visitors on the first day (16 October) and to the general public free of charge from the second to the final day (17 to 19 October). Four shuttle bus routes will be provided to and from the venue. All are welcome to attend.