Macao was selected as the " Best Conventions Destination (Asia)" at the M&C Asia Stella Awards ceremony held on 19 August in Bangkok, Thailand. This marks the third consecutive year that Macao has received this honour (the award for 2023-24 was named "Best Convention City (Asia)"). Representing the city, the Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) accepted the award and organised a delegation of the Macao and Hengqin MICE industry to join a business matching event —M&C Asia Connections 2025—where one-on-one business discussions with their counterparts, to promote the exhibition and business advantages of Macao and Hengqin.

The "M&C Asia Stella Awards" is one of the most credible exhibition awards in the Asia-Pacific region, voted on by industry professionals, exhibition organisers, industrial players and stakeholders closely related to the exhibition industry. The organiser stated that Macao possesses top-notch exhibition infrastructure and regional advantages, making it a competitively advantageous destination for exhibitions. The collaboration with Hengqin showcases the cultural and business strengths of both locations, providing international attendees with broader and more diverse options and unique experiences. The city aims hopes to attract more international exhibitions to Macao and Hengqin in the future.

Promoting Macao and Hengqin Enterprises, Connecting International Opportunities

During the event, multiple one-on-one business matching sessions were held. IPIM, together with ten Macao and Hengqin organisations and enterprises, conducted over 220 business discussions with international exhibition buyers including hotels, exhibition related authorities, destination management companies, and professional conference organisers from Europe, America, and the Asia-Pacific region. This brought opportunities for the Macao and Hengqin exhibition industry to connect with international buyers and undertake projects. Some first-time participating enterprises from the Co-operation Zone expressed that attending the event increased the attractiveness of hosting exhibitions in the Co-operation Zone and expected to jointly invite overseas buyers to hold meetings and activities in Macao and Hengqin. Additionally, they received, through business discussions, co-operation intentions from Southeast Asian enterprises which planned to arrange visits to Macao and Hengqin for field inspection. Exhibition industry representatives noted that the event brought together buyers and suppliers from the Asia-Pacific region and Europe and America, allowing for customised matching to precisely connect with target clients. They hope to collaborate with enterprises in the Co-operation Zone to explore markets in Europe, America, and the Middle East, enhancing local enterprises' perspectives and international service quality.

Pro-actively Attracting Investment by Focusing on Macao and Hengqin Advantages

At the same time, during IPIM’s participation in the event in Bangkok, they met with over 20 enterprises with the aim of attracting a greater variety of exhibition activities and businesses to settle in Macao and Hengqin, thereby promoting appropriately diversified economic development and the synergistic growth of the exhibition industry.