Can you give us a look back on the initial days of Macau’s reopening through the lens of the Galaxy International Convention Center (GICC)?
We opened with quite a bang. One of our first shows was a big Kpop entertainment concert by music group Treasure on April 22. That, I feel, was our baptism by fire. That led straight into our first conference by USANA BabyCare with 10,000 attendees from China and overseas.
We then had two Blackpink concerts in May.
We have done two mega conferences so far. This week, while you are here, we are hosting the two-day 2023 Global Legal & Sustainable Timber Forum (November 21 and 22), which is organised by the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute and the International Tropical Timber Organization.
So, in short, we have been enjoying a very good and steady run. We are happy with the progress, and we have also recruited more to join us along the way.
Are there certain types of events that are better suited for GICC?
We have to look at what fits our building – we have spaces that are at the high end, so they cater to a niche market. Ultimately, we want a good mix of international and regional meetings and events that will bring business to the complete complex.
Andaz Macau and Raffles at Galaxy Macau both opened in quick succession in recent months, while Phase 4 construction is underway. What advantages do they bring to the whole Galaxy Macau package, especially when your teammates talk to event owners/organisers?
As an integrated resort, we sell a destination within a destination. There is so much for people to do here at Galaxy Macau, besides being able to meet here, but we also encourage our guests to head out and see Macau.
When it comes to promoting our destination – Galaxy Macau – we highlight the wide range of hotels, entertainment, and shopping that we have under one roof. We offer people a good spectrum of things all within walking distance, and people like that.
So, you could stay at the Raffles at Galaxy Macau, dine at The Ritz-Carlton, Macau, attend a meeting at Galaxy International Convention Center, go shopping at the Galaxy Promenade, and watch a performance at one of our venues.
For event organisers and owners, our collection of eight hotels allows them the flexibility of accommodating different tiers of guests at different places. For all events taking place here, our priority is to push our own hotels. It is a matter of convenience, as attendees can easily walk from their hotel to the event site.
How will 2024 look for GICC, and how are you readying your teams to ensure top-notch business development and client fulfilment?
We forecasted a 60 per cent growth year-on-year for 2024, and this is in line with Macau’s ambitious target for tourism and business events. With this goal in mind, we are doing a number of things to make sure we are ready for this growth spurt. We are ramping up our teams, recruiting smarter people, and rethinking our operations for efficiency while pushing for high standards.
We are investing in young talents through internship programmes. However, the concerning thing about our industry is that the number of new talents entering the marketplace is never going to be enough to keep up with the growth of the industry. That’s a reality, but we have to do what we can to spot and nurture promising young talents.
While we are expanding our teams, we are also investing in existing staff through training.
We will conduct a brand standard workshop for MICE soon. With so many international hotel brands operating within Galaxy Macau, we see the need to implement a single brand promise and service standard for all our teams that are facing event clients.
You spoke of how there will never be enough talent to fill all the manpower needs of our industry. So, how will you cope with the increasing number of events that are expected to sweep into GICC?
Well, yes, there are only so many people and we have to deliver on our events. We are leveraging technology where suitable to speed things up and ease the workload on our people, such as in information management, event management, production of event materials, etc.
Internally, we are using more AI solutions, such as for writing briefs and directional signage.
We are also bringing in good partners as a way of working smarter. They enable us to boost our capacity and capability without the burden of overheads. There are peaks and troughs in the business events industry. You don’t want to carry staff throughout. You want to carry an average and be able to flex up when needed.
Macau’s government has tied compulsory non-gaming investments with its latest round of gaming licence renewal. What does this mean for Galaxy Entertainment Group, and specifically for its venue side of the business?
The shift away from gaming development certainly has a direct and positive impact on us. There are now more events being developed and brought in.
However, I see the need for the industry to make sure that the events coming into Macau are good for the city, that the investment in events development brings great returns. There has to be a long-term vision. Specifically, there must be legacy creation so that benefits from events will continue beyond, say, 10 years. Measurements need to look beyond the monetary value.
How do you see this non-gaming investment mandate impacting Macau’s travel and tourism industry as a whole?
There is a positive impact on visitation. Already, we are seeing a bigger mix of demographics coming to Macau because of the many new attractions and festivals.
When I first started with Galaxy Entertainment Group (in 2019), we never had a focus on a kids’ club. Right now we have a mascot and a kids club. When you walk through our properties, you see more multi-generational families and also younger guests who eat in different restaurants, try out different activities, and overall just spend on many different areas.
We are also seeing some event attendees coming for a conference here but also bringing along their families.
OK, one very important question to round up our conversation – who is your mascot?
That’s Wavey the Peacock. The kids love him. He makes an appearance at our public events. Come Christmas, Wavey will be out on full steam making his rounds across all our properties and spaces.
