The Macao Showcase

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Event brief
Named The Macao Showcase, the event was Sands China’s first major post-pandemic event held overseas. It aimed to support the Macao Government Tourism Office and Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute in their efforts to attract more overseas visitors, diversify visitor source markets, and extend stays.

Stephanie Tanpure, vice president of sales, Sands China, said sales and trade partners, regional and international media, and Singapore residents and visitors were invited to “experience the multifaceted charm of Macau, a world centre of tourism and leisure and premier MICE destination”.

Sands China assembled a 200-strong delegation from local SMEs, associations and media to promote Macau’s unique food, products, and arts and culture. This helped small brands and enterprises to reach an international audience.

Highlights
Two halls of Sands Expo & Convention Centre at MBS were transformed into a mini-Macau for A Taste of Macao event segment, which featured gastronomy, fashion, arts and culture, and wellness in different zones. Huge props of landmarks, like the ruins of St. Paul’s and Travessa da Paixao, and “cobblestone streets” created photo opportunities for visitors to share their experience on social media. Looped videos showed glimpses of life in Macau from “shophouse” windows.

Stalls dished out popular street foods such as congee and noodles, savoury pork buns, as well as Macanese favourites like egg tarts, almond cookies and egg rolls. Churchill’s Table Boutique at The Londoner Macao offered exclusive tea collections. A simulated speakeasy The St. Regis Bar served handcrafted Owl Man Macau gin cocktails.

A lively bazaar featuring made-in-Macau wellness products such as kombucha, skin care and healing gemstones drew interest, as did fashion and accessories created by well-known and budding designers, artistic displays and opera performances.

The invitation-only gala dinner featured exquisite dishes presented by six of Sands China’s top chefs, dance performance and fashion show – all from Macau – and the high-energy Overtones quartet specially flown in from the UK.

The half-day MICE & Luxury Forum adopted a hybrid format. While the Singapore audience enjoyed the five sessions in person, university students and MICE association members watched the live stream at The Londoner Macao’s Smart Stage, the first hybrid meeting space and sophisticated, extended reality studio in Macau. They engaged with panellists in real-time during the Q & A session.

Challenges
The short event lead-time presented challenges: sourcing and booking air/ground transportation and accommodation; securing venue, trade partner and media availability; confirming local Macau enterprises to showcase their products; renting equipment and settling other logistics.

Tanpure said: “We leveraged existing and established new relationships with trusted suppliers who could quickly respond to our needs. By leveraging their expertise and negotiating for expedited services, we were able to streamline the logistics process and ensure all necessary resources were in place when required.”

The organisers also tapped MBS’ joint assets, clientele, extensive labour force and skill set, and systems to effectively execute the event “in record time”.

Through targeted online activities, email campaigns, and with MBS’s support, organisers effectively reached a wider audience and generated significant interest in the event, surpassing initial expectations.

An unexpected but happy problem was the popularity of the egg-custard tarts – they ran out midway through the first day. The kitchen went into overdrive to churn out the delicacy; some 8,000 tarts were baked over the three days.

Tanpure summed up: “The key lies in efficient planning, resourcefulness and effective communication to ensure a memorable and well-executed event, regardless of the time constraints.”

Event The Macao Showcase
Organiser Sands China
Venue Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
Date June 7-9, 2023
Attendance About 8,500 people