The 27th Macau International Trade and Investment Fair (27th MIF), Macau Franchise Expo 2022 (MFE) and 2022 Portuguese Speaking Countries Products and Services Exhibition (Macau) (PLPEX) will be held concurrently at the Venetian’s Cotai Expo from tomorrow through Saturday, according to a statement handed out by the organisers during yesterday’s press conference about the triple event.
The three-day expos, which will take place both online and offline, aim to help participating traders connect more efficiently with local small-medium enterprises (SMEs), give full play to the collaboration of meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE), as well as tourism, and enable the “multiplier effect” of the MICE economy to benefit a wider range of areas and fields in Macau while boosting appropriate economic diversification in Macau, the statement said.
The statement noted that as of yesterday, more than 1,200 exhibitors had signed up for online events, such as online exhibitions, online business matching, online contract signing, live streaming, and interactions with on-site exhibitions, with about 3,700 online exhibits. The statement said that over 1,000 exhibitors have also registered for offline events, adding that the online and on-site exhibitors are from the Chinese mainland, Angola, Brazil, Mozambique, Portugal, Hong Kong, and Macau, covering industries such as traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), technological innovation, culture and creativity, food and catering, and retail.
The statement pointed out that in order to further improve the digital experience, this year’s expos will apply 5G communications technology to live streaming and field visits.
According to the statement, there will be over 1,800 booths with a total exhibition area of 29,300 square metres, including 389 booths for local SMEs at the venue covering seven areas, namely a regional cooperation, platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, “Industry + MICE” collaboration, big health industry, cultural and creative industries, high-tech industry and support for SMEs, to promote Macau’s appropriate economic diversification.
The statement underlined that the three expos will only be open to traders tomorrow, but they will be open to the general public on Friday and Saturday. The statement stressed that during the expos, COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control measures issued by the Health Bureau (SSM) will strictly be carried out.
The statement noted that there will be free shuttle buses for participants travelling between the exhibition venue and the peninsula’s centre and northern district as well as Taipa.
During yesterday’s press conference, which took place at Cotai Expo, Macau Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) Acting President Vincent U U Sang said in his speech that this year’s three expos will feature “three enhancements and one improvement”, namely enhancing the local SMEs’ development, strengthening the development of four key industries, namely TCM, technological innovation, culture and creativity, food and catering, and retail services, and enhancing the development of the MICE and tourism industries, while the event’s improvement refers to the high degree of professionalism of the three expos.
U said that the number of booths for local SMEs this time has increased from 80 to 180, adding that 303 enterprises from the four key industries will participate in the three simultaneous expos, during which 56 thematic activities will be held.
U also said that there will be 181 exhibitors from the provinces of Fujian, Guangdong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang as well as the municipality of Shanghai.
According to U, the MIF and MFE expos have cancelled some of their previous years’ arrangements such as receptions and banquets, but they have strengthened the promotion of technology and multi-media to save costs and raise efficiency. The budgets of the two exhibitions were reduced by 19.68 percent and 12.79 percent respectively, while the PLPEX budget was increased by 1.13 percent as some of its facilities have been upgraded.
Macau Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) Acting President Vincent U U Sang (fourth from right) and other representatives of the 27th Macau International Trade and Investment Fair, Macau Franchise Expo 2022 and 2022 Portuguese Speaking Countries Products and Services Exhibition (Macau) triple event pose in front of the Macau Zone at the Venetian Macao’s Cotai Expo after yesterday’s press conference. – Photo: Yuki Lei
