A roundtable discussion titled “Shaping Macao as a Regional and International Entertainment Hub” was held during the Asian IR Summit yesterday, during which it was noted that Macau has an oversupply of performance venues, but not enough demand.
The three-day Asian IR Summit was held at Galaxy International Convention Centre (GICC) and concluded yesterday.
The discussion, the final session of yesterday’s summit, featured speakers David Baxley, Vice President, Regional Entertainment, Sands China, and Raymond Lo (盧敬恆), SVP, Head of Global Marketing and General Manager of Altira Macau and Mocha Clubs, Melco Resorts & Entertainment. Macau’s visitor demographic, including touching on K-pop and its trends in Macau, and the sustainability of long-term shows (aka “residencies”), were among the areas discussed.
The pair were also asked about Macau’s situation as an entertainment hub. Baxley said that from looking at figures comparing the number of private and public shows in 2019 and 2024 in Macau, there were three times as many shows in the latter year, while there has been a huge increase in the number of seats and venues in the city.
Baxley noted he believes that Macau has an oversupply of venues and a shortage of actual audience members, adding that although there is money to be made from shows, particularly on those by K-pop groups, there are also a lot doing shows in Macau that lose money, at least in ticket sales.
“I think that what really needs to happen is we need to equalise that”, Baxley said, adding: “Until we actually knit up the Greater Bay Area [GBA] into a single region entertainment-wise, I think you’re going to see this huge shortage of audience members, people buying tickets”
Baxley underlined that having Macau’s venues is a big step forward in becoming an entertainment hub, along with having a number of shows, but also said he hopes to see more diversification in show content such as by having more in the comedy or hip-hop genre. Moreover, he remarked that the city currently seems to have a bifurcated market wherein there are K-pop shows that mostly appeal to the younger generation and shows that resonate more with older groups, but no middle ground geared towards those in their 20s and 30s.
Adding to this, Lo then gave his thoughts on the trends of Macau as an entertainment hub, noting that the city now has a lot more shows of different types as entertainment encompasses areas such as theatre, which he thinks is growing in popularity, shows and gaming. Adding it all up, the city offers extra seats to the market, along with venues that vary in size based on the scope of demand, noting that not all events are necessarily large, there are smaller ones as well.
Lo also pointed out Macau’s higher accessibility with factors like visa policies and connectivity from the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HZMB). And with higher accessibility comes the potential to make it easier for the city not only to draw in more visitors, but carry out more shows and show types and entertainment, creating synergy, he said.
In terms of the international market, Baxley and Lo also remarked on whether Macau can support the focuses on both the mainland market and international guests. Lo noted though it can be difficult, it is something that needs to be done, requiring effort from the whole industry to entertain both sides and that focusing on one market is not ideal.
Baxley commented on the trend of rising artistes’ fees and the development of more venues in Hong Kong. He stressed that he would like a live-house scene to develop in Macau, which could be a positive development for Macau and the mainland.
Yesterday’s moderator Anna Robb (left), the executive producer of Our Legacy Creations, and David Baxley (right), Vice President, Regional Entertainment, Sands China, look on as Raymond Lo (盧敬恆), SVP, Head of Global Marketing and General Manager of Altira Macau and Mocha Clubs, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, speaks during yesterday’s Asian IR Summit at the Galaxy International Convention Centre (GICC). – Photo: Rui Pastorin
