The Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) said in a Friday statement that Macau’s convention and exhibition sector is gaining strong international recognition, as industry professionals met here last week to analyse global MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) trends and enhance competitiveness.
According to IPIM, its training course and Meet@Macao exchange event was held on Thursday at the Complex of the Commerce and Trade Cooperation Platform for China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Forum Macao Complex) in Sai Van. IPIM pointed out in the statement that over 50 representatives from the MICE sector and higher institutions joined the session, where a convention and exhibition consultant representing IPIM gave insights into the topic headlined “Future trends in MICE for 2026 and beyond.”
In his speech, IPIM President Che Weng Keong said that Macau’s convention and exhibition sector “has received multiple international awards in 2025,” noting the rise in both quantity and diversity of events, the statement said, adding that the training programme aimed to deepen cooperation between local operators, international organisations and Macau’s conference ambassadors, supporting long-term industry development.
The training was led by Patrick Delaney and Pádraic Gilligan, co-founders of consulting company Sool Nua, based in southern Ireland, and Gráinne Ní Ghiollagáin, managing partner of Sool Nua, who discussed emerging technologies, evolving client expectations, and global economic and cultural shifts shaping events in 2026, the statement said.
After the session, several “Macau Conference Ambassadors” exchanged views with consultants and local operators, the statement said, noting that participants highlighted how new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) can reshape event experiences and improve operational efficiency. According to the statement, the participants were encouraged to make use of the revised Conference and Exhibition Stimulation Programme to bid for more international conventions, the statement added.
Earlier last month, Alan Ho Hoi Meng, president of the Macao Association of Convention, Exhibition & Tourism Sectors, was named an “Outstanding Leader in Conventions” at the AFECA 2025 Annual Meeting, becoming one of the first inductees into the “AFECA Hall of Leaders”, the statement said, adding that the recognition marked the sector’s first international individual accolade.
IPIM said in the statement that it will continue promoting professional development through 22 training courses this year, including internationally recognised programmes and local certification sessions, as part of its effort to strengthen talent cultivation and support the growth of Macau’s convention and exhibition industry.
This handout photo provided by the Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) on Friday shows IPIM President Che Weng Keong addressing Thursday’s training course and Meet@Macao exchange event at the Complex of the Commerce and Trade Cooperation Platform for China and Portuguese-speaking Countries in Sai Van.
