At yesterday’s opening ceremony of the International Environmental Crisis Management Forum and Exhibition, Macau Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) President Benson Lau Wai Meng said in a speech that Macau’s expo business was gradually making a comeback.
The International Environmental Crisis Management Forum and Exhibition, which ends tomorrow, is being held at the Venetian Cotai Expo Hall D. The expo is co-hosted by the Macau Fair and Trade Association, Guangdong and Macau Federation of Industry and Commerce and MICE Alliance of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area.
Macau’s first chief executive Edmund Ho Hau Wah presided over the opening ceremony in his capacity as vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).
According to Lau, the event shows that Macau is a safe place to host forums and expos. He said that Macau’s expo industry has reached an international level and that has a lot of potential. He added he hopes that by heeding the government’s anti-COVID-19 health guidelines, more expos can be held in Macau.
Lau noted that the novel coronavirus pandemic is a “hot topic” that’s being discussed internationally, adding that the world is paying much attention to this environmental crisis and eager to learn how to manage it.
Directly-elected lawmaker Si Ka Lon noted in his speech that this year’s COVID-19 pandemic has affected people’s daily lives, while unusual weather such as typhoons and wildfires have been happening more frequently in recent years.
He also said that the environmental crisis was a challenge everyone needed to face and that no one could be free from natural disasters, adding that people needed to work hand in hand to overcome the challenges.
Si stressed that people around the world are now in the same boat facing the same challenges so everyone should take responsibility and help the world overcome the international challenges.
Si also said that he was grateful that the organisers invited international crisis management experts from Portugal, Singapore and the US to impart wisdom and share their previous experiences with the forum via Zoom conference call.
Macau Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) President Benson Lau Wai Meng delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of the International Environmental Crisis Management Forum and Exhibition yesterday at the Venetian Cotai Expo Hall D. Photo: Prisca Tang
