Martin Allies, president of Cafe Deco Group, is thinking big with his Cafe Deco Macau which opened on August 28. The restaurant's 32,000 sqft of floor space can cater for more than 2,000 people.
Clearly he is not just targeting the weekend tables tourist, and his business, in the Venetian resort, is indicative of a gaming industry spin-off that is diversifying into other competitive areas, in this case one that challenges Hong Kong head-on.
'Most important for us was the Venetian's take on the convention market, not purely the gamblers,' he says.
'I think in future it's not going to just be the casinos for Macau, but its ability to facilitate large-scale conventions. In Hong Kong, we just can't fit 20,000 people right next to the convention centre.'
The Venetian will provide 163,900 sqft for conventions, 803,900 sqft for exhibitions and a 15,000-seat arena.
According to a recent Jones Lang LaSalle report, at least 44 events have been confirmed for the Venetian in its first two years of operation, and the resort will receive an estimated 327,000 people for exhibitions or trade shows in the final quarter of this year.