EXCITING YEAR AHEAD
Macau is anticipating an exciting year as the long-awaited Sands Cotai Central, which will have 6,000 hotel rooms and 10,000 square metres of meeting facilities, nears completion.
The area will open in phases from this month, starting with the 636-room Conrad Hotel and the 1,224-room Holiday Inn.
Macao Economic Services director Sou Tim-peng expects this year to be an eventful one for the conventions and exhibitions sector.
'Local event [organisers] will be encouraged to further build their brands; professional training for different segments of industry will be offered; while exchanges between local industry professionals with their foreign counterparts will continue through their participation in overseas shows and exhibitions,' he says.
Melco Crown Entertainment's senior vice-president, leisure and brand marketing, and sales, Carmen Lam believes this year will see planners seeking personalised, upscale experiences for delegates in more intimate venues.