Macau MICE events up 231% in Q3

The rise is logical because of Covid-19 countermeasures last year.

Macau.- The number of Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) events held in Macau in the third quarter of the year was up by 231 per cent compared to Q3 2022. There were 245 events. As reported by Macau’s Statistics and Census Bureau (DSEC), there was a 59.9 per cent increase in the number of participants and attendees, reaching 545,000 people.

The number of meetings and conferences rose 262.3 per cent, with 221 events and 48,000 participants. There were eight exhibitions, attracting 493,000 attendees, and four incentives events attended by 5,035 people. There was a 279 per cent increase in revenue and a 155.5 per cent increase in expenditures for exhibition organisers.

For the first three quarters of 2023, there were 757 MICE events, up 187.8 per cent from 2022. There were 703 meetings and conferences and 44 exhibitions. The rise is because of Covid-19 countermeasures last year.

A week ago, the DSEC reported that non-gaming spending by visitors reached MOP19.60bn (US$2.45bn) in the third quarter of the year. That’s a rise of 28.9 per cent when compared to the same period in 2019 and up 12.1 per cent in quarter-on-quarter terms.

The Macau government sees the development of non-gaming activities as crucial to its economic diversification strategy. This was taken into account when considering applications for the new 10-year Macau gaming concessions that began in January. Macau’s six casino operators have jointly pledged to invest a minimum of MOP108.7bn (US$13.48bn) in non-gaming initiatives and to explore overseas markets.