The number of meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) held in Macao fell to 68 in the first three months of 2021. The number of participants at MICE events however surged 71.7% year-on-year to 138,000 attendees, according to official data released by the Macao SAR Government Statistics and Census Service.
The growth in participants and attendees comes on the back of an increase in the number of exhibitions. The number of exhibitions held in the first quarter of 2021 rose by 4 events to 7. About 132,000 people took part in exhibitions, up by 109.2% in year-on-year terms. Total floor area utilised during the reporting period was about 13,000 square metres, an increase of 73.7% from the prior-year period.
In terms of meetings and conferences, there were 61 events held in the city in the first quarter of 2021, 56 fewer in year-on-year terms. Meetings and conference participants in the three months to 31 March reached about 6,523 people, a 61.5% decrease from one year earlier. Each meeting or conference lasted an average of 1.0 day, a decline in the average event duration of 0.4 day compared to the first quarter of 2020.
Since March, Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) and the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) have presented seminars outlining the strengths of Macao’s MICE in various cities in Mainland China.