All play and no work? That is simply not the Macanese way, as business visitors to the city will attest
Macau is much more than a playground for leisure travelers; like Las Vegas, it is shaping up to become a major player in the market for meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE). Indeed, by the time the Venetian opens its 1-million-sq-ft convention center in 2007, it is realistic to expect that Macau will become a serious competitor to neighboring Hong Kong. In the meantime, however, the city already has its own strengths, being a gateway to the western side of the Pearl River Delta.
Following are some of the most popular venues for staging corporate events in Macau.
Hotel Lisboa
With 1,603-square meters of meeting and banquet space including nine multi-purpose meeting/banquet rooms, all offering advanced audiovisual capabilities, the Hotel Lisboa can accommodate as many as 590 guests for meetings, 1,000 for set menus, and 1,240 for cocktails. A catering team will custom-design menus, decoration and theme parties.
2-4, Avenida de Lisboa, Macau
(853) 377666
(853) 567193
Total rooms: 1000
lisboa@macau.ctm.net
www.hotelisboa.com
The Westin Resort Macau
The 8-storey Westin Resort Macau is ideally located on Macauís Coloane Island, with 206 guest rooms averaging 72 square meters, all opening on 27-square meter private terraces with sea views, 12 meeting rooms including two private boardrooms, a garden court, and a grand ballroom ranging from 221- to 2,234-square feet with seating capacity for more than 200.
The adjoining par 71 championship 18-hole golf course at the Macau Golf and Country Club, with driving range overlooking the South China Sea, is available for incentive events at the Westin, which also has facilities for customized on-site teambuilding and themed parties.
1918 Estrada de Hac, Sa, P.O. Box 1429, Coloane, Macau
(853) 87 1111
(853) 87 1122
macau@westin.com
www.westin-macau.com/
Macau Tower
Macauís 338-m tall landmarkís Convention Center houses a Grand Hall with seating for over 1,000 guests for banquets or cocktail receptions that can be divided into smaller meeting rooms.
The 500-seat theater features simultaneous interpretation facilities enabling parallel translation in four languages, and is equipped with a hydraulically operated orchestra pit as well as comprehensive audio-visual equipment. The open layout 1,800-sq-m exhibition hall can accommodate 100 standard display booths.
The 180∞ Lounge & Grill and Outdoor Observation Deck can be hired for cocktail parties, business events and other private functions.
Largo da Torre de Macau, Macau
(853) 9888 883
(853) 968 325
irenewong@shuntakhospitality.com
www.macautower.com.mo
Fisherman's Wharf
Billed as the biggest in town, the Fisherman's Wharf Convention and Exhibition Center offers a total area of 5,000-sq-m, with a 3,000-sq-m space unobstructed by pillars or structural supports and a main hall with 6.3-m high ceiling.
Located beneath the park's East Meets West area, the venue was designed with an ancient mythology theme. The Main Hall, which can accommodate as many as 168 round tables or 3,600 standing guests, can also be sub-divided into three sections with separate entrances. The Banquet Hall can accommodate as many as 1,600 for a seminar and 1,000 banquet guests.
Five other multi-function rooms, are also available, which, when connected, can accommodate as many as 60 round tables. An open-air terrace is available for receptions, and rooms are adjoined by a 1,300--sq-m reception area, with two VIP rooms allowing direct and private car park access.
22 Floor, Macau Landmark,
555 Avenida da Amizade, Macau
(853) 222200
(853) 222225
info@fishermanswharf.com.mo
The Landmark, Macau
The Landmark features a multi-functional ballroom, the 633-sq-m Lagoon, which is equipped with a built-in stage and wide range of meeting and banquet facilities, and can accommodate 384 guests for a banquet or 800 for a reception.
555 Avenida da Amizade, Macau
(853) 781781
(853) 786611
info@landmarkhotel.com.mo
www.landmarkhotel.com.mo
Macau Cultural Center
Located near the ferry terminal, Sands Macau and Fishermanís Wharf, the Cultural Center comprises a total area of 45,000-sq-m, which includes theaters, the Macau Museum of Art, the Handover Gifts Museum and a plaza. The Grand Auditorium has a maximum capacity of 1,108 seats (with an orchestra pit), and the Small Auditorium has a capacity of 389 seats. Both have simultaneous interpretation facilities and quality sound and lighting systems. The multi-purpose conference room, which can accommodate 200 people seated in theater style or banquets for 100, features movable partitions that allow it to convert into three smaller meeting rooms.
Av. Xian Xing Hai, NAPE, Macau
(853) 700699
(853) 704196
enquiry@ccm.gov.mo
www.ccm.gov.mo
Macau Forum
Adjacent to the Tourism Activities Center, the forum is designed for multiple purposes, with two pavilions, a car park, and offices. Pavilion I, suitable for sports events, concerts, and conventions, can seat 3,895 people in 7,280 sq m with an enclosed 45x25-m game area that is 15 m high.
Pavilion II (Forum II) offers an area of 755 sq m with 345 seats and a stage area big enough for a badminton court.
Avenida Marciano Baptista, FORUM, Macau
(853) 9884117
(853) 329491
www.iacm.gov.mo
Tourism Activities Center (CAT)
A tourist, cultural and social complex, CAT is conveniently located near the ferry terminal, Sands Macau, and Fisherman's Wharf, and is physically and functionally integrated with the already existing Macau Forum sports complex.
The 2,465-sq-m Macau Grand Prix Museum is available as a venue for cocktail receptions, and the adjacent 850--sq-m Wine Museum can be used for catered banquets.
Above the 595-sq-m ground floor exhibition hall, the first floor houses a 350--sq-m conference hall that can be subdivided, three meeting rooms, and a 60-seat auditorium with a stage for performances. There is capacity for 600 people in the 620-sq-m conference space on the second floor, and also a business center.
No.431 Rua Luis Gonzaga
Gomes, Macau
(853) 701989
(853) 703820
cat@macautourism.gov.mo
