Gov't wants to use MICE to emulate conomy structures

Gov't wants to use MICE to emulate conomy structures

by Anni Lam

The government wants to borrow MICE (Meeting, Incentive, Conference and Exhibition) to emulate the single industrial mode in the territory and reinforce its role as a business and trade service platform, said secretary for Economy and Finance Francis Tan Pak Yuen.

The secretary attended “The Round Table Conference on International Co-operation of Convention and Exhibition Industry” on Friday, saying in his speech note that the MICE industry was still in its growing stage but he vowed that both the government and the sectors have been putting all out to goad the development of conference and exhibition industry.

He went on to say that “the government will make use of the CEPA (Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement) and the Outline of the Plan for the Reform and Development of the Pearl River Delta to achieve the objectives of promoting moderate economic diversification and developing the territory into a leisure and tourism hub as well as a regional business and trade service platform.”

The vice president of the China Council for the Promotional International Trade (CCPIT) Dong Songgen said that the MICE industry in China has been growing more mature, after the 30 years of endeavours, and that the annul growing rate has reached up to 20 percent in a year-on-year basis.

However, he did not deny that the global financial downturn has brought a significant detriment to the industry as it dampens investors' investment and consumption confidence and the macroeconomic policy also dragged down the industry's development.

He added that it is because of the hit of the financial crisis, that China's economy has been showing a downturn sign in the past five consecutive quarters.

Therefore, he continued to say that he hopes to use Macau as a platform to communicate and exchange experience with overseas sectors so that it can achieve a mutual benefit in the “economic blizzard”.

The Round Table Conference was held on Friday at the Venetian Macau wherein around 60 representatives of industry organisations and specialists from Singapore, Thailand, Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau participated.

Sunday, 05 April 2009
Macau Daily Times