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Guests of honour officiate the opening ceremony of the 2023 Sands Shopping Carnival Thursday at The Venetian Macao’s Cotai Expo. (PRNewsfoto/Sands China Ltd.) -
Guests of honour receive a guided tour of the Sands Shopping Carnival Thursday at The Venetian Macao’s Cotai Expo, after officiating the opening ceremony. (PRNewsfoto/Sands China Ltd.) -
The free-admission Sands Shopping Carnival is the largest sale event in Macao and is open from noon to 10 p.m. daily, Thursday-Sunday, July 20-23 at Cotai Expo Halls A and B, with a special invitation-only preview session on the first day. (PRNewsfoto/Sands China Ltd.)
The carnival provided a free business platform for local SMEs and Sands retailers, helping them create more business opportunities, and it offers a fun weekend destination hotspot for local residents and tourists in line with the Macao government’s ‘tourism+’ initiative.
MACAU, CHINA – Sands China Ltd. kicked off its annual signature event, the 2023 Sands Shopping Carnival, at The Venetian Macao with an opening ceremony on July 20th, attended by representatives from the government, finance, business, and community services sectors.
Dr. Wilfred Wong, president of Sands China Ltd., said: “The Sands Shopping Carnival has become a highly-anticipated summer signature event for residents and tourists from the Greater Bay Area, and events like this play an important role in enhancing the non-gaming elements of our industry, contributing to Macao’s status as a world centre of tourism and leisure. Sands China upholds the business philosophy of supporting local enterprises, and we have spared no effort in promoting Macao brands to support the Macao SAR government’s policy of fostering SMEs, especially small and micro companies, ‘Made-in-Macao’ companies, and Macao young entrepreneurs.”
He continued: “With travel restrictions easing, we have seen an abundance of visitors coming to Macao, and we eagerly anticipate welcoming visitors from around the world so that they can enjoy this remarkable shopping extravaganza. In keeping with our founding principles, Sands China has continued to offer this exhibition platform for exhibitors free of charge, and we are once again bringing international retail brands and local SMEs together to create synergistic effects, thereby empowering Macao brands to go global.”
Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, director of the Macao Government Tourism Office, said: “The Macao SAR government has been striving to develop the city as a world centre of tourism and leisure, with shopping as a key component of the industry. In the first quarter of this year, 57% of tourist spending in Macao went toward shopping, making it the largest segment of tourist expenditure. Therefore, providing high-quality shopping services is vital to elevating the travel experience of visitors to Macao. We are pleased to see that Sands China and Macao’s retailers have shown strong support for retail fairs like this, which can help accelerate the recovery of the retail industry, enabling residents and tourists to enjoy the pleasures of shopping while promoting the integration of ‘tourism + shopping.”
Fred Ma Chi Ngai, president of the Board of Directors of the Macao Chamber of Commerce, said: “Through co-organising this event, the Macao Chamber of Commerce is demonstrating unwavering support for the sustainable and far-reaching growth of local SMEs by promoting local brands and helping Macao’s SMEs and businesses expand their retail network. We are joining hands with all sectors and SMEs to integrate our resources and strengths to revive the economy and promote moderate diversification, which will in turn help Macao SMEs flourish and reap the rewards of success. We are committed to deepening our cooperation with all sectors and businesses to actively boost the prosperous development of Macao’s tourism and retail industries.”
The carnival provided a free business platform for local SMEs and Sands retailers, helping them create more business opportunities, and it offers a fun weekend destination hotspot for local residents and tourists in line with the Macao government’s ‘tourism+’ initiative. It is Sands China’s fourth year providing the shopping and leisure hotspot, after total visitation for the last three carnivals exceeded 310,000.
The free-admission Sands Shopping Carnival is a sale event in Macao at Cotai Expo Halls A and B, with a special invitation-only preview session on the first day. The carnival comprises a record-breaking over 580 booths and features a total of 11 exhibition zones across 21,000 square metres: Sands retailers; household products; parenting and family; gourmet; food court; healthy lifestyle; Macao cultural, creative and IP; play and fun; and three new zones – international wine and spirits, happy reading, and MinM Plaza. Among the more than 260,000 products, the 2023 Sands Shopping Carnival is offering a limited number of special daily MOP 1 items each day for shoppers.
As part of Sands China’s ongoing promotion of social inclusion, Sands Cares Ambassadors are providing on-site support to local community organisations that have been invited to participate in the carnival and are helping them man their booths.
The carnival featured a variety of shopping, an international-cuisine food court area, and family-friendly entertainment, activities and games. Some carnival highlights include:
- Over 580 booths offering more than 260,000 products and some of the best deals in town, including special daily MOP 1 products and huge discounts of up to 90 per cent off on international brands; visitors are encouraged to bring their own shopping bags to support sustainability
- BOC Smart Kids Presents: Little Master Chef Workshop, a free food-prep and decorating activity for children, led by Sands China’s food and beverage team, featuring madeleines, handmade sushi, Vietnamese spring rolls, and more
- ICBC ePay Presents: Karaoke King Singing Competition 2023, with individuals and teams competing in preliminary rounds on Saturday, and final round and prize presentation ceremonies on Sunday
- Bank of Communications Presents: K-POP Dance Competition 2023, providing children with the opportunity to showcase their talents and shine on stage on Sunday in groups of three to eight dancers, with a judging panel awarding prizes on the same day for the top three performances
- Food Court offering a variety of regional and international choices, with free eco-friendly utensils available
- The 2023 Sands Shopping Carnival is organised by Sands China Ltd. and co-organised by the Macao Chamber of Commerce, with the full support of the Economic and Technological Development Bureau, the
- Macao Government Tourism Office, and the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute. It was sponsored by Bank of China Macau Branch, ICBC (Macau), Bank of Communications Macau Branch, and BNU.
The carnival’s opening ceremony on Thursday was officiated by Dr. Wong; Senna Fernandes; U U Sang, chairman of the Board of Directors of the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute; Sun Yaohua, director of the Economic Affairs Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR; Che Weng Keong, acting deputy director of the Economic and Technological Development Bureau; Paulo Jorge Basaloco, head of the Gaming Inspection Department of the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau; Fred Ma Chi Ngai; Grant Chum, chief operating officer and executive director of Sands China Ltd.; Dave Sun, senior vice president and chief financial officer of Sands China Ltd. and managing director of Venetian Macau Limited; Norbert Riezler, senior vice president and chief procurement officer for Las Vegas Sands; Stephen Ieong, managing director of Bank of China Macau Branch; Felix Chan, deputy chief executive officer of ICBC Macau; Sam Leng, vice president of Bank of Communications Co., Ltd. Macau Branch; Carlos Cid Alvares, chief executive officer of BNU.
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