Family-friendly carnival at Cotai Expo Aug. 7-9 supports MSAR government’s Consume for the Economy initiative. Provides a free business platform for local SMEs and Sands retailers.
Sands China Ltd. kicked off its three-day Sands Shopping Carnival with a grand opening celebration Friday at The Venetian® Macao’s Cotai Expo, officiated by guests of honour from government, finance, and business.
Featuring over 500 booths and offering the best deals to Macao residents and tourists, the carnival runs from noon to 10 p.m. Aug. 7-9, and is the largest shopping event of its kind in Macao. It provides a free business platform for local SMEs and Sands retailers amid the pandemic period, while creating a new weekend destination for local residents and tourists.
“Sands China is very pleased to present the Sands Shopping Carnival this weekend to help stimulate domestic consumption and boost the economy in support of the Macao SAR government’s Consume for the Economy initiative,” said Dr. Wilfred Wong, president of Sands China Ltd. “Despite the current unfavourable business environment, we remain steadfast in our commitment to support the development of local enterprises. With this three-day shopping carnival, we aim to provide a free business platform for local SMEs and Sands retailers to gain more business opportunities. By hosting this event, we also wanted to be able to give back to the local community, and we hope residents and visitors will take advantage of the opportunity to enjoy this safe and family-friendly shopping and leisure destination.”
Chui Yuk Lum, vice president of the Macao Chamber of Commerce, said: “The Sands Shopping Carnival not only provides a free and direct platform for local SMEs to do business, but also offers an additional leisure option for Macao residents. We are convinced that this event will help stimulate domestic consumption, maintain employment and boost the local economy. With these activities, we hope large enterprises – including integrated resort operators – will continue to support the development of local SMEs and help them navigate these challenging times.”
Amid the pandemic period, the Sands Shopping Carnival reinforces the company’s long-term commitment to promote the growth of local SMEs through Sands China’s Local Small, Medium and Micro Suppliers Support Programme and its F.I.T. initiative (Financial Support, Invitational Matching, and Training and Development).
The local SMEs participating in the event include both Sands China suppliers and other suppliers. After a two-week online registration period for interested exhibitors, Sands China drew lots to determine the final selection of exhibitors.
Nearly 260 SMEs are participating, including some that have never joined a trade fair, micro-suppliers, Macao young entrepreneurs, and Made-in-Macao companies, and spanning diverse industries such as floral, services, cultural and creative, old Macao stores, and food and beverage.
The carnival’s opening ceremony was officiated by Yao Jian, deputy director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR; Ku Mei Leng, representative of the Secretary for Economy and Finance; Tai Kin Ip, director of the Macao Economic Bureau; Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, director of the Macao Government Tourism Office; Lau Wai Meng, president of the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM); Anthony Leong, deputy director of the Macao Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau; Zhang Jianhua, assistant director general of the economic affairs department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR; Chui Yuk Lum, vice president of the Macao Chamber of Commerce; Ip Sio Kai, deputy general manager of Bank of China Macau Branch; Felix Chan, deputy CEO of ICBC (Macau); Wu Si Liang, deputy general manager of Luso International Banking Limited; Carlos Cid Alvares, CEO of BNU Macau; Dr. Wilfred Wong, president of Sands China Ltd.; Dave Sun, senior vice president and chief financial officer of Sands China Ltd.; and Sean McCreery, senior vice president of resort operations for Sands China Ltd.
After the opening ceremony, all officiating guests enjoyed a guided tour of the carnival, which is consumption e-voucher friendly and features six zones:
- BOC Macau Presents: Household and Lifestyle Products
- BNU Presents: Sands Retailers
- Family Workshops
- Gourmet
- Cultural & Creative
- Play and Fun
While admission to the carnival is free, attendees are highly encouraged to register their attendance ahead of time in order to help the organisers monitor crowd size and safeguard public health. Registration is available online at https://1ticks.com/event/sands-shopping-carnival?lang=en.
Free parking is available on-site, and as an added convenience, Sands China is also providing public transportation with free shuttle bus service on three routes to and from the event.
In addition to shopping, the Sands Shopping Carnival features several diverse activities and attractions. Carnival attendees can cheer on contestants in the ICBC ePay Presents: Karaoke King Singing Competition, with both preliminary and final rounds free for the public to enjoy. The Luso International (LIB) Presents: Little Master Chef Workshop features free on-site registration, with a limited number of spots open daily. Participating children can spend some quality time cooking with their parents, making doughnuts, mini pizzas, traditional northern handmade dumplings, and cookies, and decorating cupcakes. Other attractions include an international-cuisine food area; performances; lucky draws; MOP 1 products; deals up to 80 per cent off; and family-friendly activities and games.
And carnival-goers can rest assured that Sands China is implementing a series of strict sanitisation and safety measures to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 and safeguard public health. Besides the online registration platform, other safety measures include temperature checks upon entry; mandatory wearing of face masks; and disinfectants and hand sanitisers at all booths and at all carnival entry and exit points.
The Sands Shopping Carnival is organised by Sands China Ltd., co-organised by the Macao Chamber of Commerce, supported by the Macao Economic Bureau, the Macao Government Tourism Office and the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM), and is sponsored by Bank of China Macau Branch, ICBC (Macau), Luso International Banking Ltd., and BNU Macau.
More information about the Sands Shopping Carnival is available at the event’s official website at https://en.sandsresortsmacao.com/shopping/sands-shopping-carnival-2020.html.
SOURCE Sands China Ltd.