Despite being at the center of 20 UNESCO World Heritage sites and a confluence of East-meets-West Portuguese and Chinese cultures, Macao’s Cotai Strip is often referred to as the “Las Vegas of the East” with good reason.
As an autonomous region of China, Macao’s reputation as a world-class resort city and prime MICE destination rests on the Strip, a dazzling entertainment mecca. A big contributor to this vibe is Sands Resorts Macao, which includes Conrad, Holiday Inn, Sheraton Grand and St. Regis properties at Sands Cotai Central, with The Venetian, The Parisian (which opened late last year), Four Seasons and a waterfront Sands on the Macao peninsula individually positioned along the Cotai Strip. Combined, the resorts offer more than 12,000 rooms, 850 shopping outlets and 150 restaurants, some Michelin-star in the heart of the action.
“Our international MICE visitors are seeking more depth than ever before.”
Across Sands Resorts Macao, cultural MICE programming is seeing an uptick, explains Stephanie Tanpure, VP of sales. “Some of the most popular on-site experiences include sunrise yoga or traditional Chinese tai chi within one of our hotel gardens or overlooking a panoramic view at daybreak from our observation deck of The Parisian Macao’s Eiffel Tower.”
Groups can also partake in cooking classes, master chef competitions and dine-arounds, spa treatments based on Feng Shui or their personal birth gemstones, fan dancing lessons and cultural performances. Fun, customized interactions with DreamWorks characters from “Shrek,” “How to Train Your Dragon” and other popular films can also be arranged. Off-site, they will definitely want to visit the iconic ruins of St. Paul, A-Ma Temple (built to honor a sea goddess), walk the pebbly reflexology path in Camoes Garden, and people watch in Senado Square to get a feel for Macao’s cultural potpourri. “Our international MICE visitors are seeking more depth than ever before,” Tanpure adds.
