Macau European Chamber of Commerce 2018 Gala Dinner
Lauds Progression of Macau’s Multicultural Exchange
(Macau, 18 May 2018) Macau European Chamber of Commerce (herein referred to as “MECC” or “the Chamber”) held its 2018 Gala Dinner at the Grand Lisboa, Macau today. The fifth annual occurrence of its kind, a British-Irish themed dinner celebrated the endeavours of the European Union (“EU”) and Macau communities in strengthening their bilateral ties.
Continuing its tradition, MECC presented the MECC Awards for Euroexcellence in Food and Beverage, Luxury and Innovation tonight to recognise Macau companies which uphold high European standards and quality for sustainable development of Macau. First presented in 2015, the awards encourage local enterprises to engage in Sino-Western collaboration, create new international business opportunities, and sustain Macau’s rich history of cross-cultural exchange.
The winners were announced as 1) MECC Award for Euroexcellence in Food and Beverage: The Educational Restaurant (Institute for Tourism Studies), for its active promotion of multi-cultural culinary exchange between Europe and Macau; 2) MECC Award for Euroexcellence in Luxury: Mandarin Oriental, Macau, in appreciation of its commitment to high standards of hospitality and bringing high-end, non-gaming diversity to Macau; and 3) MECC Award for Euroexcellence in Innovation: MGM COTAI, for its unique and innovative approach in introducing international fine arts to Macau, and its first-in-Asia dynamic theatre.
In his welcome message, Dr. Ambrose So, Honorary Chairman of MECC and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, S.A. (“SJM”), expressed thanks to the members and Macau community for their support to MECC. He said that 2018 has already seen prominent steps forward in the collaboration between EU and China with the launch of the EU-Tourism Year in January, and he expected the opening of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge will increase economic opportunities in both Macau and the Greater Bay Area, helping to create a world-class city cluster for EU-Macau-China cooperation. He added that SJM is always at the forefront of bridging Europe and China through Macau, and the Grand Lisboa Palace, which embodies East-meets-West in its design, will present the best of Europe in fashion, gastronomy and lifestyle.
Mr. Vitor Sereno, Honorary Chairman of MECC and Consul General of Portugal to Macau and Hong Kong said, “Relations between Macau and the EU have been long and successful; in addition to political, trade and economic ties, we have also witnessed an expansion of relations in culture, education and environment. The environment is one of the areas with the most potential for cooperation, since Macau has increasing infrastructure projects in various sectors. EU companies can play a major role in providing expertise and services for Macau projects and boosting overall competitiveness. Since Macau has been designated as the platform between China and the Portuguese speaking countries, lots of efforts were made to strengthen the city’s legal system and cultivate professionals. For the future, the EU and its companies should continue to work closely with Macau government to diversify the economy, improve sustainability and promote bilateral trade and investment flows.”
Ambassador Carmen Cano, Head of Office of the EU to Hong Kong and Macao, said that Europe remains a key partner to Macao, China, and all Asian partners. Recent economic news from Europe is good and its partners are positive on Europe’s outlook and prospects. The EU is more indispensable than ever and ready to engage with the world, including Macao.
The EU appreciates Macao’s efforts to pursue economic diversification, and is willing to play a positive role by providing expertise of EU businesses, which will also contribute to the development of the Greater Bay Area. Ambassador Cano concluded by saying that the flourishing EU-Macao relationship has interesting work ahead, and wished the MECC, and all its members, success in their important mission.
Professor Kevin Thompson, President of the Board of Directors of MECC, said in his speech, “Whilst tonight’s Gala Dinner comes at a propitious moment – with the opening of Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge this year, which is engineered by Chinese and European companies, and the launch of new schools, two hotels and resorts designed by British architects – it is still important to acknowledge the contributions from each of our seven chambers of commerce constituents for the business vitality and economy of Macau.”
Supported by SJM as a Platinum Sponsor, the gala dinner showcased captivating performances, including English pastoral music, an exhilarating fusion of Irish, ballet and acro dance, and enchanting bagpipe performances of Highland Laddie and Amazing Grace. In the spirit of the theme, much of the cuisine was sourced from British and Irish producers.
Other sponsors of the dinner include Gold Sponsors: BNU, MGM China Holdings Ltd., and Ocean Gardens; and Silver Sponsors: Bank of China Macau Branch, CESL Asia,
Galaxy Entertainment Group, ICBC (Macau), Melco Resorts & Entertainment Limited,
New Yaohan, Sands China Ltd., and Wynn Resorts (Macau) S.A..
With the ballroom close to capacity, the evening was well attended by honourable guests from multiple facets of society, such as the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the MSAR; representatives of the MSAR Government; Consuls General of the European countries in Hong Kong and Macau; and members of prominent local business communities.