The “Macao Week in Shanghai” came to a successful conclusion, during which the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) promoted Macao through both online and offline channels that recorded over 90 million online viewers. Some participating enterprises were satisfied with the overall sales and a Macao enterprise entered into co-operation with a large international supermarket thanks to the assistance of IPIM.
IPIM organised participation from nearly 40 local enterprises of made-in-Macao products and Macao brands and agents of Portuguese-speaking countries’ products to partake in the “Macao Week in Shanghai”. In addition to roadshow, tourism and MICE promotion seminars, business matching sessions and Macao product tasting sessions, a number of influencers from Macao and Mainland China were arranged to host live streams at the exhibition venue in a bid to promote the event through both online and offline channels.
More than 90 million viewers were recorded for the live streams and rebroadcasts of the event. IPIM’s arrangements for the event also included music band performances at the venue, the four mascots of the “Let’s Hang Out” event photos with participants, a “popular slang wall” and four “Let’s Hang Out interactive photo-taking spots” were also set up, livening up the atmosphere and attracted many visitors to take photos.
Co-operation forged with international enterprises thanks to the “Macao Week” and IPIM
Ivy Tsang, General Manager of Bright Elite Gourmet Company Limited, a Macao company which has participated in four poles of the “Macao Week” in a roll, noted that they had met with five companies through the “Shanghai-Macao Business Matching Session”, and have preliminarily agreed to co-operate with two of them: an international convenience store chain and a Shanghai-based supply chain enterprise. She also mentioned another piece of good news brought by the “Macao Week” event series: the company has been in discussion with a large international supermarket over the past two years, but has been unable to enter into co-operation; that is, until the business matching session held during the “Macao Week in Hangzhou” when the situation turned around and a contract was signed by both companies after two months of negotiation and through the assistance of IPIM.
Many Products Test the Waters at the “Macao Week”
The “Macao Week in Shanghai” featured many first-time exhibitors, including Royal Peak International Trading Company Limited. Linda Ngou, Operations Manager of the company, noticed that their products were well received among Shanghai traders, especially the pastries, which were already sold out on the third day of the event. She also praised the event for its good arrangement in terms of set-up, management and order. Chong Sa Iok, person-in-charge of Fat Sou Food Factory, said that the face-to-face introduction and product tasting they provided on-site enhanced customers’ trust in their products, and many of them were not first-time customers. She also mentioned that she exchanged ideas with over ten traders during the Shanghai-Macao Business Matching Session and that they need some time to develop mutual understanding. Heiman Sou, General Manager of Sardinia Macau, said the overall sales volume was satisfactory. Person in-charge of Excellent and Prosperity Company Limited William Si said that they were able to observe how customers in Mainland China react to their products via the event, so they could have a clue to design their marketing strategy to sell their made-in-Macao products in the future.
A Shanghai resident who visited the roadshow remarked that the food attracted them the most among the wide array of Macao products showcased at the venue. A tourist from Shandong praised the glamorous lights and distinctive design of the exhibition areas, which gave them a sense of Macao’s charm; their family bought pastries at the roadshow and hope the Macao Week will take place in Qingdao.
In addition, Weiyue Chen, Minister of Commodity Department of Shanghai FamilyMart Co. Ltd., who participated in the Shanghai-Macao Business Matching Session, considers the session a great opportunity for them to find out about Macao brands and make the acquaintance of the brand enterprises. The one-to-one exchange with the suppliers at the venue gave him a deeper knowledge of them as well as customers’ preferences. Viola Li, representative of Xiao Xiao Liang Limited from Shanghai, noted that the company has three brick-and-mortar supermarkets as well as their own mini-programme, and aims to source Macao products in the session to introduce to the people in Shanghai. In her opinion, Macao products have yet to open the market of many Mainland regions, making them a novelty to the Mainland citizens, and she hopes to seize this pioneering business opportunity.
