The Macao University of Tourism (UTM) and the School of Tourism Management at the Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU) jointly organised the “3rd Research Symposium on Event Studies” in Mong-Há Campus at UTM on 30 June, with the support of Event Management Journal.

With the foundations of the previous two editions, the symposium this year focused on the role of sports events in communities. During her welcome remarks, Dr. Fanny Vong, Rector of UTM, conveyed to the delegates that “we recognise the important contribution of sports events to our life, and especially its instrumental role in building Macao into a World Centre for Tourism and Leisure”. Macao hosts a variety of major sports throughout the year, with its most iconic the Macau Grand Prix, celebrating its 73rd edition later this year. Research shows that sports events can be leveraged for inducing economic benefits as well as encouraging social outcomes. Indeed, she continued, “the sports events sector in itself is not just some events for entertainment, or for people to do sports, but an ecosystem that plays an important role in the community”.

Besides professors and doctoral students from UTM and SYSU, delegates also included scholars and industry speakers from cities in the region. The one-day symposium invited three keynote speeches covering a variety of topics in sports events. First, Professor Chin Ee Ong of UTM opened the symposium with his keynote on the role of sports and sports events in developing a destination’s tourism portfolio. Mr. Song Hongfei, Secretary-General, Organizing Committee of China Pickleball Series, Advisor, Hebi Pickleball Association, Henan Province, delivered the second keynote by sharing an interesting case study in Henan Province on developing the Hebi city into a “city of pickleball”. Third, Dr. Zhai Xueting from SYSU presented her latest research on sports event legacies in urban life.

Intertwined within the day’s proceedings also included four panel discussions on sports and communities, including a presentation of preliminary research findings on the 15th National Games, which was partly held jointly in Guangdong province, including the two Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macao. The panel discussions also explored topics on community engagement through sports events, drawing from examples of Zhuhai City Robinson Fun Orienteering Competition and Macao’s Wing Chun events, the latter of which by Master Hoi Io Kong, Vice President of Macau Wushu General Association, Vice President of Greater Bay Area Wushu Alliance (Macao).

The Chair Dr. Ubaldino Couto, Academic Coordinator for Tourism Event Management Programme commented that “the continued success and support on the symposium give us confidence to innovate and tap into other topics related to events”. Given the direction of Macao’s 1+4 economic diversification strategy, events play a central and pivotal role in different industries. UTM’s new programme, Master of Science in Luxury Hospitality and Health Service Management is very popular among graduates. The Co-Chair, Dr. Jenny Guan, Academic Coordinator for Hotel Management Programme added, “in the future, this symposium can explore along the nexus of events and luxury hospitality, as well as big health, finance and technology”.

The Bachelor of Science in Tourism Event Management celebrated its 20th anniversary last year since its launch in 2005. Just earlier this month, the first batch from the Master of Science in International Events Management programme graduated and are now either pursuing their careers in the industry or exploring possibilities of further studies. Also Dr. Ubaldino Couto highlighted that the popularity of the event programmes in UTM reflect how this specialisation aligns well with Macao’s economic development as well as its bearing in national policies. He emphasised that through close collaborations with the industry and other academic partners, the event programmes in UTM are able to stay relevant, groom and cultivate graduates who are resourceful, resilient, and industry-capable professionals.

With the development of the Macao-Hengqin International Education (University) Town, UTM is committed to providing high-quality education in events management, regularly organises academic events, and conducts contemporary research.