Nearly 12,800 conventions, exhibitions and corporate meetings. More than 15.7 million visits tied to them. That is the tally Sands China Ltd. reported on June 22, 2026, for the MICE business (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) it has built in Macao since 2007.
The operator traces its role to 2007, when The Venetian Macao opened alongside Cotai Expo, billed as the largest MICE facility in the city. Sands China says that venue laid the groundwork for the sector. Its MICE space now covers over 1.6 million square feet.
“Over the years, Sands China has played a pivotal role in developing Macao’s MICE industry, integrating MICE deeply within our integrated resort model,” said Grant Chum, chief executive officer and executive director of Sands China.
What the company points to
The company’s history in Macao goes back to 2004 and the opening of Sands Macao. Since then, it says, hospitality, retail, entertainment and MICE have formed the core of its non-gaming strategy, pursued in step with the Macao SAR government’s push for economic diversification.
Sands China describes the industry as one that lifts others. International business travellers arrive, overseas source markets widen, and related industries benefit. As one figure, it cited 380,000 room nights booked by international guests across its integrated resorts in 2025 alone.
Policy backing matters too. The company said that with strong support from both the central and Macao SAR governments, the city’s MICE industry has expanded significantly and become one of the key engines of its diversification. A separate May 12 company statement described the Macao setting as one of long-term political stability under the “One Country, Two Systems” framework.
Next steps
Chum said Sands China will keep in line with the government’s “Tourism+” policy, working to strengthen links across non-gaming sectors. Macao has increasingly established itself as one of the world’s most influential business and tourism destinations, he said, and the company intends to help consolidate its position as a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure.
In a May 12 keynote at G2E Asia 2026, delivered at The Venetian Macao to 200 industry leaders and tourism stakeholders, Chum pointed to the “Event Economy” as the next driver of diversification. The company’s example was the NBA China Games in October 2025, which it said generated approximately 3 billion online impressions on social media platforms across the Chinese mainland, with around 100 extended activities built around the games.
The same statement put the company’s retail offering at nearly 780 duty-free outlets, and its Venetian Arena at 14,000 seats.
Sources
- Sands China continues to expand its MICE footprint, supporting Macau’s diversified development – New Macau
- Sands China Drives MICE Development to Advance Macao's Economic Diversification
- Press Club
