Macao has a long way to go before it truly becomes the ‘Asian Las Vegas,’

may25

Persistence key to shifting Macau’s image, say gaming ops

By

 Tony Lai

As Macau accelerates efforts to diversify its economy and shed its long-standing image as a casino hub, industry leaders say the transformation will require unwavering persistence and creative mindset.

That was the message from executives overseeing art and cultural policies at several local gaming operators during a panel discussion at the ArtBiz Asia forum in Macau on Friday.

“Every city is associated with a label—whether we like it or not,” said Helen Wu, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at l Melco Resorts & Entertainment.

She pointed to Shanghai as an example: widely recognised as a financial centre, the city has spent years cultivating its art and cultural identity in an effort to broaden its global image.

Macau, she noted, is on a similar path. “It takes persistence. You have to keep going, and gradually the image of the city will be built up,” she said. “It’s really about persistence and consistency.”

Wu also emphasised the competitive pressures Macau faces. “Macau needs to compete with different cities in mainland China, and even outside of mainland China,” she warned.

The panel, titled “Art as a Game Changer: Redefining Resort Experiences”, explored the role and challenges of integrated resort operators in reshaping Macau’s identity through art, culture, and non-gaming attractions.

Wu stressed that authenticity is essential for attracting and retaining visitor interest. “Art is a generic word [with] so many subcategories. Whatever art you bring to the property has to be part of your DNA; [it] has to be part of the brand identity,” she said. “We need to create an immersive narrative and a great experience to let people… appreciate the art.”

Her view was echoed by Porcia Leung, senior vice president of corporate brand and marketing at SJM Resorts, S.A., who acknowledged the challenge of integrating Macau’s cultural uniqueness into resort projects.

“How do we inject the uniqueness of Macau into [our] project and make it attractive—make it a must-see for tourists? It’s a challenge for us,” she indicated.

She also highlighted the spatial constraints facing resort operators. “Space is also very challenging for all of us: how to convert the commercial use of a space into an art space.”

Cristina Kuok, senior vice president of art and culture at MGM China, said operators must take a “strategic” approach to programming, targeting diverse demographics rather than following fleeting trends.

“The whole holistic ambience needs to be looked at. At the same time, I think one of the more important points is also working together with [the government on] some of the policies,” she added.

https://www.macaubusiness.com/persistence-key-to-shifting-macaus-image-say-gaming-ops/

 may25

Macao has the potential to live up to its reputation as the Las Vegas of Asia, but first it must address a host of logistical, regulatory and infrastructural challenges that hold back its entertainment sector, according to live entertainment executive Anna Robb.

Speaking at the Asian IR Summit on Thursday, Robb noted that while Macao has strong foundations in luxury hospitality and gaming, its entertainment ecosystem faced significant operational bottlenecks that deterred international producers. Among her chief concerns were the absence of a flexible visa scheme for foreign talent – an advantage Dubai has – and the lack of affordable long-term accommodation for production crews.

Robb, executive producer at Our Legacy Creations and CEO of StageLync.com, was involved in the recent relaunch of City of Dreams’ landmark residency show The House of Dancing Water. Her speech at the summit was titled Unlocking Potential: A Collaborative Roadmap for Macau to Realise Its Vision as the “Asian Las Vegas.

[See more: A ballet-inspired extravaganza will take up residence at the Grand Lisboa Palace]

Other “laborious processes” bogging Macao down included bank account setups, compliance requirements and simply getting into the city, she said. Regarding the latter, Robb described the HZMB Golden Bus running between Hong Kong and Macao as chaotic and confusing for international visitors. She said the lack of ride-share apps was also frustrating.

“People’s entertainment experience is not just when they walk in the theatre,” she pointed out. “It’s how they come into the [city] … It’s how people are treated from start to end.”

Robb called for English to be more widely used across platforms and services, particularly on mobile apps, to better accommodate international tourists. Acknowledging Chinese and Portuguese were Macao’s official languages, she said that people expected English “if we’re talking about an international arena [and] shows that are of an international calibre.”

[See more: House of Dancing Water returns to City of Dreams with a star-studded premiere]

She also advocated for the introduction of “Western-style” cashless payment systems to supplement existing platforms like WeChat Pay and Alipay.

Education was another area ripe for improvement, according to Robb. “I really would like to see Macao grow in terms of its global pipeline for talent,” she said, emphasising the importance of nurturing local up and comers. “[There are] some intelligent, smart, wonderful people in this city who are ready to work hard and are really trainable,” Robb continued, noting that they were stymied by lack of access to training that could see them become skilled theatre professionals.

Despite the the name of her speech, Robb also stated that Macao didn’t “want or need to be Las Vegas” – a city famed not only for its casinos, but its glut of flamboyant residency shows. She noted that Macao had its own culture, drawing different audiences with different motivations.

Instead, she called on Macao’s integrated resort operators and policymakers to unify their vision, take creative risks, and develop a distinctive entertainment identity that could not be found anywhere else in the world. Robb recommended curating a permanent, unique collection of entertainment options meeting the needs of the SAR’s target audience.

https://macaonews.org/news/business/macau-entertainment-events-problems-disadvantages-las-vegas/