The three-day “Galaxy Macau Chill Coffee” Macau Coffee Cultural Festival opened on Friday at the eponymous integrated resort in Cotai, providing a free showcase and sales platform for 60 exhibitors, including more than 40 local small-and-medium enterprises (SMEs), aiming to highlight the integration of tourism and gastronomy.
Organised by Galaxy Entertainment Group (GEG) through its “GEG SME Series”, the festival ran from Friday afternoon to yesterday evening at Hall ABC of the Galaxy International Convention Centre.
The event was supported by the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO), Economic and Technological Development Bureau (DSEDT), Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM), and Macao Young Entrepreneur Incubation Centre (MYEIC).
As the first large-scale coffee culture festival in Macau hosted by one of its six integrated resort operators, the event brought together exhibitors from Macau, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and overseas.
According to a statement by GEG on Friday, it waived participation fees and provided logistical and promotional support, while it also launched a “Coffee Tasting Reward Programme” in order to encourage on-site consumption.
The festival was promoted through multiple channels, including live streaming and e-commerce livestreaming, to help local SMEs expand their markets, the statement said.
The opening ceremony on Friday was attended by representatives from government entities, GEG and supporting organisations.
GEG Director Philip Cheng Yee Sing said that “as the first integrated tourism and leisure enterprise to promote the ‘Large Businesses Leading Small Businesses’ model, GEG has remained steadfast in its commitment over the years, continuously building diversified platforms to support the growth of local SMEs and young entrepreneurial enterprises”.
The festival’s objective was to serve as an industry exchange platform, featuring talks and activities by “world coffee champions” from China, Brazil, Indonesia and Malaysia, as well as hand-brew and latte art competitions and themed workshops, some led by local SMEs, the statement noted, adding that sustainability aspects were incorporated into the venue design through the use of recyclable and reused materials supplied by Macau’s Tai On Environmental Recycling and Reproduction Factory Co. Ltd.
Coffee aficionados check out stalls on the opening day of the “Galaxy Chill Coffee” festival at the Galaxy International Convention Centre in Cotai on Friday afternoon. – Photo: Khalel Vallo
