Sands Shopping Carnival Attracts Nearly 110,000 Visitors
July 20-23 event held in support of Macao's "tourism+" initiative Free business platform for local SMEs and Sands retailers
(Macao, Jul. 25, 2023) – The 2023 Sands Shopping Carnival successfully drew to a close Sunday at The Venetian® Macao's Cotai Expo, attracting nearly 110,000 visits over its four days of shopping, activities and performances; around 50 percent of the visitation came from tourists. Now in its fourth year, the carnival has welcomed over 420,000 visitors since debuting in 2020.
The Sands Shopping Carnival has become an annual signature event for Sands China, giving local residents and tourists an exciting weekend destination while supporting the Macao SAR government's 'tourism+' strategy. It offers a free business platform for local SMEs and Sands retailers to boost post-pandemic economic revival, taking advantage of the synergistic effects of having both local and international brands at one event.
This year's carnival offered visitors more than 580 booths to browse, the highest number to date, across 11 zones: Sands Retailers; Household Products; Parenting and Family; Gourmet; Food Court; Healthy Lifestyle; Macao Cultural, Creative and IP; "Play and Fun" Kids Area; and the newly added MinM Plaza, Happy Reading, and International Wine and Spirits zones.
A selection of MOP 1 products was available each day and international brands offered extensive discounts of up to 90 percent off. For the convenience of local residents and tourists, the event provided free shuttle service and round-the-clock free parking.
Around 80 Sands Cares Ambassadors volunteered to give on-site support to community groups during the carnival, helping them operate booths and accompanying their members to enjoy some of the attractions. In total, the Ambassadors contributed over 200 hours of volunteer service during the carnival.
At the carnival's Food Court, four social enterprises that offer vocational training for their service users sold food and drinks: Macao Fuhong Society's Corner of Portuguese Cuisine, the Macau Association for Intellectual Development Services' Sam Meng Chi Snack Shop, Macau Special Olympics' Dream of Sexagenarian group, and the Association for Rehabilitation of Drug Abusers of Macau's Hold On To Hope project. The carnival was an opportunity for their projects to gain exposure in the local commercial market and create job opportunities for their members.
At the carnival's Macao Cultural, Creative and IP zone, nine community organisations ran booths: Fuhong Society of Macau, the Association of Parents of the People with Intellectual Disabilities of Macau, Everyone Stray Dogs Macau Volunteer Group, Macau Special Olympics, the Macau Association for Intellectual Development Services, The Corner Shop of Richmond Fellowship of Macau, The Methodist Church Macau, Sheng Kung Hui Youth Works, and Noah Family Mutual Aid Association.
Throughout the carnival, a group of Macau Special Olympics members had the chance to role-play as news reporters and editors – doing interviews, taking photographs, and shooting video – so they could then write, edit and do post-production for their news reports.
Sands Cares Ambassadors took members of the Macau Autism Association and General Association of Women to play at some of the carnival's game booths, and also accompanied parents and children from the Macao Federation of Trade Unions and the Women's General Association of Macau to join the carnival's BOC Smart Kids Presents: Little Master Chef Workshop. The always popular food-prep and decorating activity drew in over 500 participants during the carnival, where Sands China's food and beverage team led children and parents to work together on madeleines, sushi, Vietnamese spring rolls, and more.
The entertaining ICBC ePay Presents: Karaoke King Singing Competition 2023 crowned its winners, with Marcelino Luís do Rosário Sousa winning first place, Yang Meilian finishing as first runner-up, and Wong Cho Teng taking the second runner-up spot. In the new Bank of Communications Presents: K-POP Dance Competition 2023, first place went to Cool Jeans, while Mini Phoeni'Z finished as first runner-up and 6vibes was second runner-up.
The carnival operated with environmental awareness, in line with the goals of the Sands ECO360 global sustainability strategy. Local NGO Green Future, along with a group of Sands ECO360 Ambassadors, demonstrated effective methods for recycling cardboard, plastic and metal to exhibitors, teaching them practical knowledge and techniques for recycling. In addition, items such as used laundry baskets and obsolete hotel toiletries were given away for free to visitors at a dedicated counter during the carnival.
The 2023 Sands Shopping Carnival was held in support of the Macao SAR government's economic revival efforts. It was organised by Sands China Ltd. and co-organised by the Macao Chamber of Commerce, with the full support of the Economic and Technological Development Bureau, the Macao Government Tourism Office, and the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute. It was sponsored by Bank of China Macau Branch, ICBC (Macau), Bank of Communications Macau Branch, and BNU.
