Our objectives are to teach our member leaders how to fulfil their role within their chapter and to bring our members together to network and immerse in the city and the culture of the chosen destination. It’s our first time in Macao. It’s really a great location.
I hadn’t actually considered Macao until I met Macao representatives at the IMEX in Las Vegas a couple of years ago. After talking with them, we came for a visit and discovered the facilities, capabilities and local culture. Having Hong Kong International Airport nearby allowed our members from all over the world to get to Macao easily. We are always looking for a place accessible through a big international airport.
There are very few destinations around the world that can have all the hotel rooms and all the meeting spaces in one place. We’ve looked at some other places but they really can’t fit us. Macao is the first time we’ve been able to hold this conference under one roof. That’s really special to be able to house all our delegates and have our meetings here, so they don’t need to travel all over the place.
We have over 13,000 members across the world. They are spread out across 188 chapters in 58 countries.
What’s been really thrilling so far is the mix of new and old, and the fact that you don’t have to travel far to get an entirely difference experience. That was quite well though-out.
It’s very interesting to see the old and the new, and have a little taste of everything. You’ve got a combination of Portuguese and Chinese cultures. You can go to the old part of the city and see some European buildings, and then just two streets over, you can see very traditional Chinese houses and streets. Macao has a lot to offer!