Macau Fair cements Asia’s importance as trading hub

The former Portuguese enclave of Macau, dubbed as Asia's Las Vegas, is hosting the first-ever Macau Jewellery & Watch Fair next week -- from January 10 to January 13 -- at the Venetian Macao Resort Hotel. Fair organiser, CMP Asia Ltd, sees the period as ideal for international buyers to replenish inventory following the Christmas season, as well as a chance for participants to sample the city's offerings in luxury shopping, dining and entertainment.

"January is one of the prime buying seasons of the year. Wholesalers and retailers need to replenish their stock after Christmas and New Year sales. VicenzaOro Winter, an established international jewellery fair in Italy, is held in January. In Asia, however, there is no major, established jewellery show held during this period. In view of this ideal buying season, the Macau Jewellery & Watch Fair will be held in the same month," Ms Lau said.

Also expected to entice exhibitors and visitors to the new show is Macau's pleasant January weather - a big contrast to the harsh winter conditions in Europe and the US during that period.

Further, Ms Lau said, Macau reverberates with what Las Vegas is all about: bringing together business and entertainment. The facilities at the Venetian Macao include an exhibition site, a convention centre, a theatre with live entertainment, fine-dining restaurants, specialty stores, a deluxe spa and a wellness centre, providing exhibitors and visitors with a spectrum of leisure activities after they have conducted business at the Fair during the day.

According to Ms Lau, Asian exhibitors have in recent years enjoyed great success at many key international jewellery fairs. "Exhibitors from Hong Kong, Thailand and other countries and regions in Asia have been winning large numbers of buyers and orders internationally," Ms Lau continued. "Likewise, Asia's growing market is of great importance to many international companies. The Macau Fair aims to provide a new business platform in Asia and an alternative for exhibitors and buyers from all sectors of the worldwide jewellery industry."

With 25 years of organising international jewellery fairs, including the June and September Hong Kong Jewellery & Watch Fairs held in Hong Kong every year, there is no doubting that CMP Asia has the requisite experience, in addition to an extensive global exhibitor and visitor database numbering more than 100,000. Confident about the prospects for the success of the first Macau Jewellery & Watch Fair, Ms Lau said, "Despite being the first edition, the Fair has received a positive response, with a large number of exhibitors having confirmed their participation. By the end of September more than 300 exhibitors from all over the world had secured 700 booths at the Fair. We expect to attract a total of 400 exhibitors occupying some 900 booths at the 14,000-square-metre exhibition venue."

To meet the needs of buyers from different industry sectors, Ms Lau said the Fair would feature a wide range of jewellery products, including antique and estate jewellery, fine jewellery, silver jewellery, jewellery watches, diamonds, pearls, gemstones and related products and services.