Galaxy Entertainment Promotes MICE Ahead of IR Gaming Expo

As the long-awaited announcement of three operators to the Japanese IR space comes to a close, a casino hotel company with headquarters in Hong Kong, Galaxy Entertainment Group slowly but surely consolidates its efforts to become the first bidder.

Even though most casino operators look forward to launching an integrated resort in early 2020 on a single location, namely Osaka or Yokohama, Galaxy is actively reflecting on the launch of GICC at its Macau property.

The company is promoting Galaxy’s MICE (meeting, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) as a way of making itself “more attractive” once the selection process starts.

GICC 2021 to be Iconic MICE Destination

Following the start of the IR Gaming Expo 2019 in Osaka, the company officials pointed out the significance of GICC (Galaxy International Convention Center) for the industry, describing it as the “most iconic and advanced integrated MICE destination” in Macau.

The grand opening is scheduled for the first half of 2021 and chairman, Dr. Lui Che Woo stated:

“We are honored to introduce state of the art MICE and Arena facilities to attract new visitors and complement the Macau Government’s vision of diversifying the economy and developing Macau into a World Center of Tourism and Leisure.”

Unlike the rest of the bidders, Galaxy is also focusing on other locations and is willing to submit proposals from almost any region in Japan. Of course, the group’s biggest interest lies in Osaka and Yokohama, although a simultaneous launch in both cities is very improbable.

Ted Chan, chief operating officer at Galaxy Japan commented in an interview how the company would consider such an endeavor:

“The likelihood is low but I would love to be in two cities. We are an IR operator that can handle multiple trillion-scale [Japanese Yen] projects. We are the fastest growing IR operator. We are confident that we can build a high-quality facility that will meet the needs of the Japanese government.”

Galaxy Entertainment has reported an increased net profit last year, totaling $1.748 billion, and the company also holds cash and liquid investments of approximately $5.93 billion.

IR Gaming Expo Agenda

This year’s Expo is taking place from October 24th to 27th, 2019 in Osaka. Among the sponsors are some of the biggest names from the land-based gambling sector, including Sands, Genting, Melco, MGM and Suncity.

The significance of Expo in Osaka is growing each year by hosting a number of sporting and cultural events. Apart from these activities, Expo also aims to vitalize local communities and provide new opportunities for development and growth in numerous divisions such as tourism and travel.

s at this year’s TEJ (Tourism EXPO Japan) were also ed by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kansai Tourism Bureau and more.

Source:

“Galaxy Entertainment determined to get Japanese IR”, Erik Gibbs, calvinayre.com, October 24, 2019.