Macau’s MICE sector expanded sharply in the first three quarters of 2025, with the number of events rising 25.7 percent year-on-year to 1,331. MICE refers to meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions.
However, total MICE-driven receipts for non-gaming industries slipped 9.4 percent amid weaker non-local exhibition attendance, according to fresh data from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC).
DSEC reported that non-gaming revenues generated by MICE activities reached an estimated MOP3.72 billion ($462 million) in the January–September period, down from the revised MOP4.1 billion ($509 million) recorded a year earlier. The decline was attributed to a reduction in the number of general exhibition visitors from outside Macau during the first two quarters.
Despite the revenue dip, activity levels remained strong. Meetings and conferences increased 26.3 percent to 1,250 events over the nine-month period, drawing 149,000 participants, up 7.3 percent year-on-year. Exhibitions climbed 12.5 percent to 45, although attendance fell 1.8 percent to 840,000. Incentive events rose 24.1 percent to 36.
The third quarter alone showed sustained momentum. Macau hosted 385 MICE events between July and September, up 10.3 percent from a year earlier, with total participants and attendees increasing 8.2 percent to 567,000. Estimated non-gaming receipts tied to these events reached MOP2.02 billion ($250 million), a 9.8 percent increase compared with the same quarter in 2024.
A total of 360 meetings and conferences were held in the quarter, up 11.1 percent year-on-year, attracting 68,000 participants. The number of exhibitions rose 28.6 percent to 18, drawing 497,000 attendees. These exhibitions featured 1,590 exhibitors and 19,813 professional visitors, with international exhibitors accounting for 6.2 percent and overseas professional visitors representing 5.2 percent of total attendance.
Commerce and management remained the dominant theme of third-quarter events, representing 42.9 percent of all MICE activity, followed by medical and health, information technology, and culture. Association meetings, corporate meetings, and government meetings continued to form the core event types.
