smallWORLD Experience takes scavenger hunts to a new level in Macao

Macao is tempting an increasing number of MICE visitors from Hong Kong, the Mainland, and South-east Asia by expanding its range of tech-focused scavenger hunts.

This is according to smallWORLD Experience, which has been running scavenger hunts in Macao since 2008. According to Bruno Simões, executive director at the DMC, its most popular programme is ‘iDiscover Macau’ which runs along the Unesco World Heritage sites in downtown Macao. It is a fusion of a treasure hunt and race where teams will explore the famous places of Macao using an iPad to get instructions. Each team will look for specific locations according to their iPad instructions and maps and unlock some “hidden treasures” of the city.

With the new Londoner Macao (comprising The Londoner Hotel, Londoner Court, Conrad Macao, St. Regis Macao, and Sheraton Grande Macao) alongside other luxury resorts such as the Venetian Macao, the Parisian Macao, and Sands Macao, the DMC has taken its scavenger hunts to the next level on the Cotai Strip.

smallWORLD Experience has recently introduced "iDiscover Cotai", a new team-building activity located on Macao's Cotai Strip, which combines a scavenger hunt with a race. It can be hosted indoors at the various integrated resorts, offering what Simões said is ‘a fresh and exciting twist’.

Macao is seeing an uptake in rooms, especially with increased business from China. “For the MICE market, there are a lot of groups coming from Hong Kong and a few from South East Asia, namely Singapore. In 2023 so far, there have been about 60% of groups from Hong Kong, 25% from mainland China and 15% from South-east Asia.”

Simões added that the scavenger hunt programmes offer several benefits for the MICE market. “(Delegates) can save time - with most corporate events happening in Cotai hotels, you'll save at least an hour of transportation to and from downtown Macau,” he said. “Cotai's integrated resorts offer a multitude of attractions for groups to explore within the assigned time and our scavenger hunt app features interactive maps, photos, videos, and communication features. It is used in 20 different countries and hosts over 5,000 events annually.”

Although the scavenger hunt activities are not yet tied directly with the hotel offerings at the Londoner Macao or the Parisian Macao for example, many hotels recommend the DMC since it has been operating in the market for more than 15 years and many clients find its programmes online.