Macao’s biggest holiday carnival attracts as much as 37 per cent more visitors to iconic property
(Macao, January 16, 2013) – The majestic winter wonderland set up at The Venetian® Macao during the last two months welcomed its last group of excited visitors Sunday night, marking the successful conclusion of Winter in Venice, the largest holiday carnival in Macao and a first in Asia. Supported by the Macau Government Tourist Office, Winter in Venice introduced a variety of attractions, festivities and entertainment events throughout the integrated resort beginning November 21 last year, all met with a fantastic response from locals and visitors alike. Visitation to the property increased an average 16 per cent on weekdays and 37 per cent on weekends during the event period, when compared to the period between April and November 20, 2012.
“Sands China is extremely proud of the success of Winter in Venice in Macao,” said Edward Tracy, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sands China Ltd. “Thanks to the support of the Macao Government Tourist Office and the public, as well as the hard work of our team members, we were able to put this iconic event together and introduce it to the region for the very first time, bringing the ultimate seasonal experience for people of all ages. We will continue to bring a diversified selection of world-class offerings to Macao, doing our part to develop Macao into one of Asia’s top entertainment destinations and a world centre of tourism and leisure.”
During the last eight weeks at The Venetian Macao, crowds of enthralled onlookers gathered at the outdoor lagoon area nightly from 6 to 10 pm and held up their cameras or video recorders in front of the property’s façade, capturing the magical journey presented by the spectacular 3D light and sound show “The Magic of the Seasons.” A major highlight of Winter in Venice, the dazzling holiday show created stunning images themed on the four seasons that were projected onto The Venetian Macao’s façade, spanning over 43,000 square feet (4,000 square metres), making it one of the world’s largest architectural 3D video mapping projects ever created. Some spectators chose to take a night-time gondola ride in the outdoor lagoon during weekends to view the captivating visuals up close. New Year’s Eve revellers were treated to a special countdown edition of the show to ring in 2013, culminating with a spectacular fireworks display launched from Sands China Cotai Strip® properties. In the last hour of 2012, capacity crowds flocked through The Venetian Macao’s main lobby doors into lagoon area to take part in the countdown celebrations.
Another eye-catching attraction of the seasonal extravaganza was the giant Christmas tree standing elegantly over the lagoon area, which was also decorated in winter themes reminiscent of the city of Venice. The Cotai Strip development’s first and only synthetic ice-skating rink also became a popular spot to visit during the festive season. Specially-costumed Streetmosphere™ performers, such as the Snow Queen, Nutcracker soldiers and a gingerbread man, attracted groups of excited visitors to interact with them throughout The Venetian Macao. A Giant Snow Globe at Shoppes Grand Canal, a Giant Christmas Music Box and special Santa Claus appearances at Shoppes Cotai Central, as well as two giant Christmas ornaments at Shoppes at Four Seasons, also served as perfect backdrops for holiday photo opportunities for people of all ages.
Seasonal Shows at the Venetian Theatre
The world-class ice dance sensation, Swan Lake on Ice, successfully added the finest holiday touches to the weeks of celebrations, brought to Macao for the first time. The Venetian Theatre hosted the much-loved tale of Swan Lake, performed by the Moscow-based Imperial Ice Stars and its cast of professional Olympic, World, European and National Championship ice skaters between November 21 and December 1, 2012. And the prestigious National Ballet of China brought a world-class cultural performance to the theatre, performing the much-loved Christmas classic The Nutcracker between December 21 and 25.
Winter in Venice Photo Competition
The Winter in Venice Photo Competition Exhibition, which displayed 56 of the best photos from this first-ever winter extravaganza, also came to an end Sunday at The Venetian Macao. The competition asked Macao residents to submit their original photos showing the memorable moments from the various attractions of Winter in Venice, and received over 500 entries during the 12-day submission period. In addition to a representative from The Venetian® Macao-Resort-Hotel, the seven-member judging panel was composed of members of Macao Multimedia Photographic Art Association, Photography Salon Society of Macao, The Photographic Society of Macao, MCGAS, Macao Association of Photographers and Macao Digital Photography Association.
