Why did you choose Macau?
The McDonald's APMEA Supplier Symposium is held every three years at a different location. It is the premier gathering for our suppliers to update themselves on what is happening at McDonald’s and to meet with each other and our senior management.

We expected around 300-350 delegates. It was important to accommodate, entertain and meet all under one roof. There are few hotels with this capacity, or who are able to block this number of rooms so far in advance. We ended up with 375 delegates, including some registrations on the day. The Venetian had the capacity to host last-minute delegates and the events team was very obliging.

How did you achieve the high turnout?
The leadership within the McDonalds team is well respected by suppliers and we gave notice of the symposium well in advance so it could be incorporated into 2009 budgets. 

During the registration process we asked delegates to list three topics they would like to see addressed. The responses were then channelled to the relevant presenter and incorporated. Each of the five workshops was attended by all delegates, and additional meetings and dinners between suppliers were continually being arranged. The feedback reflected this success, with many delegates saying it was the best symposium yet.

Which facilities did you use?
We took over a suite of meeting rooms in the function space below the South Tower, where the delegates were accommodated. In addition to the ballroom for large sessions, there was a dining room for breakfast and lunch, four breakout rooms each seating 60 people and a secretariat office.

Any networking events?
The welcome reception was an outdoor cocktail event beside the pool, which the Venetian extended by an hour for us. The hotel also provided its Streetmosphere performers to entertain delegates. The gala dinner incorporated a Phantom of the Opera theme with performances from the hotel’s on-site cast. Some of the suppliers are also amateur musicians so we arranged a surprise performance, which was a hit among the group.

What was your overall impression?
The symposium was held the day after the major Bollywood event, IIFA, which welcomed tens of thousands of people. We met with the event staff on the Sunday while this event was closing to go through our programme and any foreseeable problems, and walked into a fully set-up suite of meeting rooms on Monday morning. 

The events team was always available and were very accommodating. A few minor changes were made during the event and we simply called or emailed our contact who handled them within five minutes. 

The Venetian also introduced us to the Macau Government Tourist Office’s new subsidy package, which was a financial bonus.