MACAO, Dec. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Sands China Ltd. celebrated the achievements of some of its most outstanding suppliers Friday, while also recognising two groups of local SMEs, with back-to-back ceremonies at The Venetian® Macao.
The 7th and 8th intake of local SME suppliers to graduate from the Sands Procurement Academy are joined on stage by Sands China executives and guests of honour Friday at The Venetian Theatre.
Some of Sands China’s most outstanding suppliers are recognised at the 2020 Sands Supplier Excellence Awards Friday at The Venetian Theatre.
Graduates of the Sands Procurement Academy meet Sands China procurement representatives at a business matching session Friday at The Venetian Macao, immediately following a joint event for the 2020 Sands Supplier Excellence Awards and the latest Sands Procurement Academy graduation ceremony.
The 2020 Sands Supplier Excellence Awards were held at The Venetian Theatre, directly following a ceremony honouring the 7th and 8th intake of local SME suppliers to graduate from the Sands Procurement Academy.
It was the first time the two ceremonies were held together at one event, providing a unique and valuable opportunity for graduates of the Sands Procurement Academy to gain encouragement and inspiration by witnessing the successes of some of Sands China's suppliers, which include local SMEs.
A total of eight winners were announced across seven categories for the 2020 Sands Supplier Excellence Awards:
Now in its eighth year, the Sands Supplier Excellence Awards is a global initiative of Sands China's parent company, Las Vegas Sands Corp., and acknowledges the cooperation and services of some of the company's most noteworthy suppliers worldwide. Award winners in Macao are selected each year by a judging committee composed of Sands China executive management.
Dr. Wilfred Wong, president of Sands China Ltd., said: "Each year, the Sands Supplier Excellence Awards recognises the outstanding performance and unrelenting efforts of all our partners who remain steadfast in working side-by-side with Sands China. Our company's determination to continue investing in Macao during such difficult times remains unwavering, and we sincerely appreciate the key role our major partners have played in the company's business and strategy. Furthermore, we wish the best for our Sands Procurement Academy graduates and hope their training helps them advance their enterprises and leads them to receiving their own awards in the future."
Notwithstanding the significant impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on Macao's economy and the tourism industry, Sands China has maintained work on large projects like the Grand Suites at Four Seasons and The Londoner Macao. Likewise, the company's commitment to local SMEs has not waned during the pandemic period. The recent three-day Sands Shopping Carnival in August supported the MSAR government's Consume for the Economy initiative and provided a free business platform for local SMEs and Sands retailers amid the pandemic period, while creating a new weekend destination for local residents and tourists.
The Sands Procurement Academy graduation ceremony honoured a total of 54 graduating local SMEs, 19 of whom were exhibitors at the Sands Shopping Carnival. Since the founding of the academy in 2017, nearly 240 suppliers have enrolled in the programme and 226 have graduated, including Friday's 7th and 8th intake graduates.
Guests of honour at the graduation ceremony were Zhang Jianhua, assistant director general of the economic affairs department of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR; Chan Hon Sang, deputy director of the Macao Economic Bureau; Shuen Ka Hung, director general of the Macau Productivity and Technology Transfer Center; Chui Yuk Lum, vice president of the board of directors of the Macao Chamber of Commerce; Dr. Wilfred Wong, president of Sands China Ltd.; various Sands China executives; and representatives of local suppliers.
Immediately following Friday's event, the graduating suppliers were invited to participate in a business matching session. They were able to meet some of Sands China's procurement department buyers face-to-face, in order to establish direct communications for future potential business opportunities.
While initially targeting local suppliers of four types – small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), micro-enterprises, Macao young entrepreneurs, and "Made-in-Macao" enterprises – Sands China opened up the academy's enrolment to all local SMEs in Macao last year, providing opportunities for a wider scope of SMEs to benefit from the skills and knowledge offered by the Sands Procurement Academy's professionals.
The Sands Procurement Academy is co-organised with the Macao Chamber of Commerce and the Macau Productivity and Technology Centre (CPTTM). Focused on delivering practical knowledge to its participating SMEs, it is a first-of-its-kind industry training. The academy's goal is to help SMEs gain experience and capacity for working with large-scale international corporations like Sands China by sharing business knowledge and skills with local SME suppliers to promote the development of their businesses.
Sands China's various efforts to support Macao's SMEs are part of the company's Local Small, Medium and Micro Suppliers Support Programme, and its initiatives like the F.I.T. programme, which offers Financial Support, Invitational Matching, and Training and Development. This focus on local SMEs is in line with the Macao government's initiative to "buy local" and demonstrates Sands China's commitment to supporting local enterprises as part of the company's corporate social responsibility efforts. It is part of Sands China's supplier relationship management strategy, which guides the company's long-standing effort to support local suppliers, whom it views as its strategic partners.
About Sands China Ltd.
Sands China Ltd. (Sands China or the Company) is incorporated in the Cayman Islands with limited liability and is listed on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (HKEx: 1928). Sands China is the largest operator of integrated resorts in Macao. The Company's integrated resorts on the Cotai Strip comprise The Venetian® Macao, The Plaza® Macao, Sands® Cotai Central and The Parisian Macao – with Sands Cotai Central to be reintroduced as The Londoner Macao. The Company also owns and operates Sands® Macao on the Macao peninsula. The Company's portfolio features a diversified mix of leisure and business attractions and transportation operations, including large meeting and convention facilities; a wide range of restaurants; shopping malls; world-class entertainment at the Cotai Arena, The Venetian Theatre, The Parisian Theatre, the Sands Cotai Theatre and the Sands Theatre; and a high-speed Cotai Water Jet ferry service between Hong Kong and Macao. The Company's Cotai Strip portfolio has the goal of contributing to Macao's transformation into a world centre of tourism and leisure. Sands China is a subsidiary of global resort developer Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE: LVS).
For more information, please visit www.sandschinaltd.com.
Media contacts:
Corporate Communications, Venetian Macau Limited
Mabel Wu
Tel: +853 8118 2268
Email: mabel.wu@sands.com.mo
Athena Lo
Tel: +853 8118 5606
Email: athena.lo@sands.com.mo
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