Melco Resorts & Entertainment Limited has organized and conducted a Vendor Experience Tour for 40 local food and beverage SME representatives, followed by a business matching session.
Mr Walter Yau, Head of Department, Conventions and Exhibitions and Economic Activities Development, Macao Economic Services, attended the event and presented the Government’s policy on promoting growth of local SMEs.
Mr Yau said, “More than 90% of the local enterprises are small and medium enterprises. They play an important role in promoting a diversified and sustainable economy for Macau. Therefore, the SAR Government actively promotes the development of local SMEs and large enterprises, encouraging them to establish a mutually beneficial relationship. The SAR Government is pleased to see the integrated tourism and leisure enterprises give priority to local procurement. We believe the close cooperation will bring SMEs more business opportunities, and help Macau develop towards the direction of a moderately diversified economy. We hope that different sectors of the community can continue to work together to contribute to the development of the city’s economy.”
Two existing SME suppliers of Melco were invited to share their experience of cooperating with the company. They both agreed Melco’s procurement process is comprehensive and simple. Through working closely with big corporations like Melco, they were able to enhance their professional level and productivity, which would lead to more business opportunities.
Mr Theo Cheng, General Manager of Cheng Chong Kei Frozen Food Company Ltd, said, “I have worked with Melco Resorts & Entertainment for 10 years. It is a corporation that puts a lot of emphasis on food safety. In order to meet the stringent standards, we have made improvements and implemented new technology in our operations. These upgrades have helped us expand by 30% in the past decade. Melco’s procurement process is simple and well-documented, which minimizes errors. Over the years, we gained a lot of experience working through the highly standardized procurement process adopted by Melco, which is useful when we explore new business opportunities with other large corporations.”
After the sharing sessions, the group started the experience tour at Studio City. They first visited the receiving dock, where Melco representatives briefed them on the loading and receiving process. The group also stopped by the Food Studio, the dining facility for Studio City’s 9,000 employees. Next, they went to Spotlight, where they learned about the different types of fresh produce needed for the buffet restaurant. Their last stop was Pearl Dragon, Melco’s Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant. The tour concluded with a business matching session, where suitable SMEs were approved on site to become one of Melco’s registered vendors, allowing them to bid on the Company’s upcoming projects.
The Vendor Experience Tour is an innovative concept created by Melco to provide local SMEs with procurement process information in their particular category. The customized tour held at a MCE property demonstrates the receiving, storage and final usage of the procured products and services.
