The Macau International Fair (MIF) attracted a large number of visitors today, the 2nd day of the Fair. On the opening day yesterday, only professional visitors were allowed to visit the more than one more booths on display. Even before the week-end, booths everywhere were crowded, especially those offering retail sale. The area of the 14th MIF is the biggest ever and it is richer in content as compared with the previous editions. Pavilions in this year's MIF include the following: Macao Pavilion, Macao Manufactures and Trades Pavilion, China's Provinces and Cities Pavilion, Enterprises Pavilion, Taiwan Hall, ASEAN Pavilion, Russian Far East Zone, European Union Pavilion, Portuguese-Speaking Countries Pavilion, Portugal Pavilion, ACIML's Exhibition Area, US Pavilion, German Guild Hall, Latin American Pavilion and International Trade and Investment Promotion Institutes Pavilion. Furthermore, there is also a series of specialized exhibition zones, aiming to promote the cooperation among the various sectors, such as the Digital Imaging & Photography Equipment Pavilion, International Brands and Franchising Pavilion, Overseas Wedding & Macau Banquet Expo 2009, Macao Convention & Exhibition Pavilion, SME Exhibition, China Fujian Province Hui'an County Stone Carving & Wood Carving Exhibition Region, China's Etchnic Groups – Unity & Progress thematic zone and International Brands and Franchising Pavilion, among others. MACAO PAVILION
Macao Pavilion is situated in a particularly visible location, at the entrance of the Fair. It showcases the development of the economic diversification of Macao and the role played by the chambers of commerce and business associations in Macao over the years. To mark the 10th anniversary of the handover, a "Photographic Exposition of the Retrospective of the Economic Development in Macao" is held at the Macao Pavilion, to highlight the evolution of Macao's development since the handover, with regards to its economy and its role in the construction of the economic and commercial services platform and in the setting-up of the regional cooperation, through slides with images and words, shown in huge digital displays. PORTUGUESE-SPEAKING ZONE
Following the continuous consolidation of MIF's role as an economic and commercial platform, the size of the Portuguese-Speaking Countries Pavilion this year is the largest ever. Angola, Brazil, Mozambique, Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau and East Timor have set-up their respective booths in this zone, to introduce the economy and development of their respective countries, as well as the exports situation and investment environment. Additionally, at the Guine-Bissau and Mozambique's booths, arts and crafts, nuts, beverages and other typical products are on display. At the ACIML's Exhibition Area, several booths show different products of several companies, for imaging promotion purpose. Local exhibitors expect that through the MIF, they could expand their business to the huge Portuguese-Speaking Countries. EUROPEAN UNION PAVILION
With a contemporary presentation, the European Union Pavilion aims to focus the role of the various European chambers or commerce and business representation organizations, including the Sino-Portuguese Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, while providing opportunities for the promotion of the European Union's companies and agents of European products. Typical European products are on display, including wine and tiles, as a mean to advertise these products and for market expansion purpose, through the MIF. ASEAN Pavilion
For the first time, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia participate collective under ASEAN. Visitors to this Pavilion will have the opportunity of knowing about the economic and commercial development of each of the above-mentioned countries, and business opportunities offered therein. At the same time, tourist spots of each country are also focused. ASEAN Pavilion aims to promote regional cooperation. TAIWAN HALL
After its debut last year, the area of Taiwan Hall is doubled in size, to showcase the tourism and economic and commercial development of Taiwan. In addition, at the SME Exhibition Zone, delicious Taiwan food is available and is much in demand by the visitors. MACAO MANUFACTURES AND TRADES PAVILION
The design of Macao Manufactures and Trades is similar to that the cabin of an aircraft, to attract attention. Inside the said pavilion, products made in Macao are on display, including garments, textiles, pharmaceutical products, machines and electronic products, among others, to provide to the visitors and the general public a more detailed information about Macao's trade and industry, while serving as a platform for the industrial and commercial sectors to communicate with the outside world. CREATIVE INDUSTRY PAVILION In response to the Macao SAR's government appeal to assist the development of the local creative industry, for the first time, a Creative Industry Pavilion has been set-up at the MIF, to introduce this sector and as a mean to explore business opportunities. INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION AND EXHIBITION PAVILION
The Convention and Exhibition Sector and associated industry are shown separately at this year's MIF. To this effect, an International Convention and Exhibition Pavilion has been especially set-up, to gather a greater numbers of enterprises from Macao, Mainland China and abroad to exchange information on the latest trends and development of the convention and exhibition market as well as explore business opportunities in Macao. RETAIL SALE ZONE - A SPECIAL ATTRACTION
Besides to exhibition areas designed for professional visitors, there is also a SME Exhibition Zone as well as a Digital Imaging & Photography Equipment Pavilion, both attracting a large number of public. At the SME Exhibition there is constantly a crowd at the front of the booths, especially where there are merchandises for retail sale, such as arts and crafts, daily necessities, electronic appliances, garments and other products. The Digital Imaging & Photographic Pavilion, concentrating several photography associations and photography products agents, is also popular with the public. Latest digital photography products are especially on demand, with the exhibitors exchanging opinion and providing information on the latest products to the consumers.
