Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) inaugurated the Pyrotechnics Industry Forum today (29 September). As the speakers, fireworks industry professionals and experts have come together to explore fireworks industry development and discuss how it benefits the tourism industry during the Forum. As a supporting event to the 25th Macau International Fireworks Display Contest, the Pyrotechnics Industry Forum is held in Macau from 28 September – 1 October to lead discussions about pyrotechnics industry development and its benefits toward the tourism industry. Industry partners, experts and scholars from the Mainland, Portugal and Canada attend the Forum as speakers. In addition to the importance of fireworks shows to the travel industry, their presentations also cover a range of topics about the fireworks industry from its development, impact, culture, laws and regulations to environmental protection and applied technology. MGTO Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes and MGTO Deputy Director Manuel Pires together with other guests officiated the opening ceremony of the Forum. In her opening speech, MGTO Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes remarked that Macau highly values cultural inheritance while the fireworks and firecracker industry has an important place in local culture. In order to carry on the beautiful fireworks history and culture, MGTO launched the Macau International Fireworks Display Contest since the 1980's. Today, the contest has developed into one of Macau's spectacular international events not to miss each year, having a positive effect on the city's tourism development and reputation building. As one of the Forum's speakers, Senna Fernandes addressed the "Importance of Fireworks Contests and Festivals for the Development of Local Tourism" as her key topic. Another guest speaker, Technical Consultant of the 25th Macau International Fireworks Display Contest and Observer of National Mega Fireworks Display Expert Group of the Ministry of Public Security, Zhao Weiping expressed his views about integration and development of the fireworks industry in China. President of National Association of Enterprises of Explosives Products (ANEPE) from Portugal, António Joaquim de Melo Rodrigues presented a speech about a pyrotechnics industry forum to celebrate the 25th Macau International Fireworks Display Contest. Existing for nearly three decades, the Montréal International Fireworks Competition is the largest fireworks contest in the world today and attracts three million spectators every year. Director of L'International des Feux Loto- Québec presented by TELUS, Martyne Gagnon shared about the event's journey to success. As the first global gathering for fireworks industry partners, the Pyrotechnics Industry Forum provides an opportunity for industry professionals to exchange and discuss their latest technology and development course. Chairman of International Symposium on Fireworks, Ettore Contestabile gave a presentation about the International Symposium on Fireworks (ISF) and its influence on the industry. Other speakers include: Director and PhD Student Instructor of Pyrotechnic Research Centre of Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Professor Pan Gongpei; Assistant Professor at Mechanical Engineering Department of the Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Coimbra, José Carlos Miranda Gois; Expert of Fireworks Display Expert Group of Public Security Department of Guangdong Province, Huang Gang; Chairman of Fireworks Association of Anhui Province, Chairman of the Board of Anhui Shenghong Fireworks and Firecrackers Group and Member of National Fireworks Technology Standardization Committee, Su Yun; Director of Hunan Fireworks Product Safety and Quality Control Centre, Chairman of National Fireworks Technology Standardization Committee and current Secretary of International Organization for Standardization/Fireworks Technology Committee, Huang Chaxiang; Senior Engineer of the Public Security Department of Guangzhou Municipality and Expert of National Mega Fireworks Display Expert Group, Wang Nianxing; Chief of Police in the Explosives Division of the Explosives and Firearms Department of the Portuguese National Directorate of Public Security Police, Armando Ferreira dos Santos; Chairman of the Board, Senior Industrial Artist, Fireworks and Fireworks Display Supervisor of Xiangxing Class A Fireworks Export Factory in Liuyang, Hunan Province, Zhou Jian; Chairman of the Board, Fireworks Display Supervisor, Senior Industrial Artist and Senior Engineer of Sunny Group, Shi Jingzhong; and Manager of PROPYRO – Produtos Pirotécnicos, Lda, Alexandre Rocha Simão.
