Opening in the second half of 2021, Galaxy International Convention Centre (GICC) is the newest event facility developed by Galaxy Entertainment Group and the latest addition to the expanding EarthCheck Design certification portfolio.
GICC, aims to become a centrepiece in the region’s MICE market. The world class event venue encompasses 40,000sq.m of space, featuring a 10,000sq.m pillar-less exhibition hall; an auditorium seating 650 guests; a banquet hall seating 2,400 guests; a 4,000sq.m conference hall; a ballroom catering for over 1,000 guests along with a diverse selection of dining options and a luxury lifestyle hotel with over 700 rooms – Andaz Macau. Additionally, the 16,000-seat Galaxy Arena is set to become Macau’s ultimate integrated entertainment venue for world-tour concerts and spectacular large-scale sporting events.
The project has been developed in collaboration with best-in-class companies across a wide range of specialities including RLB, Wong & Ouyang, KPMG, AEG Ogden, EDG, 10Design and SAA Steelman. EarthCheck’s international award winning Building Planning and Design Standard (BPDS) provided the design and technical services teams with guidelines, tools and indicators to assess the sustainable design of the project. The programme also assisted their designer, architect and developer in the planning and design phase of the precinct.
On receiving the certification, Mr. Kevin Kelly, Chief Operation Officer, Macau, Galaxy Entertainment Group said, “We’re extremely proud of being the first convention centre in Macau to receive Silver Certification in EarthCheck’s highly-esteemed Sustainable Design Programme. This accolade reflects our unwavering commitment to sustainability, by making positive changes to reduce our environmental footprint and improve social impact”.
“This award is also testament to the fantastic team behind the construction of the Galaxy International Convention Centre who all shared the joint vision of creating a truly world class integrated resort with innovation at its heart, without compromising on design and style.”
The GICC achieved a Silver certification with results being determined by operational data from global clients which benchmark their environmental, social and economic performance. As part of the certification process, the convention centre was assessed by an independent third-party auditor who appraised GICC against the ten key performance areas of sustainability approach, energy, water, solid waste, land use planning & biodiversity, sustainable materials & resource conservation, indoor environmental health & pollution control, transport, social, cultural & economic wellbeing and innovation.
Stewart Moore, CEO and Founder of EarthCheck stated, “Achieving EarthCheck Design Silver places GICC as an industry leader that has benchmarked its design and sustainability performance against internationally recognised criteria and demonstrated responsible business practices across their operation”.
“This award highlights the long-term commitment that Galaxy Entertainment Group has shown to the communities and environment of Macau and has allowed the integrated resort to take practical, meaningful action to provide a quality MICE experience for their guests. We look forward to continuing to support their environmental efforts for years to come.”
EarthCheck’s independent auditor Mr Tan Phay Ping of Building System and Diagnostics (Singapore) identified and awarded innovation achievements to GICC for the group’s response to COVID-19 where many initiatives supported the well-being of their team, families, and local community. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, GEG had donated more than MOP100 million to support the region, this included:
- Under the coordination of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macau SAR, GEG donated a total of MOP95 million to Mainland China last year, including a donation of MOP20 million to Hubei province to help the region beat the pandemic and assist its relief efforts, as well as a donation of MOP75 million to provide care for healthcare workers in Mainland China, help with public health promotion and support the medical and scientific research related to the pandemic.
- GEG donated MOP5 million to support the Macau community, which included a subsidy scheme to provide a one-off subsidy to over 30 local schools and children registered at over 20 non-government subsidised nurseries in Macau.
- GEG subscribed HK$100 million for the SMEs themed COVID-19 Impact Alleviation Social Bonds issued by the Bank of China (Macau Branch) in support of local SMEs affected by the pandemic; and waived the fixed rental fee of all GEG’s tenants from February to November, 2020.
- Along with the above donations GEG has also supported the community through a host of initiatives, including donating one million masks to the Macau SAR, Zhuhai City and Hengqin New Area governments; and arranging professional and high-efficient air sanitisation, as well as cleaning and training for an array of local social service centres and schools.
To keep up to date with development news please visit www.galaxyentertainment.com.
