Sands China Hosts Sixth Sands Procurement Academy and Fourth Invitational Matching Session

(Macao, October 30, 2019) – The sixth cohort of local SME suppliers enrolled in Sands China’s Sands Procurement Academy graduated from the programme Wednesday with a ceremony at The Venetian^® Macao.

The Sands Procurement Academy is a training initiative co-organised with the Macao Chamber of Commerce and the Macau Productivity and Technology Centre (CPTTM), and shares business knowledge and skills to further the development of local SME suppliers. The aim of the programme is to help them gain experience and capacity for working with large-scale international corporations like Sands China. The academy specifically targets four categories of local SME suppliers: small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), micro-enterprises, Macao young entrepreneurs, and “Made-in-Macao” enterprises.

The training programme is the first of its kind in the industry. Focused on practical knowledge for participating SMEs, the academy continues to receive positive feedback from its graduates.

Most of the participants in this latest group of 29 graduating suppliers had enrolled in the academy at Sands China’s SME Open Day in April. Including the latest group of graduates, nearly 180 local SME suppliers have now graduated from the academy. Graduating suppliers receive a certificate and are given preferential procurement opportunities under otherwise equal circumstances.

Wednesday’s graduation ceremony was attended by Zhu Hong, deputy director general of the Economic Affairs Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR; Anthony Leong, deputy director of the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau; Chui Yuk Lam, vice president of the board of directors of the Macao Chamber of Commerce; Helena Lei, senior manager of Standards, Management, Training and Assessment Department of the Macau Productivity and Technology Transfer Centre; Dr. Wilfred Wong, president of Sands China Ltd.; Charlie Cai, vice president of procurement and supply chain; and Sam Chongnin, vice president of corporate communications and community affairs.

The ceremony was followed by Sands China’s fourth invitational matching session, featuring 10 participating local SMEs that are companies offering sustainability-related products and services. After the session’s kick-off ceremony, three of the local SME suppliers gave a brief presentation on their companies’ sustainable products and services. Sands China’s sustainability team then delivered a presentation outlining the company’s sustainability measures and goals, followed by a VIP tour of the 10 SME booths of the matching session.

“Sands China remains committed to working with local SME suppliers to help their businesses flourish alongside our company,” said Dr. Wilfred Wong. “We are very pleased with the results of the Sands Procurement Academy and our invitational matching sessions. The increased procurement and the raising of local suppliers’ standards that takes place benefits the SMEs, our company, and Macao, as the city continues its development as a world centre of tourism and leisure.”

The Sands Procurement Academy and the company’s invitational matching sessions are part of Sands China’s F.I.T. programme, which offers Financial Support, Invitational Matching, and Training and Development. Aimed at both existing and new local Sands China suppliers, F.I.T. is part of Sands China’s Local Small, Medium and Micro Suppliers Support Programme, and seeks to continually increase and strengthen procurement between Sands China and local SME suppliers by enhancing their capabilities.

Local SME suppliers in the Sands Procurement Academy learn through tailor-made practical training modules, which are delivered by lecturers with various areas of expertise. Modules cover eight topics: effective warehouse operations, quality assurance, logistics management, procurement process and system overview, procurement contracts, supplier code of conduct, the CPTTM-led eight disciplines (8D) model of problem solving, and the latest module in the course, Macao labour law fundamentals.

Invitational matching sessions give local SME suppliers a platform for presenting and demonstrating their products and services to potential users and buyers at Sands China properties, with the company’s full support. The initiative has the goal of enhancing communication between vendors and users and improving the procurement success rate.

Sands China’s Local Small, Medium and Micro Suppliers Support Programme 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.

 

Photo caption: Dr. Wilfred Wong, president of Sands China Ltd., deliers remarks to local SME suppliers at Sands China’s Sands Procurement Academy graduation Wednesday at The Venetian Macao.

Photo caption: Local SME suppliers graduate from the Sands Procurement Academy Wednesday at The Venetian Macao.

Photo caption: Officiating guests cut the ceremonial ribbon to kick-off Sands China’s fourth invitational matching session for local SME suppliers Wednesday at The Venetian Macao.

Left to right: Charlie Cai, vice president of procurement and supply chain; Chui Yuk Lam, vice president of the board of directors of the Macao Chamber of Commerce; Dr. Wilfred Wong, president of Sands China Ltd.; Zhu Hong, deputy director general of the Economic Affairs Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR; Anthony Leong, deputy director of the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau; Helena Lei, senior manager of the Standards, Management, Training and Assessment Department of the Macau Productivity and Technology Transfer Centre; Sam Chongnin, vice president of corporate communications and community affairs

Photo caption: Officiating guests take a VIP tour of Wednesday’s invitational matching session for local SME suppliers Wednesday at The Venetian Macao.

 

Photo caption: Sands China holds its fourth invitational matching session for local SME suppliers Wednesday at The Venetian Macao.