July 30, 2018 – Galaxy Entertainment Group (“GEG” or the “Group”) (HKEx stock code: 27) announced today the launch of the GEG Japan-Macau Integrated Resort Management Mentorship Pilot Scheme (“Mentorship Scheme” or the “Scheme”), in conjunction with the Galaxy Entertainment Group Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by GEG, Toyo University, Japan, and supported by the University of Macau (“UMAC”).

The Mentorship Scheme, which is a first of its kind, has been designed to support academic institutions and their under-graduate students in Japan to learn about Integrated Resort (“IR”) management as this new industry prepares to be introduced to the Japan market. At the same time, GEG is also researching opportunities to enable young people from Macau to benefit from a similar learning experience overseas, in particular in Japan. This cross-fertilisation of experience and exchange of ideas, with GEG sharing its deep knowledge and expertise in IR management, while Japan, appreciated globally for its legendary service philosophy and approach to hospitality, or “Omotenashi”, has the potential to benefit and further enhance the IR industry in Macau.

The Government of Japan is keen to double in-bound tourists to 60 million by 2030, with many of these visitors expected to be drawn to the IRs that will be in operation by that time. With large IRs expected to employ thousands of staff across hundreds of different career paths, the Mentorship Scheme is intended to identify and give the coming generation of IR professionals in Japan a first hand look at what it takes to develop and operate the world’s most successful IR – Galaxy Macau.

The Scheme’s inaugural year will welcome students from the Faculty of International Tourism Studies at Toyo University in Tokyo, who have been selected to visit Macau for four weeks in August. This first 'class of 2018' will be one of many groups of students that GEG plans to host in Macau as it evolves the Scheme to include other tertiary institutions across Japan in the years to come.

During their visit, participants will learn about the management and operation of Integrated Resorts (IRs) through a combination of structured lectures provided by faculty members of the International Integrated Resort Management Programme at UMAC, and mentoring sessions conducted by GEG executives across a wide variety of topics and speciality areas including; Corporate Social Responsibility, Hotel and Hospitality, Food and Beverage, Brand Communications and Marketing, Digital Marketing and Media Relations, Entertainment and Event Management, Retail, Human Resources, Organisational Development and Training.

Mr. Francis Lui, Vice Chairman of GEG, commented: “Together with the GEG Foundation, and the support of University of Macau, we are very pleased to share our philosophy for sustainable and responsible IR development with what we hope will be the future home-grown leaders of IR’s in Japan. As a Group we are passionate about nurturing the next generation and in giving them the best possible opportunities for their future careers. And we recognise that Macau, and GEG, have both the vision and an opportunity to share its formula for success with Japan as it embarks on the path of IR implementation.” 

“At the same time, we are researching opportunities to enable young people from Macau to benefit from a similar learning experience overseas, in particular in Japan.  We hope that through this Pilot Scheme, we will be able to set the stage for a bilateral Mentorship Scheme to enable our own young people from Macau to better understand the unique traits of Japanese hospitality. As responsible citizens we should play a civic role in supporting the growing development of relations between China and Japan through the Mentorship Scheme,” he continued.

“In the spirit of cross-cultural academic collaboration, we welcomed the chance to support GEG with this programme by making available our faculty members to share UMAC’s deep IR industry knowledge with the students from Japan,” said Professor Jacky Yuk-chow So, Dean and BNU Chair Professor in Finance, UMAC. The invaluable experience gained through this programme will be hugely beneficial to both the students and participating academic institutions as they develop their own expertise in the years ahead.