Banqueting at its Best

Every day, Tam Weng Hei walks into The Venetian Macao with a smile because he gets to exercise his creativity: The Sous Chef II enjoys coming up with innovative yet perfect dishes for banquets.

“The Venetian Macao is the only resort in Macau with the capacity and experience to host large-scale banquets of more than 20,000 people. It’s an exciting place to be,” said Tam, who in 2006 asked to be transferred from Sands Macao to The Venetian Macao because he recognized the potential of the industry. Both resorts are properties under Sands China Ltd., along with The Plaza Macao and the newly-opened Sands Cotai Central.

Opened in April, the Sands Cotai Central integrated resort features hotel brands Conrad, Sheraton, and Holiday Inn. Upon completion of additional phases of development in early 2013, it will offer nearly 6,000 hotel rooms, 1.2 million square feet of retail, entertainment and conference facilities, and more than 20 dining establishments.

“With the expansion of the company, opportunities abound,” said Tam. “As a banquet chef, I need to create new dishes that fit an event’s theme. And we’ve catered to all kinds of events, including movie nights, annual dinners, wedding parties and more. It’s all very interesting and exciting, as every event is unique.”

As the largest premium hospitality provider in the city, the properties of Sands China Ltd. are equipped with a full range of meeting equipment. Coupled with an array of entertainment, shopping, and dining options, Sands China Ltd. strives to provide a “one stop – do it all” service for local and international guests.

“To maintain our competitive edge, the company regularly exposes us to the latest cooking technology and techniques. For instance, we had a group of guests who wanted us to surprise them with an utterly unique dinner experience. So we prepared smoked appetizers, a slow-cooked main course, and dessert made with liquid nitrogen. It blew away our guests’ expectations. That’s the level of service we always provide,” said Tam.

No banquet is complete without beverages. Banquet Beverage Manager Adriano Monteiro is the expert in beverage logistics. “For a 1,000-person banquet, we need at least four bars stocked with a great variety of soft drinks and alcohol, with each bar catering to 300 people. Moreover, I need to make sure we have enough wait staff to go around serving drinks and that no one is left empty-handed, at all times,” he said.

Besides cocktail dinners, the department also caters to the bars at CotaiArena and the gaming floor, pool parties and other grand receptions.  Apart from bar operations, the department also manages the F&B counter sales of snacks, and drinks for concession counters at the CotaiArena and Venetian Theatre for up to 10,000 guests.

Given the large scale of the events held at The Venetian Macao, banquet staff get to be involved in different levels of event management – from internal planning and coordinating with different departments in the private and public sectors, to executing with outside contractors. The dynamic exposure allows them to get a fair understanding of the burgeoning industry while gaining unparalleled experience.

“The company offers a range of comprehensive training programs to help us grow into the managerial role. It shows us how to better communicate with our subordinates, manage a big team on site, and arrange logistics. I particularly appreciate the company’s effort in nurturing local talent, as it offers many promotion opportunities for locals,” said Monteiro.

Assistant Manager of Banquet Operations (Administrative) Belinda Yim feels the same. “The company places great emphasis on developing a bright career for locals. I feel fortunate and very well taken care of in this company,” she said.

Yim’s main responsibility is to hire extra help for large-scale events and oversee the procurement of banquet facilities. “My job requires me to liaise with different departments, from finance to human resources, which has significantly improved my communication skills. It also has allowed me to learn a little bit about everything, which is very beneficial to my career development in the administrative field,” she added.


Want to learn about job opportunities with Venetian?
Visit http://hotels.macauhr.com/venetian

Keyword:  Banqueting, MacauHR, Venetian, Sands Cotai Central, Event