Featuring a Star-studded Lineup of Yoga & Fitness Instructors
Macau’s First Wellness Mega Event to Foster Local Health Industry
[November 7, 2023, Macau] Macau’s first outdoor yoga and music mega event “hush! Beach Concerts x Urban Yo~ga Wellfest”, co-organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau and MGM, concluded successfully over the weekend (November 4-5). The event had been well received, drawing a total of over 20,000 local and international visitors. The multi-disciplinary festival marks the debut of MGM’s wellness IP Program “Urban Yo~ga Wellfest” – which integrates tourism, health and music industries along the natural coastal Hac Sa Beach through the creation of breezy and cozy outdoor yoga and fitness experiential zones. Leveraging MGM’s international network, the event brought together a stellar line-up of over 40 internationally renowned yoga and fitness coaches to Macau, delivering a wide range of world-class wellness classes onsite.
Catarina Lio, Senior Vice President of Brand Marketing of MGM, said, “The ‘Urban Yo~ga Wellfest’ represents MGM’s endeavours to present a wellness event in scale that embraces public participation. We have tailored a diverse range of outdoor venues and classes to meet the varying needs of participants of all types and ages, by bringing the globally-practiced wellness activity yoga to Hac Sa Beach and drawing on its natural resources. Through the mega event, we aim to permeate the well-being concept into the local community, sparking public interest in health, and generating demand to drive the sustainable development of Macau’s wellness industry. This event not only acts as a platform for international exchanges to propel the advancement of the local wellness industry, but also showcases Macau’s allure as a diverse tourism and sports city.”
Macau yoga instructor Katherine Cheong, said, “This event has provided a global platform for the local yoga and fitness industry, giving us precious opportunities to demonstrate our capabilities to the international audiences. The event has multiple themed zones that allow participants to choose classes based on their preferences and skill levels. This personalized approach has helped me reach a wider pool of prospective clientele and enhance my visibility in the market. It also opens up new business opportunities for the entire wellness industry here in Macau.”
Josh Kramer, an internationally certified yoga instructor from New Zealand said, “It is my honor to be invited by MGM to be an instructor at such a significant event for Macau. This is my first trip here, and I am grateful for this opportunity to meet such a large community of people who are passionate about yoga, fitness and wellness. People come all the way from all over the world to here, including Asia, the US and Australia and more. Macau is now recognized as a global destination for wellness tourism. It is inspiring to see the international yoga community come together to embrace this opportunity. I have no doubt this is only the first of many more incredible experiences to be hosted in Macau and I look forward to returning soon. ”
Renowned Hong Kong yoga instructor Coffee Lam said, “This event takes place in the natural coastal environment of Macau, where MGM makes full use of various outdoor resources like beautiful beaches and lawns surrounded by lush green trees, to create diverse wellness experiences. The integration of various sites within one event offered a unique experience in the global yoga tourism market. The event provided me a valuable opportunity to exchange insights on healthy living with international yoga instructors and enthusiasts, and we spent a rejuvenating weekend together. It also provided us with a fresh perspective to appreciate the cultural charm of Macau, making this wellness journey even more memorable. I look forward to having the opportunity to return to Macau next year and participate again.”
The “Urban Yo~ga Wellfest” features a star-studded lineup of internationally renowned instructors. MGM invited over 40 globally acclaimed yoga and wellness instructors to be instructors onsite. In addition to the aforementioned coaches, the line-up also included the MMA legend as well as one of the popular contestants in the Netflix reality competition “Physical 100” Choo Sung-hoon from Korea; popular fitness trainer Jordan Yeoh from Malaysia; fitness and yoga instructor who represented Australia at the World University Games Amanda Bisk; former gymnast of Swedish national team Charles Fritzen; and Yoga Alliance RYT certified instructor Ivy Wang from Mainland China.
The Wellfest features three thematic zones – Zen Garden, Fit District, and The Playground. All courses were taught by international stellar instructors, covering traditional yoga practices and innovative wellness techniques. Other highlights include Macau’s first-ever Gong Bath outdoor experience, SUP YOGA class and large-scale dance class that could accommodate 200 participants. Participants can immerse themselves in a wide range of yoga, fitness, dance, meditation, and other wellness workshops based on their individual preferences.
The collaboration of MGM and the Cultural Affairs Bureau (ICM) had brought together MGM’s original IP program – “Urban Yo~ga Wellfest” and the city’s largest pop-music event with over 15 years of history – “hush! Beach Concerts”. A series of music and wellness activities were held in various districts of Macau from October 27 to November 5. To further amplify the entertaining experience, MGM further joined hands with ICM to co-organize the “Music Cruise” on the MGM “Macau Cruise”. This extension of arts & music experience saw performing guests present “Mini Concerts” on board, combining the land and sea routes to further diversify the mega event’s venues and experiences. It allowed participants to traverse between Barra and Coloane via the sea route. After completing yoga and music activities, participants could take the sightseeing cruise to enjoy a walking tour around the world heritage sites of Barra.
The “Urban Yo~ga Wellfest” is a flagship event of MGM’s wellness tourism programs. In order to further promote the development of the wellness industry in Macau, MGM will be hosting another wellness event – Macau’s first “WellFitXplore” at MGM Cotai from November 13 to 15. Over 300 wellness professionals from the Asia-Pacific region will come together in Macau to explore the latest industry trends and participate in training and industry exchanges.
