Boulevard City, a sustainable entertainment hub located in northern Riyadh, capital of Saudi Arabia, is providing exceptional convenience and joy for visitors attending the record-breaking 2024 Esports World Cup.
Covering 900,000 square meters, Boulevard City features the esports arena among its nine sections, which include 200 restaurants and cafes, a three-kilometer walking corridor, theaters, and children's areas, making it an ideal destination for gaming enthusiasts of all ages.
"I was drawn to the Esports World Cup. It was the thing that attracted me the most. The electronic games are fantastic. The Boulevard also caught my attention with its activities, concerts and prizes. I really enjoyed it and I just came back from there," said Arura Khaled, a visitor.
Beyond esports, Boulevard City is a heaven for football fans with its Football Legends Museum, showcasing original shirts from major teams, football stars and world-class players.
Visitors can even participate in competitive virtual car racing games with prizes up to 10,000 U.S. dollars.
The 2024 Esports World Cup, the first of its kind, is currently being held in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh.
Running from July 3 to August 25, the multi-game tournament featuring 23 events across 22 video game titles, has attracted top gamers from around the globe to compete in 22 tournaments for a total prize pool of 60 million U.S. dollars.
In its first four weeks, the event has amassed a record-breaking 177.5 million viewing hours and on-site attendance has surpassed one million. The games have gained a global following of 3.4 billion gamers.
Boulevard City in Riyadh brings excitement, convenience to esports enthusiasts
Macao has been emerging as a global hub for conventions and exhibitions in recent years by exploring the enormous opportunities in the sector, driving the region to advance its economic diversification and embrace a brighter future.
Macao has received many awards this year, such as the Best Convention City (Asia) and the Best BT-MICE City, showcasing the recognition for and influence of Macao's exhibition industry.
More than 1,000 electronic game enthusiasts from all over the world gathered recently in Macao to participate in a esports themed event.
Su Zhili, organizer of the event, said that Macao's rich experience in hosting large-scale events, coupled with its good infrastructure, has driven him to choose the region as an ideal destination to hold such an activity.
"Macao has held many similar large-scale events. It has rich experience, and the facilities at the venue are relatively mature, so we can start our work comfortably," said Su.
During the first three quarters of 2024, Macao held more than 1,000 conferences and exhibitions in total.
"We will invite more professional, special conferences to be held in Macao and also cultivate more exhibition brands with international influence in Macao, so as to promote Macao's exhibitions to be more market-oriented, professional, international, digital and greener from various aspects. This is our goal," said Elaine Wong, member of the Macao Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute.
In addition, multiple large exhibitions and conferences, such as the Macao International Trade and Investment fair, the Macao Franchise Expo, and the International Infrastructure Investment and Construction Forum, are held regularly in Macao.
With the introduction of a series of policies and measures to facilitate the exchanges between the mainland and Macao, as well as the construction and development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, Macao's convention and exhibition industry will embrace more opportunities for development in the foreseeable future.
"We have such a good industrial base in the Greater Bay Area. The mode of 'Convention and Exhibition + Industry' not only integrates the industries of Macao, but also the industries of the Greater Bay Area. In addition, Macao actively integrates into the national development and plays a role in the Belt and Road. Why are we so confident in Macao's convention and exhibition sector? Because it is backed by the motherland, and the country gives Macao great support," said Alan Ho, chairman of the Macao Association of Convention, Exhibition and Tourism Sectors.
Macao emerges as global hub for conventions and exhibitions, driving economic diversification and international recognition
