Macau, previously a Portuguese colony and currently the world’s leading gambling destination, is preparing to launch a technology exhibition next year, aiming to rival the well-known CES event held in Las Vegas.

The driving force behind the “Beyond” conference is Lu Gang, the founder of TechNode, a prominent Chinese technology news outlet that previously collaborated with TechCrunch in China, and Jason Ho, a Macanese venture capitalist and a member of the CPPCC Beijing – China’s foremost political consultative body – who also maintains strong relationships within the Macau government.

The event, which will receive “support” from the Macau government, though the specifics of this arrangement are still being determined, demonstrates the region’s long-term strategy to broaden its economy beyond its reliance on casinos, serving a population of 600,000. The exhibition has also garnered “support” from the Guangdong provincial government, which is promoting its own “Greater Bay Area” – encompassing Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Macau, and other regional cities – as a competitor to the San Francisco Bay Area.

“Macau possesses excellent infrastructure. Combined with its established entertainment industry and hotel accommodations, it is ideally suited for hosting an event capable of attracting a significant number of participants,” Ho explained to TechCrunch during an interview.

In contrast to CES, this tech fair will extend its focus beyond traditional consumer and enterprise electronics to encompass technologies geared towards government applications. It is extending invitations to companies globally that specialize in areas such as social and environmental technology, life sciences, advanced technologies, and “new infrastructure” – a term frequently used in China to describe innovations in fields like 5G, smart cities, and transportation.

Ho anticipates the event will serve as a connection point between China and the international community, leveraging Macau’s “neutral” standing in the global political climate.

“I believe Macau can function as a platform to facilitate access for international companies into Mainland China, and conversely, for Chinese companies to expand into the APAC region or the Middle East,” Ho stated.

“I feel that Hong Kong and Macau are uniquely positioned to host a truly international and impartial event that will appeal to attendees who want to avoid the perception of heavy government involvement.”

Concerns have been raised regarding the future of Hong Kong’s special status as a semi-autonomous region as Beijing increases its control over the former British colony. Rise, a well-regarded tech conference previously hosted by Web Summit in Hong Kong until 2019, has been moved to Kuala Lumpur due to the ongoing political instability in the city.

Ho acknowledged that Macau could potentially encounter similar challenges, but he believes that the relocation of major international tech fairs, such as Rise from Hong Kong and CES Asia from Shanghai (partly due to the U.S.-China trade dispute), will create opportunities for Macau to attract attendees from Asia’s technology sector and others interested in China.

“My ultimate ambition is for Macau to be favorably compared to Singapore,” Ho said, adding that the Macau government is actively developing policies to encourage foreign investment.

Beyond is currently scheduled for mid-June of next year, but its success will undoubtedly depend on the progress of COVID-19 control measures in the coming months.

In addition to technology companies and startups, Beyond aims to attract prominent figures from academia, civil society, and provincial governments throughout China. The event organizers are currently in discussions with major corporations including ByteDance, DJI, SenseTime, Alibaba, Tencent, Foxconn, BMW, and others, to secure the attendance of their executives.

Update (December 29, 2020): An earlier report indicated that Beyond would receive partial funding from the Macau government. The organizers have clarified that the event will not receive government funding. This article has been updated to reflect this change.