MACAO, Oct. 20 -- A total of 85 contracts were signed and over 400 matching sessions were held at the 24th Macao International Trade and Investment Fair (24th MIF) and the 2024 Portuguese Speaking Countries Products and Services Exhibition (2024 PLPEX), the organizer of the two trade fairs said on Sunday.

Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute told the press that the three-day event had attracted more than 70,000 visitors, and the number of trade visitors increased by 10 percent compared with that of last year.

The 24th MIF with the theme of "Cooperation - Key to Business Opportunities" covered an exhibition area of nearly 24,000 square meters and about 1,500 booths. The trade fair invited Cape Verde and China's Jiangsu Province as the partner country and partner province this year, with each setting up a themed pavilion.

The 2024 PLPEX covered an area of roughly 6,000 square metres and offered about 250 booths.

Both of the fairs introduced innovative elements and set up the Innotech and Startups Zone, the Cross-border New Retail Pavilion, the Brazilian Products Pavilion and the China-Portuguese-Speaking Countries Cooperation Retrospective Exhibition for the first time.

The organizer added the 25th MIF and the 2024 PLPEX will be held on Oct. 22-24 in 2024.