Inside Asian Gaming

INSIDE ASIAN GAMING JAN 2019 46 FEATURES “It isveryimportanttostudythescript and decide which style and direction to take depending on the event style and attendees,” she says. “Choose to be formal, elegant, energetic, calm, fun or playful.” – Yamilette M Cano I f you’ve ever attended a major corporate function in Macau, chances are you’ve come across Jose Chan Rodrigues and Yamilette M Cano. The duo have established themselves as two of the city’s leading events hosts, presenting everything from major awards ceremonies to government presentations and all manner of media gatherings. They also stood out as emcees at both the inaugural G2E Asia Awards in May 2018 and IAG’s Asian Gaming Power 50 Gala Dinner at Studio City in November, while Rodrigues is well-known as opening ceremony host of G2E Asia and MGS Entertainment Show each year. So how is it that someone becomes the face of Macau’s many gaming industry events? For Rodrigues, who was born in Hong Kong but grew up in Macau, the transition was a natural one after studying Communications and theater during four years away studying in the United States. “I started doing emceeing when I was in high school, some small school shows, then I participated in an emcee training course in Macau,” he recalls. “Afterwards I did a bit more while at college in the US, some college events, and when I came back to Macau I tried to do some more but I didn’t treat it as a career, Yamilette M Cano “They said they really wanted some new faces in the industry – especially someone who could speak Cantonese, Mandarin and English. That was really the start of me entering the emcee industry.” – Jose Chan Rodrigues