MANILA, Philippines,
Feb. 3, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- A
spectacularly successful grand launch event at City of Dreams
Manila saw over 30,000 visitors experience Manila's first-ever world-class
entertainment-inspired leisure destination.
The landmark event was officiated by Melco Crown Entertainment's
Co-Chairman and CEO Mr. Lawrence Ho,
Co-Chairman Mr. James Packer,
government dignitaries and VIP guests to officially launch the over
USD 1 billion resort at Manila's latest tourist destination,
Entertainment City.
City of Dreams Manila has been developed by integrated casino
resort developer MCE Leisure (Philippines) Corporation ("MCE Leisure
Philippines") in cooperation with SM Group's Belle Corporation, and
is under the sole management and operation by MCE Leisure
Philippines, a subsidiary of Melco
Crown (Philippines) Resorts
Corporation (a company listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange with
trading symbol "MCP", which is a subsidiary of Melco Crown
Entertainment Limited (SEHK: 6883) (NASDAQ: MPEL), a developer and
owner of casino gaming and entertainment resort facilities in
Asia).
Mr. Cristino Naguiat Jr, Chairman
and CEO of PAGCOR said: "The magnificence of the City of Dreams
Manila grand launch last night was testimony to how Melco Crown
Entertainment has opened up a new chapter of entertainment
experience in the Philippines. I
am confident that the new benchmark set by this
entertainment-inspired resort will help Entertainment City and
Manila to being one of the leading
premier leisure destinations in Asia."
Thousands of excited visitors witnessed Melco Crown
Entertainment's Co-Chairman and CEO Mr. Lawrence Ho and Mrs. Sharen Ho; Co-Chairman Mr. James Packer; and Mr. Clarence Chung, Chairman & President of
Melco Crown Philippines as they were joined by Mr. Cristino Naguiat Jr, Chairman and CEO of PAGCOR,
Mr. Henry Sy Jr, Chairman of SM
Prime Holdings, turning the ceremonial keys – opening the 'Fortune
Egg' of City of Dreams Manila and cascading a 'Dream Cloud' of
mechanical butterflies - to officially mark the launch of the
integrated resort.
Celebrations of Manila's newest
world-class gaming and entertainment destination started with a
glamorous red carpet entrance of celebrities and socialites
preceded a prestigious gala dinner event attended by government
officials, business partners and VIP guests.
Meanwhile, a crowd of over 5,000 movers and shakers partied at
the sell-out 'Concert of Dreams' and were wowed by a stellar
line-up of international and Philippines' stars, with headliners Ne-Yo,
international R&B heartthrob, and Kelly
Rowland, the Grammy-award winning singer, who was formerly
part of one of the most successful female groups of all time,
Destiny's Child, supported by a host of top local artists including
Gary Valenciano, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Kyla
and Jed Madela.
Headlining the celebratory 'Dream Concert', Ne-Yo said: "I'm
honored to be a part of the City of Dreams Manila Grand Opening.
It's been fantastic to share the stage with incredible local and
international talent. Cannot wait to return!"
Government officials, business partners and leading socialites
including Tessa Prieto Valdes,
Mia Borromeo, Sandie & Manoling
Poblador, Rajo Laurel and Teddy
& Louie Locsin, together with
other VIP guests, then attended a prestigious celebratory black-tie
dinner and enjoyed the special 'Journey of Dreams' entertainment,
with special dinner-cabaret performances by Jed Madela, Zsa Zsa
Padilla, and headline stars Kelly
Rowland and Ne-Yo.
Earlier in the day hundreds of representatives from
international and regional media joined the assembled ranks of
Philippines media corps, to attend
a special press conference and interview opportunities with Mr.
Lawrence Ho and Mr. James Packer, where the audience enjoyed the
impressive talk-around-town TV promotional film, starring Hollywood
superstars Robert De Niro,
Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese, and produced by the
internationally-acclaimed RatPac Entertainment producer and
director Brett Ratner.
Melco Crown Entertainment's Co-Chairman and CEO Mr.
Lawrence Ho, said: "Our
successful official launch marks the start of our exciting mission
to deliver the ultimate in sophisticated and compelling
entertainment experiences at City of Dreams Manila, as we continue
to work to support the Philippine government in growing and further
developing the tourism sector of Manila and the
Philippines."
"The success of City of Dreams Manila is a major milestone for
Melco Crown Entertainment as we continue to expand our City of
Dreams brand in Asian markets to meet the large and ever-growing
number of leisure destination seekers across the region and
internationally."
Melco Crown Entertainment's Co-Chairman Mr. James Packer, said: "The Philippines is a truly exciting and
dynamic market. Foreign visitations have risen at a double digit
rate in the past couple of years. We see immense potential for the
country. As such, we had high expectations for City of Dreams
Manila, and it has exceeded these expectations. We are confident
that it will be a major catalyst in helping Manila further diversify its economy."
As Manila's first international
integrated leisure destination, the new resort complex brings
together a diverse collection of contemporary leisure and lifestyle
brands from around the world, including Crown, Nobu, Hyatt,
DreamWorks and the Ault Group. As such, an exceptional
entertainment experience awaits all types of travelers and visitors
from around the region and the world.
Celebrations for the grand launch were further heightened by
news that City of Dreams Manila has just won the Integrated Resort
of the Year at the annual International Gaming Awards held at the
Savoy Hotel London yesterday.
This exciting and prestigious award is judged on numerous
criteria to find the very best Casino or Integrated Resort,
including facilities offered, customer service, games offered,
atmosphere, style and design of building. One of the main criteria
is the quality and professionalism of staff members working at the
venue to make it the outstanding choice for customers.
Copyright © 2015 Melco Crown (Philippines) Resorts
Corporation. All rights reserved.
All information is subject to change without notice.
Safe Harbor Statement
This release contains forward-looking statements. These
statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S.
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company may
also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its
periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
(the "SEC"), in its annual report to shareholders, in press
releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by
its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements
that are not historical facts, including statements about the
Company's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and
uncertainties, and a number of factors could cause actual results
to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking
statement. These factors include, but are not limited to, (i)
growth of the gaming market and visitation in Macau and the
Philippines, (ii) capital and credit market volatility,
(iii) local and global economic conditions, (iv) our anticipated
growth strategies, and (v) our future business development, results
of operations and financial condition. In some cases,
forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases
such as "may", "will", "expect", "anticipate", "target", "aim",
"estimate", "intend", "plan", "believe", "potential", "continue",
"is/are likely to" or other similar expressions. Further
information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or
factors is included in the Company's filings with the SEC. All
information provided in this release is as of the date of this
release, and the Company undertakes no duty to update such
information, except as required under applicable law.
About City of Dreams Manila
City of Dreams Manila opened its doors to the public in
December 2014 and marked the formal
entry of Melco Crown Entertainment into the fast-growing and
dynamic tourism industry in the
Philippines. The new integrated casino resort at
Entertainment City, Manila Bay, Manila, is solely operated and managed by MCE
Leisure.
The dynamic and innovative resort complex, located on an
approximately 6.2-hectare site at the gateway to Entertainment
City, includes the ultimate in entertainment, hotel, retail and
dining and lifestyle experiences with aggregated gaming space,
including VIP and mass-market gaming facilities with up to
approximately 380 gaming tables, 1,700 slot machines and 1,700
electronic table games.
The integrated resort features three distinctive entertainment
venues, including Manila's first
branded Family Entertainment Center, a live performance central
lounge inside the casino and a night club situated at the Fortune
Egg, an architecturally-unique structure,] with creative exterior
lighting design and an iconic landmark of the Manila Bay area.
City of Dreams Manila is destined to deliver an unparalleled
entertainment and hospitality experience to the Philippines and will ultimately play a key
role in strengthening the depth and diversity of Manila's leisure, business and tourism
offering, enhancing its growing position as one of Asia's premier leisure destinations. It has
been developed to specifically meet the needs of the large, rapidly
growing and increasingly diverse audience of leisure and
entertainment seekers both in the
Philippines and those visiting Manila from across the Asia region and around the world.
About Melco Crown
(Philippines) Resorts
Corporation
Melco Crown (Philippines) Resorts Corporation, with its
shares listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE: MCP), is a
subsidiary of Melco Crown Entertainment (SEHK: 6883; NASDAQ: MPEL).
It has developed City of Dreams Manila, a casino, hotel, retail and
entertainment integrated resort in Manila, which has six hotel towers, including
the Crown Towers hotel, Nobu Hotel and Hyatt City of Dreams Manila,
numerous specialty restaurants and bars, gaming facilities, a
multi-level car park, as well as three separate entertainment
venues. For more information about Melco Crown Philippines, please
visit www.melco-crown-philippines.com.
About Melco Crown Entertainment Limited
Melco Crown Entertainment, with its shares listed on the Main
Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (the "Hong Kong
Stock Exchange") (SEHK: 6883) and its American depositary shares
listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market (NASDAQ: MPEL), is a
developer, owner and operator of casino gaming and entertainment
resort facilities in Asia. Melco
Crown Entertainment currently operates Altira Macau
(www.altiramacau.com), a casino hotel located at Taipa,
Macau and City of Dreams
(www.cityofdreamsmacau.com), an integrated urban casino resort
located in Cotai, Macau. Melco
Crown Entertainment's business also includes the Mocha Clubs
(www.mochaclubs.com), which comprise the largest non-casino based
operations of electronic gaming machines in Macau. The Company is also developing the
planned Studio City Project, a cinematically-themed integrated
entertainment, retail and gaming resort in Cotai, Macau. In the
Philippines, Melco Crown
(Philippines) Resorts
Corporation's subsidiary, MCE Leisure (Philippines) Corporation, currently operates
and manages City of Dreams Manila (www.cityofdreams.com.ph), a
casino, hotel, retail and entertainment integrated resort in the
Entertainment City complex in Manila. For more information about Melco Crown
Entertainment, please
visit www.melco-crown.com.
Melco Crown Entertainment has strong support from both of its
major shareholders, Melco International Development Limited
("Melco") and Crown Resorts Limited ("Crown"). Melco is a listed
company on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and is substantially owned
and led by Mr. Lawrence Ho, who is
Co-Chairman, an Executive Director and the CEO of Melco Crown
Entertainment. Crown is a top-50 company listed on the Australian
Securities Exchange and led by Chairman Mr. James Packer, who is also Co-Chairman and a
Non-executive Director of Melco Crown Entertainment.
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SOURCE City of Dreams Manila