
World-renowned retired soccer celebrity David Beckham (center) watches Manny Pacquiao fight Brandon Rios during the Venetian Macao in November. (Image: Reuters/Tyrone Siu)
It should be good to be therefore famous, so adored, that you could pretty much sell such a thing to anyone for any price. And perhaps not which he needs the money with an estimated net worth of $300 million, but such is the situation for iconic retired soccer star and universally recognized hottie David Beckham a person that is therefore saturated in the celebrity galaxy which he and wife/former Spice Girl Victoria were on the short list to wait Prince William’s wedding, after all.
Branding Sands
Now Beckham seemingly have carved a niche for himself as a sort of mercenary promoter for hire, and the latest taker is Las Vegas Sands Corporation, which is making use of Beckham’s charm, visual appearance and international adoration to advertise their gambling enterprises both in Singapore and Macau.
While there’s no term on which kind of fee Beckham commands for this type of thing that could include anything from being seated front and center at a Manny Pacquiao Brandon Rios fight at the Venetian Macau to going to a Marina Bay Sands charity event in Singapore we can imagine he doesn’t work for cheap these days.
Beckham may well not need to do much but show up and get TV coverage, but for Sands, it’s nevertheless a good deal. The casino operator that is largest in Macau is still stymied by mainland Chinese advertising prohibitions, which forbid any casino promotion or gambling whatsoever. So Beckham’s videogenic visual appearance combined with the popularity that is huge of in China are techniques for getting their four Macau properties more exposure.
‘He was involved in our very Sands that is successful for community festival. His participation inspired the young people he met with in addition to the area charities that benefited from his generosity,’ said George Tanasijevich, Marina Bay Sands’ president and executive officer that is chief.
‘[Beckham helps us] as we aggressively explore opportunities to expand that is further presence in Asia,’ included Sands president and CEO Michael Leven in a given statement.
Upscale and Debonair Is A Good Fit
Beckham is just a natural fit for Sands; together with his rugged, yet refined good appearance and aura, and title recognition that appears to cross all ages and nationalities, he’s an immediate media-grabber at any event. With Marina Bay touting itself as having the world’s largest casino inside a posh integrated resort which includes high-end shopping and restaurants, and the Venetian Macao being promoted as Asia’s largest gaming and entertainment center, a globally recognized name and face like Beckham’s would seem to become a perfect match with regards to their need to be seen and covered regularly and in all media.
Over the top of all that, Beckham himself a father of four with wife Victoria appears to have a rapport that is natural kids, which is wonderful for general public relations and community feel-good tales.
In November, the superstar met with 100 young ones at the Venetian Macao, where he posed for pictures using them; the children represented many different charitable groups, through the Macau Special Olympics to the Association of Rehabilitation of Drug Abusers of Macau. After the pictures, Beckham gave an hour-long meeting to an eager press contingent.
Sands Corporation says they also want to utilize Beckham to advertise their dining and luxury shopping outlets at their casinos that are various. Beyond that, the business isn’t saying much about how their partnership with Beckham will unfold down the line, and neither is Beckham himself.
Want to Spend New Year’s Eve in Las Vegas? Bring A Lot of Cash
Las Vegas is definitely a spectacle on New Year’s Eve, by having a massive pyrotechnics that are strip-wide.
Next to possibly New York’s Times Square, nowhere within the world claims ‘New 12 months’s Eve’ like Las Vegas. In city that’s built on booze, sex and gambling, whom doesn’t wish to bring in 2014 where in fact the party never prevents?
Naturally, that is what the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) is counting in, because in Las vegas, nevada, New Year’s Eve is myfreepokies.com big, big business. This year, LVCVA is expecting some 335,000 wild and crazy revelers to show up, and it very close to last year’s numbers with them comes an anticipated nongaming revenue of about $213 million, which makes.
Visitors Will Pay dollar that is top
That is still pretty news that is good though, according to LVCVA senior vice president of advertising Cathy Tull. She says that the true numbers remain up from two years ago, whenever about 314,000 tourists earned some $192.6 million in nongaming spending. Naturally, a good amount of that is liquor, marked up sometimes since much as 2,000 % per container in the fancier nightclubs in town and that is on a night that is normal so possibly even more for brand New Year’s Eve.
Hotel rooms are making bank, that’s for sure; with a 98 per cent occupancy price throughout the board and nearly all properties will demand a stay that is minimum of nights to get in. Room prices are maxed down to boot, and if there isn’t your reservation yet, odds are, you’re out of luck before you even get to this gambling mecca.
Require a look at what you are likely in for? Well, a king that is deluxe at Mandalay Bay certainly a higher-end Strip property will run you close to $527, before tax and extras. If you’d like to go a bit more ‘budget’, you would certainly be shelling out $409 at minimum for the coveted Strip view room at Planet Hollywood where you can view the massive city-wide fireworks display while sipping insanely upcharged champagne from the convenience of one’s own window. a scenario that is similar at Treasure Island mid-Strip will run you a mere $386 per evening.
Entertainment Galore
Of course, few individuals expect to be spending brand new Year’s Eve couched up within their spaces, and also the city makes big bucks on fancy prix-fix dinners, lavishly decked out nightclubs, and headliner entertainment on top of that. Based in your age groups and exactly what your idea of ‘fun’ is, there’s something for everyone.
‘[Our Trump rooftop pool deck] was popular,’ stated Trump International advertising supervisor Jason Demuth. ‘ Our emphasis is service, so we don’t charge for entertainment or music on our property. And we have champagne toast that is complimentary. I think that’s kind of unique.’
Of course, by ‘complimentary’, it is possible to usually assume the charge is made in elsewhere in Vegas; plus, that is simply for the first glass, and who’s one glass of anything in Las Vegas? With this privilege, you will be having to pay $334 a evening at trump.
Because regarding the demand and overflow, many high-end casinos from the Strip that typically cater to more of a locals crowd are also charging dollar that is top their rooms. For example, Station Casinos now better known by the average man or woman as the initial online poker providers in Nevada via their UltimatePoker.com site is charging $300 per night for a Green Valley Ranch stay or $480 for the Red that is elegant Rock, both far off the Strip. Because of the valley geography of vegas, visitors will probably remain in a position to see a lot of the primary fireworks, albeit from a distance, of course.
In the event that you want to stay downtown, amidst the neon dazzling that is the Fremont Street Experience, anticipate to dole out $329 at the chi-chi Golden Nugget or $200 at the not-so-much Golden Gate. Even the budget properties in city will milk you dry: a South Las Vegas Strip Super 8 Motel wishes $322 total for a minimum that is two-night while the same deal at a Best Western on Paradise ( the street on that the Convention Center sits) will run you $387 for the two nights. And almost all of the properties had been already offered out by mid-December.
As for entertainment, there’s whatever you want, from high-brow to low-brow, and everything in between. Downtown’s elegant brand new arts center, the Smith Center, features squeaky-voiced singer Kristin Chenoweth for a New Year’s Eve songfest starting at 9 p.m., with seats running about $60 each. The flashy Fremont Street Enjoy more of a beer than champagne crowd overall will host a Downtown Countdown with a variety of headliners, including bad boy Vince Neil and Papa Roach; tickets are $40.
A few normally scheduled casino headliners will make more on simply New Year’s Eve. The just-opened Britney Spears show ‘Piece of Me’ may be going at Planet Hollywood, as will Maroon 5 at Mandalay Bay and Bruno Mars at the Cosmopolitan.
Of course, it’s not brand New Year’s Eve in Las Vegas without the massive pyrotechnics display, put on with enormous preparation each 12 months by the Grucci that is iconic family. This present year, you can expect an eight-minute, multi-property run from seven Strip rooftops, from downtown’s Stratosphere up to the Strip’s Caesars Palace, and everything in between.
Maintaining Them on Site
The most difficult part for each property is capturing those valuable tourists dollars; to that end, one-upmanship is the name associated with the game. And with brand New 12 months’s Eve hitting on A tuesday this year, most have tried to lure guests in the weekend before for maximum dollar production.
‘They all you will need to gear to something you can’t get somewhere else. Each one of the properties is wanting to cater activities with regards to their guests that will keep them on property,’ said LVCVA’s Tull.
If budget is not any consideration, as an example, you can wine and dine during the high-end Le Cirque at Bellagio (of ‘Ocean’s Eleven’ fame) for just $495 per person; for that, you’ll be dining like Henry VIII himself for a dinner of lobster salad by having a truffle vinaigrette, crazy Atlantic turbot, Kobe beef ox tail timbale and a fantasy dessert. Perhaps you might think that high-ticket price would include alcohol, but you’d be mistaken; if you’d like wine pairings with your dinner, tack on another $150 per individual. And remember, with fees and an expected minimum 20 percent gratuity for everybody you encounter, your bill could effortlessly wind up pushing the thousand-dollar mark by the time you’re done.
If in the end your partying, you want some room service breakfast delivered the morning after, you are able to have that as well for another staggering fee. But when you feel like toast after a night of hard partying, what is another $100 room service charge, after all?
Melco Crown Sets Apart $340 Million Loan for Philippines Casino
Melco Crown Entertainment is able to forge ahead making use of their Phillipines casino, City of Dreams, in Manila
Macau-based Melco Crown (Philippines) Resorts Corp. is readying a loan of $340 million to help secure the ongoing future of its resorts and casinos band of businesses, MCE Leisure Corp., to be able to expedite the completion for the populous City of Dreams Manila integrated resort and casino project.
The massive loan has been gathered from shareholder MCE (Philippines) Investments Ltd., and will become a reserve for MCE Leisure in situation the business’s issued senior notes are declined.
‘The shareholder loan is intended to be described as a back-up center arrangement also it is presently expected that it’ll just be used by the borrower in the unlikely event that the senior records offering composed of P15 billion aggregate principal quantity of five % senior notes due 2019, that has been priced on December 19, will not be completed,’ explained Melco Philippines in its disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange week that is last.
Loans in Place
Melco Crown told the Philippine inventory Exchange that the company allows the leisure group to borrow the sum from MCE Leisure (Philippines) Corp. which may be guaranteed by Melco Philippines, MCE Holdings (Philippines) Corp. and MCE Holdings No. 2 (Philippines) Corp., most of which are subsidiaries of the operator that is macau-based.
City of Dreams Manila the estimated $1.3 billion incorporated casino, hotel, entertainment and retail resort is currently under construction by MCE Leisure Corp. in partnership with Belle Corp. and it is likely to open its doorways midway through 2014.
Belle Corp. is owned by Chinese Filipino billionaire tycoon Henry Sy, whom owns business interests in retail, property, hospitality and banking, among the areas, and contains been nicknamed the Philippines Retail King.
Following on the heels of Enrique Razon’s Solaire Resort and Casino which launched its doors last March City of Dreams Manila could be the second of four integrated resorts and casinos to start in Entertainment City, and will feature 365 video gaming tables, 1,680 slot machines, and a further 1,680 alternative gaming that is electronic for its guests.
In addition to the casino side of the resort, City of Dreams Manila is also set to feature luxury resort accommodation and high-end stores, also as a family members entertainment center, gourmet restaurants and a nightlife that is exuberant.
Contingency Monies as Backup
The project’s developers are likely to breathe a little easier knowing that the funds are available for capital and debt settlements, details of which are set to be issued at the end of January with only around six months until the expected completion date.
And since Melco Crown are looking to cover all possible hindrances to the task, making sure enough money is available if the debt documents fail to yield the anticipated returns through a contingency plan seems like a wise move if they want the doors to open in schedule as expected..
‘It is money well spent and the end product will be often times that,’ said Lawrence Ho, primary officer that is executive of Crown Entertainment, to reporters.
As the country’s gambling market generally seems to be growing ever more popular, the $340 million loan which would be supported with equity according to Melco Crown will certainly come in handy to ensure that City of Dreams Manila lives up to the expectations of industry.