
World-renowned retired soccer celebrity David Beckham (center) watches Manny Pacquiao battle Brandon Rios at the Venetian Macao in November. (Image: Reuters/Tyrone Siu)
It should be nice to be so famous, so adored, that you can pretty much sell such a thing to anyone for any cost. And not 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 guy who is therefore full of the celebrity galaxy that he and wife/former Spice Girl Victoria were on the short list to go to Prince William’s wedding, after all.
Branding Sands
Now Beckham appears to 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, good looks and international adoration to promote their gambling enterprises both in Singapore and Macau.
While there’s no term on what sort of fee Beckham commands for this sort of thing which may include anything from being seated front and center at a Manny Pacquiao Brandon Rios battle at the Macau that is venetian to a Marina Bay Sands charity event in Singapore we can imagine he does not work properly for cheap these days.
Beckham might not really have 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 with the huge popularity of soccer in China are ways to get their four Macau properties more exposure.
‘He was associated with our very successful Sands for Singapore community festival. His participation inspired the young people he met with as well as the local charities that benefited from his generosity,’ stated George Tanasijevich, Marina Bay Sands’ president and chief executive officer.
‘[Beckham will help us] as we aggressively explore opportunities to expand that is further presence in Asia,’ added Sands president and CEO Michael Leven in an issued statement.
Upscale and Debonair Is A Good Fit
Beckham is just a fit that is natural Sands; along with his rugged, yet refined good looks and aura, and name recognition that appears to cross all ages and nationalities, he is an instantaneous media-grabber at any event. With Marina Bay touting itself as having the planet’s casino that is largest inside a posh built-in resort that features high-end shopping and restaurants, and the Venetian Macao being promoted as Asia’s largest gaming and activity center, a globally recognized name and face like Beckham’s would seem to be a perfect match because of 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 natural rapport with kids, which is good for general public relations and community feel-good stories.
In November, the superstar met with 100 young ones during the Venetian Macao, where he posed for photos using them; the kids represented many different charitable groups, from the Macau Special Olympics to the Association of Rehabilitation of Drug Abusers of Macau. Following the pics, Beckham gave an hour-long meeting to an eager press contingent.
Sands Corporation says they also want to utilize Beckham to market their dining and luxury shopping outlets at their casinos that are various. Beyond that, the ongoing company 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 Vegas? Bring Plenty of Cash
Vegas is always a spectacle on brand New Year’s Eve, having a massive pyrotechnics that are strip-wide.
Next to possibly New York’s Times Square, nowhere in the world states ‘New 12 months’s Eve’ like Las Vegas. In town that’s built on booze, intercourse and gambling, who doesn’t desire to bring in 2014 where in fact the party never stops?
Obviously, that’s what the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) is counting on, because in Las Vegas, brand New Year’s Eve is big, big business. This year, LVCVA is expecting some 335,000 wild and crazy revelers to arrive, 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 A Premium Price
That’s still pretty very good news, though, according to LVCVA senior vice president of advertising Cathy Tull. She says that the true numbers are still up from two years ago, when about 314,000 tourists introduced some $192.6 million in nongaming spending. Naturally, a good amount of that is liquor, marked up sometimes because much as 2,000 % per bottle in the fancier nightclubs in city and that is on a night that is normal therefore possibly even more for brand New Year’s Eve.
Resort rooms are making bank, that’s for sure; by having a 98 per cent occupancy price over the board and virtually all properties will demand a minimum stay of a few nights to obtain in. Area prices is maxed out to boot, and if you don’t have your reservation yet, odds are, you might be out of fortune before you even get to this gambling mecca.
Would like a look at what you’re likely in for? Well, a king that is deluxe at Mandalay Bay truly a higher-end Strip home will run you close to $527, before income tax and extras. If you would like to go a bit more ‘budget’, you would certainly be shelling out $409 at minimum for a coveted Strip view room at Planet Hollywood where you can watch the massive city-wide fireworks display while sipping insanely upcharged champagne from the comfort of one’s own window. a similar scenario over at Treasure Island mid-Strip will run you a mere $386 per evening.
Entertainment Galore
Of course, few people expect to be New that is spending year Eve couched up within their spaces, and also the city makes big bucks on fancy prix-fix dinners, lavishly decked out nightclubs, and headliner activity as well. Depending in your age groups and exactly what your concept of ‘fun’ is, there’s one thing for everyone.
‘[Our Trump rooftop pool deck] has been extremely popular,’ stated Trump International advertising supervisor Jason Demuth. ‘ Our focus is service, so we don’t charge for music or entertainment on our property. So we have a champagne toast that is complimentary. I think that’s sort of unique.’
Needless to say, by ‘complimentary’, you can usually assume the charge is created in elsewhere in Las Vegas; plus, that is just for the first glass, and who’s one glass of anything in Las Vegas? For this privilege, you’ll be spending $334 a evening at trump.
Because for the demand and overflow, numerous high-end gambling enterprises from the Strip that typically cater to more of a locals crowd will also be charging dollar that is top their rooms. For example, Station Casinos now better understood by the public that is general 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. Due to the valley geography of Las vegas, nevada, visitors will likely nevertheless be in a position to see all of the fireworks that are primary albeit from the distance, of program.
In the event that you wish to stay downtown, amidst the neon spectacular 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. Also the budget properties in city will milk you dry: a South vegas Strip Super 8 Motel desires $322 total for a minimum that is two-night while the same deal at a Best Western on Paradise ( the road on which the Convention Center sits) will run you $387 for the two nights. And almost all among these properties had been already sold 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 new arts center, the Smith Center, features squeaky-voiced singer Kristin Chenoweth for a New Year’s Eve songfest beginning at 9 p.m., with tickets operating about $60 each. The flashy Fremont Street Experience more of a beer than champagne crowd overall will host a Downtown Countdown having a selection of headliners, including bad child Vince Neil and Papa Roach; tickets are $40.
Several normally scheduled casino headliners will make more on simply New Year’s Eve. The just-opened Britney Spears show ‘Piece of Me’ will likely 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 year by the iconic Grucci family. This season, you could 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.
Keeping Them on Site
The hardest part for each property is capturing those precious tourists bucks; to that end, one-upmanship is the name of the game. And with brand New Year’s Eve hitting on a this year, most have tried to lure guests in the weekend before for maximum dollar output tuesday.
‘They all try to gear to one thing you can’t get somewhere else. Each one of the properties is wanting to cater activities for their guests that may keep them on property,’ said LVCVA’s Tull.
If spending plan isn’t any consideration, for instance, you can wine and dine during the Le that is high-end Cirque Bellagio (of ‘Ocean’s Eleven’ fame) just for $495 per individual; for that, you will be dining like Henry VIII himself on a dinner of lobster salad with a truffle vinaigrette, wild Atlantic turbot, Kobe beef ox end timbale and a fantasy dessert. Perhaps you imagine that high-ticket price would add alcohol, but you would certainly be mistaken; if you’d like wine pairings with your meal, tack on another $150 per individual. And keep in mind, with fees and an expected minimum 20 percent gratuity for everybody you encounter, your bill could easily find yourself pushing the thousand-dollar mark by the time you’re done.
And when most likely your partying, you want some room service breakfast delivered the morning after, you’ll have that also for another staggering fee. But when you feel like toast after a evening of difficult partying, what is another $100 room solution charge, after all?
Melco Crown Sets Apart $340 Million Loan for Philippines Casino
Melco Crown Entertainment is ready to forge ahead along with 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 future of its resorts and gambling enterprises band of businesses, MCE Leisure Corp., to be able to expedite the completion of this populous City of Dreams Manila integrated resort and casino project.
The massive loan has been gathered from shareholder MCE (Philippines) Investments Ltd., and will act as a book for MCE Leisure in instance the company’s issued senior notes are declined.
‘The shareholder loan is designed to be considered a back-up facility arrangement also it is currently expected that it will just be used by the borrower in the unlikely event that the senior records providing consisting of P15 billion aggregate principal quantity of five percent senior notes due 2019, that was priced on December 19, will never be completed,’ explained Melco Philippines in its disclosure to the Philippine inventory Exchange week that is last.
Loans in Place
Melco Crown told the Philippine inventory Exchange that the company would allow the leisure group to borrow the sum from MCE Leisure (Philippines) Corp. which would be assured by Melco Philippines, MCE Holdings (Philippines) Corp. and MCE Holdings No. 2 (Philippines) Corp., most of that are subsidiaries of the operator that is macau-based.
City of desires Manila the estimated $1.3 billion integrated casino, hotel, entertainment and retail resort is currently under construction by MCE Leisure Corp. in partnership with Belle Corp. and is anticipated to open its doors midway through 2014.
Belle Corp. is owned by Chinese Filipino billionaire tycoon Henry Sy, whom owns business interests in retail, property, banking and hospitality, among other areas, and has now been nicknamed the Philippines Retail King.
After 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 gaming tables, 1,680 slot machines, and a further 1,680 alternative electronic gaming devices 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 retail outlets, too as a household entertainment center, gourmet restaurants and a nightlife that is exuberant.
Contingency Monies as Backup
With only around six months until the expected completion date, the task’s developers are going to inhale a little easier realizing that the funds are around for capital and debt settlements, details of which are set to be issued at the end of January.
And since Melco Crown are seeking to cover all possible hindrances to the task, ensuring money that is enough available in the event that debt papers fail to yield the anticipated returns through a contingency plan appears like a wise move if they want the doors to open in schedule as expected..
‘It is going to be money well spent and the end product is going to be many times that,’ stated Lawrence Ho, chief officer that is executive of Crown Entertainment, to reporters.
While the country’s gambling market generally seems to ever be growing much more popular, the $340 million loan which would be backed with equity according to Melco Crown will definitely come in handy to ensure that City of Dreams Manila lives up to the expectations of the marketplace.
