SINGAPORE, Jun 23, 2010 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- With a collection of celebrity chefs, leading fashion, nightlife, and luxury spa operators, extreme sports aficionados, and musical stars all on hand, Marina Bay Sands held its Opening Celebration today and with it company officials predicted the property would usher in a new era of international tourism development.
"Marina Bay Sands is really the future of tourism development. For countries serious about boosting tourism and creating new jobs, the integrated resort model is unmatched and Marina Bays Sands will now be the reference point by which all new tourism projects are judged," said Mr. Sheldon G. Adelson, chairman of Las Vegas Sands Corp. /quotes/comstock/13*!lvs/quotes/nls/lvs (LVS 23.24, -2.11, -8.32%) , the parent company of Marina Bay Sands. "In Singapore, Marina Bay Sands will be the pivot point in which tourism here is going to explode."
Mr. Thomas Arasi, president and chief executive officer of Marina Bay Sands, said, "Marina Bay Sands will deliver an entertainment, leisure and business experience unlike any other in the world. Our amazing range of attractions from the Sands SkyPark to celebrity chef restaurants to The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands and the outdoor event plaza will have guests coming back again and again to experience every aspect we have to offer. We expect to attract over 70,000 visits a day and 18 million visitors a year after we are fully open."
As part of the opening celebration, the remainder of the hotel's 2,560 rooms and suites opened, along with additional shops, restaurants and facilities at the Sands Expo and Convention Center. On June 24, the much-anticipated Sands SkyPark, which sits 60 stories high and features a 150-meter long infinity-edge swimming pool, will open to the public. Marina Bay Sands will continue to open additional features including the theaters, museum and crystal pavilions over the coming year culminating in a special public gala event signifying the completion of the destination.
Grammy Award-winning star Kelly Rowland of Destiny's Child is headlining an outdoor concert featuring performances from regionally acclaimed artiste JJ Lin, Singapore Idol 2009 1st Runner-up Sylvia Ratonel, and the cast of Las Vegas and internationally acclaimed Broadway smash hit JERSEY BOYS. This evening, international superstar Diana Ross is expected to perform for more than 2,500 VIPs inside the property's Grand Ballroom.
The Opening Celebration also features the first-ever "World Championship Climb to the Sands SkyPark" which will see seven teams of three participants in an extreme relay speed climb on each of the three hotel towers. Each team must scale the towers in succession, followed by a sprint across the 340-meter long Sands SkyPark to a dramatic finish line where TV cameras and news media will await the winners.
ABOUT LAS VEGAS SANDS CORP.
Las Vegas Sands Corp. /quotes/comstock/13*!lvs/quotes/nls/lvs (LVS 23.24, -2.11, -8.32%) is the leading global developer of destination properties (integrated resorts) that feature premium accommodations, world-class gaming and entertainment, convention and exhibition facilities, celebrity chef restaurants, and many other amenities.
THE VENETIAN(R) and THE PALAZZO(R), Five-Diamond luxury resorts on the Las Vegas Strip, are among the company's properties in the United States. In Singapore, the iconic MARINA BAY SANDS(TM) is the most recent addition to the company's portfolio.
Through its majority-owned subsidiary Sands China Ltd, the company also owns a collection of properties in Macau, including THE VENETIAN(R) Macao, Four Seasons Hotel Macao and the Four Seasons-branded serviced-apartments at its COTAI STRIP(R) development, as well as the SANDS(R) Macao on the Macau peninsula.
The company is currently constructing a 6,400-room complex at the COTAI STRIP, which will feature the Shangri-La, Traders, Sheraton, and St. Regis hotel brands.
Las Vegas Sands is also committed to global sustainability through its SANDS Eco 360 program and is an active community partner through its various charitable organizations.
