Goodbye Melco PBL Entertainment

» posted by Chuckmonster on 2008-04-30 09:42:04

Not to be outshined by Harrah's Entertainment changing it's name to Caesars Entertainment, the Ho-Packer (or is it Packer-Ho) braintrust has decided to pull a Letterman and swap the PBL for a Crown.

Smart move, particularly since Crown Limited is the partner of record, not PBL. Also, it's always good to shake off the financial doldrums by changing a companies name... it gets a whole bunch of new investors looking at the company.

Will you join us please in welcoming... (drum roll please)

Melco Crown Entertainment

Ta-daaaaaaah.

Which raises the next semi-obvious question : will their NASDAQ stock ticker (MPEL) change? Most of the logical possibilites are already occupied : MCET, MCRT, MCEL, MCEM.

The name change is pending ratification at the May 27 shareholders meeting.

Much thanks to reader BrokenQB for the tip off. Cheers!

Wynn Diamond Suites Construction Status - April 2008

» posted by Chuckmonster on 2008-04-29 18:51:29

As promised, here's a couple of photos of the current construction status of Wynn Macau's hotel expansion "Wynn Diamond Suites." The photos were taken from a room at the MGM Grand Macau over the weekend. Big huge thanks to HK based reader Kenmack for sharing these with us.

It looks like they've jammed a chocolate crescent into at the corner there. When I poked my head in last time, I just couldn't see how they were going to fit a hotel tower in there... well, they have.

City of Dreams : The Imaginary Bubble of Yin

» posted by Chuckmonster on 2008-04-29 09:16:49

While skimming along the earliest stages of sleep, a gaggle of increasingly passive neurons gathered into a bubble of subconscious thought which woke me with an epiphanic start. Wide eyed yet comatose, I processed these visions... connecting seemingly disparate ideas and concepts into a giant patch bay symphony that would make Milton Babbitt proud. I immediately began to wonder if I should spring from the coziness of my bed, to the nearest pen, crayon or keyboard and furiously attempt to document this dream of City of Dreams.

That it took my delving into pre-sleep to become calm enough to digest a large meal of information isn't surprising. Rising from dream state to allay worry or execute the occasional brainstorm is a semi-regular experience, as with anyone who's ever suffered from perpetual responsibility, hyperactivity or any flavor of creative mania. However, a Pope-sized, pillow top revelation of the incandescent filament firing variety is few and far between for this Beethoven of Baccarat - usually the worry wart scares me out of the sack.

On The Way : Wynn Diamond Update, Venetian Macao Review, City of Dreams Think Piece

» posted by Chuckmonster on 2008-04-29 08:04:52

I'm just about to publish the brain rattling City of Dreams think piece and thought I'd give a little guidance as to what's on the docket in the next few days.

Numbers week. Earnings reports from LVS and Wynn should be out this week, which - according to Credit Suisse and some other analysts - may show LVS taking a supreme beating in the VIP sector, and Wynn having a little softness as well. Evidently, the Sands and Venetian have seen the largest erosion of VIPs due to the AMA deal. Since I am a VIP (lie) there's no way I'd want to do battle with swaths of plebeians en route to satisfy a VIP sized craving for Fatburger. Thanks to Broken QB for sharing the CS report as well as a ton of other goodies with me. You rule QB! (Except when you had that five interception game vs. the Jets)

'Cosmos' by Cirque du Soleil Opens August 29, 2008

» posted by Chuckmonster on 2008-04-28 20:07:38

Cosmos will be the title of the new Cirque du Soleil resident show at the Venetian Macao according to a source in Macau who is working on the project.

Cirque du Soleil is notorious for requiring anyone remotely involved with producing their shows to sign an ironclad non-disclosure agreement. I actually did some web design consultant work for them a few years ago related to the LOVE show at the Mirage and can certifiably state that they were... uh... difficult and demanding, particularly with confidentiality issues. Therefore, I'm not going to send a link to the blog post as the source will probably get yelled at (or worse) in potentially three languages - English, French and Chinese.

Dr. Ho Sinks Oceanus Casino

» posted by Chuckmonster on 2008-04-27 07:24:04

The long-planned whale-shaped Oceanus casino project has been officially cancelled by SJM's Dr. Stanley Ho himself in an interview with the Macau Daily Times.

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