Marina Bay Sands opening celebration highlights features of new tourism icon

"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 Sheldon G. Adelson, chairman of Las Vegas Sands Corp., 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."

Thomas Arasi, president and CEO 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 rooms and suites opened, along with additional shops, restaurants and facilities at the Sands Expo and Convention Center. Today, 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.