Melco Crown to bring in global nightclub brands

MANILA, Philippines - Macau-based casino giant Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd. will be bringing in global entertainment brands to its planned integrated resort complex in the Philippines, recently adding internationally acclaimed nightclub brands of The Ault Group to its growing list of world-renowned partners.

Local unit Melco Crown (Philippines) Resorts Corp., disclosed to the Philippine Stock Exchange yesterday its collaboration with The Ault Group to bring in the Pangaea and Chaos nightclub brands to its City of Dreams Manila integrated casino project.

Pangaea will be entering the Philippine market for the first time while Chaos in  Manila will be the first in Asia when it opens in the last quarter of the year.

Just recently, Melco Crown announced its partnership with DreamWorks Animation to put up Dream Play, an “edu-tainment” indoor theme park, in City of Dreams.

 “Following our recent announcements of other global entertainment brands, Melco Crown Philippines is introducing the internationally acclaimed nightclub brands Pangaea and Chaos to City of Dreams Manila,” said Clarence Chung, chairman and president of Melco Philippines.

“Introducing world-class clubs and a sophisticated international nightlife experience to City of Dreams Manila reinforces our overall entertainment destination strategy...and further enhances the regional and international leisure destination appeal of Manila,” he added.

Chung said Pangaea and Chaos, as inspired by The Ault Group founder Michael Van Cleef Ault, are two of the world’s most recognized and successful nightclubs which are eyed to meet the needs of “the region’s large and ever growing market of leisure and entertainment destination seekers.”

Melco Crown’s collaboration with The Ault Group is the latter’s first venture in the Philippines. The nightclub consulting firm has already expanded its nightclub operations in Asia following international successes in Singapore and India.

 “The Philippines is a highly important market with extraordinary growth potential. It has a huge young and educated demography, many of whom have travelled the world and seek the very best in nightlife entertainment. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work alongside Melco Crown Philippines to deliver the ultimate in international nightlife offerings as part of what will be the extraordinary destination resort that is City of Dreams Manila,” said Ault, known as the “International King of Clubs.”

Pangaea is expected to house 400 guests in over 730 square meters of floor space. Chaos, meanwhile, will be a two-story nightclub to be situated in a 3,000-square-meter area that can accommodate up to 2,000 guests.

Melco Crown is planning to start operations of its City of Dreams Manila casino complex in the fourth quarter this year.

City of Dreams Manila will offer 365 gaming tables, 1,680 slot machines and 1,680 electronic table games. Previously, the casino planned to offer only 242 gaming tables and 1,450 electronic gaming machines.

The integrated casino project is Melco Crown’s first gaming foray outside Macau where it operates the City of Dreams and Altira Macau casinos.

The project is being undertaken in partnership with Belle Corp., the gaming arm and upscale leisure developer of mall and banking conglomerate SM Group.