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Planetarium designer/consultant Phil Groce shares his view of how facilities can make the most of their theatrical facilities – fulldome or otherwise

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The Importance of Being Human:
How planetarium operators can differentiate their facilities, ease up on their budgets and continue the storytelling tradition
by Phil Groce, Founder/Planetarium Designer, 
Helping Planetariums Succeed LLC

Over a human lifespan, one is likely to learn much more science from informal education sources such as museums, libraries, documentaries, and the Internet than in the formal education setting of the classroom. Today’s planetariums should strive to use all the capabilities of their systems, in order to continue delivering unique experiences that attract and educate their visitors.

Planetariums have gone through an amazing revolution with the advent of fulldome digital planetarium projection systems. For the first time, we have a presentation medium with some standardization. We have the ability to show virtually anything one can imagine. Now a program produced for a 20-meter dome and designed to play back on a multi-million dollar system can play back flawlessly on a 6-meter dome on a system that costs less than $100,000. This should be the “golden age” or the “renaissance” of planetariums – but is it?
One of my favorite plays is Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest.” It is a clever story with crisp dialog and a moral that illustrates the meaning of being true to one’s identity. It has some relevance to a planetarium medium that is searching for its identity in today’s world of fulldome systems. This article is about exploring that identity.

Every great teacher you ever knew helped you to love learning. They themselves were lovers of learning. They were passionate about their subjects, and their excitement was infectious. You succumbed to an incurable disease of wanting to know more. These rare and wonderful teachers took you beyond textbooks and rote learning. They taught you that learning wasn’t something that stopped at the end of the school day. It was alive in books, libraries, museums, science centers, historic sites, nature trails, and yes, even in planetariums.

Something horrible happened on the way to the 21st century. We have strayed into thinking that the job of education was to merely get students to master a group of skill sets, to pass a series of tests, and to meet some arbitrary standards. In the process, we may have managed to kill all love of learning. We forgot our primary purpose: to make our students and our public visitors life-long learners – to develop people young and old who are in a constant state of knowledge growth and not in an endgame of test and subject achievement followed by academic amnesia.

by some estimates individuals spend as little as 9 percent of their lives in schools. Furthermore, science in K-12 schools is often marginalized by traditional emphases on mathematics and literacy; hence little science is actually taught during school hours.

Excerpt from Surrounded by Science: Learning Science in Informal Environments byMarilyn Fenichel and Heidi A. Schweingruber; National Research Council (2010).

Planetariums associated with public museums and science centers are active participants in the other 91% of an individual’s life. Over a human lifespan, one is likely to learn much more science from informal education sources such as museums, libraries, documentaries, and the internet than in the formal education setting of the classroom. I would argue that museums, zoos, and planetariums are far more significant educators long-term.

These informal educational institutions should not be trapped in a sticky gel of state-mandated test standards for classrooms to justify school field trips or funding support. When I talk to school superintendents they almost always ask “why should they support planetariums when computer desktop planetariums and videos do as good a job helping them meet state standards?” I reply: “That is exactly why you invest in them, because one of the unique purposes of a planetarium is to teach or illustrate those concepts that are difficult, if not impossible, to teach or illustrate in a classroom or on a desktop computer.” Our collective planetarium purpose is to educationally lead our communities, not follow. It is time for planetariums to be earnest and to embrace their true mission of inspiring and instilling wonder and awe, to provoke their public audiences to look beyond their classrooms, to recognize the role of informal education, and to see first-hand an amazing and mysterious universe. Those planetariums that are taking this not-so-politically-correct path are succeeding. Their bravery is rewarded and is an important key to being a successful planetarium.

Those of us who were in charge of planetariums associated with museums were often called “planetarium curators,” a strange word meaning “keeper” or “caretaker.” This word has evolved to also mean “interpreter” of objects and collections. For the planetarium, the objects are the Sun, Moon and stars and the Universe is the ultimate collection. I now realize that the role of the planetarium is to celebrate the universe with as much passion and love of knowledge as possible and to help our visitors interpret what they see in the sky. I think this is the role of people who teach in and produce for planetariums. We are not just curators of the planetariums or the stars they represent, but rather, nurturers of the human desire of our students and visitors to know more.

The growing number of planetariums with fulldome digital technology (around 800, and projected to reach 1,000 soon) are faced with much higher costs of operation than they previously had with starball projectors and slideshows. One of the big budget items for fulldome is the cost of licensing pre-rendered shows. Most don’t have the funds to produce their own unique fulldome movies and must depend on the works of other larger, better-funded institutions or dedicated independent producers. Conjoined to that challenge is the challenge of how to differentiate themselves if they are all drawing from the same library of pre-rendered content.

In the 1970s and early 80s, Salt Lake City’s Hansen Planetarium won several grants to produce and distribute free programs. Its Director, Mark Littmann, wrote and produced several wonderful shows – titles such as “The People: Sky Lore of the American Indian” and “Skywatchers of Ancient Mexico,” that later played in hundreds of planetariums across the US and around the world. These programs were slide-based, multimedia shows with separate reel-to-reel soundtracks. By adding additional visual special effects and panoramas or editing the soundtrack to fit their audience tastes, each planetarium put its own personal mark or style on these programs. Many times I saw something new and unique and took those ideas back to my own theater. In those days, every planetarium had a unique personality and created a unique show for their local audience. They were the first to “think universally, act locally.” 

The fact that each planetarium was unique with its own criteria for quality wasn’t without problems. There were a lot of bad planetarium shows, and some producers rightly lamented on the lack of creative or quality control of their programs.

We have always had our planetarium controversies. Some in retrospect may seem silly. In the 1950s, it was the audacity of adding music to our “lectures.” In the 1960s, it was slides, 16mm film, and special effects. In the 1970s, it was pre-recorded narration or “canned” versus “live” programs and the use of automation. In the 1980s, it was computer animation and video. And in the 1990s, it was the rise of fulldome digital planetariums versus the sky quality of optical-mechanical projectors.

In spite of the controversy, each of these changes offered the potential to make us better storytellers. Fast-forward to today, and because of the dilemma outlined above, planetariums are in danger of being more like movie theaters than planetariums of the past. Sadly, some of these facilities have become a movie-push-a-button-planetarium with little soul and even less personality.

This is not to say that fulldome shows can’t have (along with great scripts, narration, music and stunning visualizations) the unique passion and viewpoint that uphold and advance a planetarium’s core educational mission. For instance, Robin Sip of Mirage3D has transformed his love of science and storytelling into some amazing fulldome productions. I am emotionally moved when I see a Robin Sip show or hear a Carolyn Collins Petersen script because they communicate at a very human level and are on an earnest quest to enlarge our view of the universe. They share their “personal” and unique perspective through a very impersonal digital medium. That is not easy.

One notable experiment in making these fulldome programs more human is at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles. Here ‘live’ actors in synchronization with the visualizations and music speak a story of the history of humankind’s exploration of the Universe. I have seen the same show twice, once with a female actor and the other with a male actor. Judging from my own reaction and the reactions of the audience, I’d say all of us paid more attention to this more personal approach. The actors smiled, looked you in the eye, and used props to add even more visual realism. My only disappointment is that the actors had to stay with the script and could not deviate. That meant they couldn’t react to a laugh or a nod of understanding or take a path that might have been more relevant. That is where the presentation stopped being human. It made me realize that it might be better to give astronomy lecturers acting lessons on how to speak poetically and passionately about a subject rather than use actors to parrot a well-worn script.

So where do we go from here? How do we use these new digital tools with our limited program budgets? Well, fortunately, there are many shining examples around us. The Tellus Science Museum’s Planetarium in Cartersville, Georgia, USA, under the leadership of David Dundee is one. Dundee has over 30 trained show-runners and operates 8 hours a day, 7 days a week, 12 months a year. His 120-seat theater has averaged more than 100,000 paid admissions per year over the last three years. The secret to this planetarium’s success is David’s philosophy that every visitor shall receive a live (human) guided tour of the night sky preceding each fulldome movie presentation. These are quality educational and entertaining presentations that allow the planetarium to meet the expectations of its audience. Every show is unique and worth seeing.

One possible solution to under-funded planetarium budgets is to not depend solely on purchasing expensive pre-rendered content. I believe that live shows presented with passion by knowledgeable humans using all of the capabilities of their planetariums, digital or otherwise (fulldome digital systems do all come with a real-time component for taking audiences on a voyage through databases of the universe or other environments) will sell as many tickets as most pre-rendered programs. A program that offers both live storytelling presentations and packaged shows lets the planetarium and the audience enjoy the best of both worlds.

So what is the secret of the universe, planetariums and everything?
Be earnest and true to yourselves – be a planetarium, and, most important of all, be unafraid to be human by sharing your love of the Sun, Moon and stars. You don’t need a million-dollar budget or even a thousand-dollar budget to do that. It doesn’t matter what technology you use or what size dome you project upon. If you can approach your presentations with the same awe and wonder you had when you saw your first star-filled sky, you will succeed. For what our audiences want the most is a learned and passionate guide to the heavens. They want someone with a cosmic perspective who will inspire them to go find their own starry night, explore it and, yes, celebrate it. Nothing could be more human and, for planetariums, more important.

This article originally appeared in a slightly different version in the March 2012 issue of The Planetarian, published by the International Planetarium Society (IPS). Reprinted with permission.


World’s First Cartoon Network Themed Waterpark Planned For Thailand

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Bangkok, Thailand (February 28, 2012) /Newswire Today/ — Scheduled to open in 2013, and named Cartoon Network AMAZONE, the waterpark is a nod to the lush Amazon Rainforest while infusing the world’s most popular animated series and toon heroes including Ben 10, The Powerpuff Girls, Johnny Bravo and The Amazing World of Gumball.
 
From serene to extreme splash-tastic thrills, Cartoon Network AMAZONE waterpark will feature exciting signature attractions including a gigantic family wave pool, a winding adventure river, speed-racing slides, family raft rides and one of the world’s largest interactive water play fortresses for kids.

“Cartoon Network is all about the fun and energy of the playground, and the addition of Cartoon Network AMAZONE means that families can literally step into our vibrant world of animation and vacation with their favourite characters like never before,” said Sunny Saha, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific, Inc.

“We are very proud to have Thailand as the spectacular backdrop for the world’s first Cartoon Network-themed waterpark. Thailand’s reputation as the Land of Smiles and perfect weather will ensure a memorable visit for guests of all ages.”

Cartoon Network AMAZONE is being developed in conjunction with Amazon Falls Co. Ltd, an attractions and resorts developer in Thailand. Phase one of the waterpark is already underway and when completed will cover 14 acres of coastal plains in Bang Saray, just 15 minutes from Pattaya Beach City. Cartoon Network AMAZONE is set to attract up to 800,000 visitors a year when fully operational.

Liakat Dhanji, Chairman, Amazon Falls Co. Ltd said,“Thailand has excellent tourism credentials, a vibrant culture with a vast history and also the most welcoming people in the world. The addition of Cartoon Network AMAZONE marks Thailand’s very first internationally branded water theme park.

Cartoon Network is a global household name, and with this strategic alliance, we have no doubt that by welcoming our guests to meet their favourite Cartoon Network heroes, it will be a great draw for our park.”

Atchaka Sribunruang, Secretary General of Thailand Board of Investment added,”Apart from offering substantial foreign investment, Cartoon Network AMAZONE will create numerous training and employment opportunities for Thai people on all professional and skill levels and create many jobs both directly and indirectly for the local economy.

“Our famous tourism market offers some of the most exciting and exotic attractions in the world and we are confident that Cartoon Network AMAZONE will be a premiere family destination for all ages. The Thailand Board of Investment is very supportive of this project and will offer as much assistance as required.”

Bang Saray is an undiscovered gem just 16km from Pattaya. It retains its charm as a fully functioning fishing port yet is in close proximity to leading golf courses and resorts, and is home to some of the best seafood restaurants in Thailand. The idyllic location has been chosen for Cartoon Network AMAZONE because of its natural, unspoiled beauty, accessibility and the richness of its local culture. With over five million tourists a year to the Chonburi province, it is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Thailand. Last year, Pattaya was voted “Golf Destination of the Year 2012 for Australasia and Asia” by IAGTO.”

ABOUT CARTOON NETWORK ASIA PACIFIC
Cartoon Network (CartoonNetworkAsia.com), the number one kids’ channel in the Asia Pacific region, offers the best in original animated entertainment while drawing from the world’s most iconic cartoon library of Warner Bros., MGM and Hanna-Barbera titles. Original series showcased on Cartoon Network include the globally popular series Ben 10, Ben 10 Alien Force, Ben 10 Ultimate Alien, The Amazing World of Gumball, Generator Rex, Chowder, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, The Powerpuff Girls and The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack. Cartoon Network is available in 23 territories throughout the Asia Pacific region and is currently seen in over 63 million cable homes. Online, Cartoon Network Asia Pacific reaches nearly five million unique visitors a month.

Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific, Inc., a Time Warner company, is a major producer of multiplatform news and entertainment content around the world and the leading provider of programming for the basic cable industry.

ABOUT AMAZON FALLS CO. LTD.
Amazon Falls Co. Ltd. “AFCL,” is developing the world’s first Cartoon Network water theme park located in Bang Saray, 15 minutes from Pattaya Beach City, Thailand. The property it has chosen for creating CN AMAZONE has views of the ocean and is easily accessible by car on the main Sukhumvit Highway and located only 90 minutes from the Bangkok international airport. AFCL has a world class team of designers along with top water attraction specialists to work on this project.

Smithsonian Announces "Welcome Discovery" Festival for Space Shuttle Arrival

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Washington, DC, USA (February 28, 2012) — The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum is offering a series of activities to celebrate the acquisition of the space shuttle Discovery. The event will begin when the orbiter arrives in the Washington metro area Tuesday, April 17, weather permitting. Discovery will be transferred from NASA to the museum in a public ceremony April 19 at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy center in Chantilly, Va. The ceremony will kick off a four-day festival of space-related activities, performances, appearances by space pioneers, films and displays.

The “Welcome Discovery” festival is presented in cooperation with NASA. Support for the transfer ceremony is generously provided by the Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp. All activities are offered free of charge, but there is a $15 parking fee at the Udvar-Hazy Center.

There will be more than 25 special exhibits, programs and activities for every age group, from pre-K youngsters to older adults. The history and achievements of the 30-year space shuttle program will be showcased, with several Discovery space pioneers making special appearances to discuss their experiences. The festival will also focus on the future of space exploration. Activities will focus on current events on the International Space Station, how people are learning to live and work in space and preparation for journeys farther into the solar system. Many of the offerings will be interactive, enabling visitors to experience aspects of spaceflight and space sciences. Throughout the festival, specialists from the museum and NASA will be doing post-flight work on Discovery in the space hangar; the public is invited to watch and ask questions.

“When NASA transfers Discovery to the National Air and Space Museum, the American people will gain a major icon of space history and an educational treasure to be valued now and for years to come,” said Gen. J.R. “Jack” Dailey, director of the museum. “We invite the public to help us welcome Discovery to the collection of the Smithsonian Institution.”

The National Air and Space Museum operates two buildings in the Washington, D.C., area: the flagship building on the National Mall and the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va., near Washington’s Dulles International Airport. Both facilities are open daily from 10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. (closed Dec. 25).

http://airandspace.si.eduhttp://airandspace.si.edu

Brigham Young University Museum of Art Holds Inaugural Exhibit of Islamic Art

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Provo, UT, USA (February 28, 2012) /PRNewswire/ — “Beauty and Belief: Crossing Bridges with the Arts of Islamic Culture” opened Friday, February 24th at the Brigham Young University Museum of Art in Provo, UT. The show marks the first time that a major Mormon institution will present a show of Islamic art. Dr. Sabiha Al-Khemir, the project director, was the Founding Director of the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar.

The exhibition features more than 250 objects from 10 countries, 42 lending institutions and ten private collections. The largest lender is the Dar al-Athar-al-Islamiyyah (DAI) museum in Kuwait. The show will travel to three other museums across the United States including the Indianapolis Museum of Art, Newark Museum and Portland Art Museum, OR. 

 
Brigham Young University Museum of Art ranks in the top 25 most attended art museums in North America, and is the most attended university art museum in the United States. Museum officials hope that the exhibition will build bridges of understanding and contribute to the local, national and international dialog focusing on the historic and creative contributions of Islamic Culture.

More information regarding Beauty and Belief is available at beautyandbelief.byu.edu.

Studio Wilks Chosen to Brand TEA’s NEXT Campaign

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Los Angeles, CA, USA (February 27, 2012) — According to TEA past President George Wiktor, “We needed a solution would honor the past and celebrate the future of the association.  The campaign image needed to tell the story of the TEA as well as it current focus on the future through a new mentoring initiative of giving back, sharing knowledge and supporting young professionals and future leaders.  Studio Wilks was spot on.”

For more information, visit www.studiowilks.com

Solar Trees Planted On Discovery Place Roof

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Charlotte, NC, USA (February 27, 2012) — Charlotte’s skyline took new shape over the weekend as Discovery Place installed two colorful, sculptural solar energy systems on the top of its Carol Grotnes Belk Parking Complex. Each standing 20 feet in height, the ‘solar trees’ are a highly visible component of a larger educational initiative featuring information about new and established energy sources. The trees will be used to power an electric vehicle charging station located on level three of the parking deck and will offset energy use in the Museum’s adjacent Education building.

“We chose a bold and unconventional-looking system that will intrigue passersby and make a conspicuous statement about the developing landscape of renewable energy,” said John Mackay, president and CEO of Discovery Place, Inc. “Our hope is that visitors will learn more about how solar energy fits into a portfolio of different sustainable energy sources.”

Once fully installed, the solar trees will be visible for blocks around the Museum as well as from an indoor learning kiosk located inside Discovery Place’s Charlotte Observer IMAX® Dome Theatre lobby. Through live energy data and educational videos on a touch-screen display, Museum visitors will be able to get real-time information about the electrical output of the system. They will discover the impacts of the seasons, clouds and shadows, angle of sunlight and other factors related to solar energy. Intended as an educational experience, the solar system has a modest capacity, but will reduce pollution by the equivalent of 500 gallons of gasoline burned, and generate about half of the electricity consumed by a typical Charlotte residence.

Contributors to the project include some of the most sophisticated energy and solar design firms in the state. Southern Energy Management, the largest solar integrator in the Southeast, served as the primary contractor at the Museum, and Spotlight Solar, a North Carolina firm offering aesthetically attractive solar systems designed for visible locations, manufactured the trees. Bosch Solar donated the solar panels needed for the trees. The City of Charlotte provided grant funding and technical support and will provide public outreach through its Power2Charlotte energy efficiency and conservation awareness program.

“We are thrilled to bring this unique system to Discovery Place and to the people of Charlotte,” said Bob Kingery, CEO of Southern Energy Management. “We’ve installed solar around the southeastern US for the last 10 years, and this is the most distinctive installation to date.”

“Spotlight Solar structures are designed to make solar energy more visible and attractive,” said Craig Merrigan, CEO of Spotlight Solar. “We hope to inspire more people to adopt renewable energy.”

“The City is pleased to continue its long-standing partnership with Discovery Place by providing grant funding for this project, designed to broaden the community’s understanding about the value of energy conservation and alternative ways to generate power,” added David Smith, project manager for the City of Charlotte. “The project is also an extension of the City’s Power2Charlotte campaign to raise awareness of projects funded by a grant from the US Department of Energy.”

Installation of the solar trees began at 6:00 a.m. on Sunday, February 26 on level three of the Carol Grotnes Belk Parking Complex located at the corner of Church and Sixth Streets and continues today. Once the solar trees have been placed, the panels will be installed and electricity generation should begin in March once inspections are completed.
 
ABOUT DISCOVERY PLACE
One of the top hands-on science museums in the nation, Discovery Place provides ever-changing, entertaining facilities that engage the public in the active exploration of science and nature. More than a half-million people from all over the United States visit Discovery Place, its IMAX Dome Theatre and Charlotte Nature Museum each year. In June 2010, the Museum completed an 18-month, $31.6 million renovation, resulting in a completely transformed and re-imagined Museum with all-new interactive exhibits. Discovery Place is supported, in part, with operating support from the Arts & Science Council.
  www.discoveryplace.org

Rob Smith Promoted to Sales Manager at Electrosonic

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London, UK (February 27, 2012) — Electrosonic has announced the promotion of Rob Smith to Sales Manager of the Cultural Entertainment and Leisure (CEL) business for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Smith joined Electrosonic in 2010 as Client Account Manager for the CEL team, acting as the single point of contact for clients. His ability to continuously exceed expectations has led to his current promotion from Account Manager to Sales Manager.

Electrosonic’s Cultural Entertainment and Leisure business provides a complete set of audio-visual services, including custom designed audio, video and control systems and on-site service solutions. Custom solutions are provided for museums, theme parks, hotels and visitor centres. Entertainment clients include designers, curators, producers, fit-out contractors and end clients themselves.

“Rob brings new ideas and fresh thinking to Electrosonic. His management roles throughout his career made him a perfect choice for this newly developed position at Electrosonic. I admire his keen business skills as well as his strong relationships with our clients, suppliers and associates.” commented Chris Conte, Vice President of Entertainment. “He will now use his experience to lead our team of sales and design consultants to develop further relationships and business with key clients across Europe”.

Smith has spent twenty years in the AV industry, initially as an installation and service technician, then performing the roles of service manager, project engineer and project manager, responsible for delivering projects and ensuring customer satisfaction. Prior to joining the AV industry, Smith served in the Royal Air Force as an avionics engineer.


ABOUT ELECTROSONIC
Electrosonic is an international audio-visual company that creates tailored, state-of-the-art solutions for a wide range of markets including theme parks, museums, video conferencing and control rooms. Since its founding in 1964, Electrosonic has built a strong reputation for working on complex projects, both large and small, and has developed lasting partnerships with customers and suppliers. Beyond complete integrated systems, Electrosonic provides a comprehensive scope of services including technical design, projector lamp sales, maintenance and operational support.  http://www.electrosonic.com

Melco Announces New Management Structure

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Hong Kong, Macau and New York (February 27, 2012) /GLOBE NEWSWIRE/ — Melco Crown Entertainment Limited, a developer and owner of casino gaming and entertainment resort facilities focused on the Macau market, today announces the implementation of a new, streamlined management structure aimed at enhancing organizational efficiency, as well as improving the integration of gaming and non-gaming operations.

To implement their new management structure, Mr. Ying Tat Chan, currently the Co-Chief Operating Officer, Gaming, has been appointed as the Company’s sole Chief Operating Officer, overseeing both gaming and non-gaming activities across City of Dreams, Altira Macau, and Mocha Clubs, with effect from February 27, 2012. Following Mr. Chan’s appointment as sole Chief Operating Officer, the position of Co-Chief Operating Officer, Operations has been eliminated. Mr. Nicholas C Naples, the previous Co-Chief Operating Officer, Operations, has departed from the Company on February 27, 2012 upon mutual agreement.

Mr. Lawrence Ho, Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Melco Crown Entertainment, said, “We are encouraged in our belief that the new management structure will make us a more agile company, better positioned to move quickly in a dynamic market.

“I am confident that Mr. Chan’s breadth and depth of knowledge and experience in Macau make him uniquely qualified to be our COO, and I believe that he and his team will build on the successes of the last 18 months.

“Our new structure is targeted to unlock additional synergies between our gaming and non-gaming operations and to facilitate the delivery of our comprehensive, world-class customer service as efficiently as possible, ultimately for the benefit of the Company, our staff members, and our shareholders.

“We thank Mr. Naples for his efforts and commitments to the Company and wish him well in his future endeavors.”

ABOUT MELCO CROWN ENTERTAINMENT LIMITED
Melco Crown Entertainment Limited (“Melco Crown Entertainment”), listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited Macau subsidiary which holds a gaming sub-concession, an operator of casino gaming and entertainment casino resort facilities focused on the Macau market. Melco Crown Entertainment currently operates Altira Macau (www.altiramacau.com) (formerly Crown Macau), a casino hotel located at Taipa, Macau and City of Dreams (www.cityofdreamsmacau.com), an integrated urban casino resort located in Cotai, Macau. Melco Crown Entertainment’s business also includes the Mocha Clubs (www.mochaclubs.com), which feature a total of approximately 2,100 gaming machines in ten locations and comprise the largest non-casino based operations of electronic gaming machines in Macau. The Company is also developing the planned Studio City Project, a large integrated entertainment, retail and gaming resort in Cotai, Macau. For more information about Melco Crown Entertainment, please visit www.melco-crown.com.

ArmorActive Provides iPad Kiosks to Salt Lake City’s Leonardo Museum

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Salt Lake City, UT, USA (February 27, 2012) /PRWEB/ — The Leonardo in downtown Salt Lake City is quickly gaining popularity with many who are seeking to explore art in an all-new way; and iPad kiosks designed by ArmorActive Inc., have helped make this new approach to art a reality.

Focusing on the inventive nature of the human brain both past and present (hence the museum’s namesake), The Leonardo evokes visitors to ponder on the endless possibilities that await our future by connecting science, technology and art in a mind engaging approach.

iPad kiosks make it possible for visitors to mingle with and learn about the various exhibits throughout the museum by using video, touch screens and the Internet to connect with the artwork. Even upon entering the lobby each visitor’s interest is immediately peeked as they approach the interactive LED light exhibit called “Dynamic Performance”, which allows individuals to network with the artwork on twitter via a secured iPad kiosk. Users first tweet requests to @leoartwall and the exhibit then responds with a massive performance of light relative to the information. 

 
“At the Leonardo we have to be very current and very relevant…changing all the time, and the iPad allows us to do that at a very low cost.” says Lisa Davis, media director for The Leonardo. “The iPad kiosk enables us to secure the [iPad] technology so that we can continue to offer visitors a very interactive and personal experience and still have it make sense for the museum.”

Each iPad security kiosk located throughout the museum was specifically selected and programmed to compliment the overall design and the desired experience that each artist had envisioned for their piece. The iPad kiosks chosen for The Leonardo include ArmorActive’s Full Metal Jacket and Radius lines; both being preferred kiosk solutions among museums and retail giants for their sleek design, mobility and their convenience of set-up. The Leonardo also utilizes the iPad as information portals and listening stations mounted using ArmorActive’s Figure 8 VESA mount at a variety of places within the museum.

To find out more about these products and others like them, including secure iPad POS systems, visit iPadEnclosures.com (an ArmorActive company) to see new and intuitive ways clients like The Leonardo are improving their businesses throughout the world with secure iPad kiosk products from companies such as ArmorActive.

ArmorActive, located in Sandy, Utah, is a tablet kiosk development company providing hardware and software integration for mobile business solutions.

$3.5 Billion Baha Mar Casino Resort in Bahamas Celebrates Completion of First Year of Construction

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Al Cross, vice president PGAV Destinations, reports that his company is leading the area development, as well as design of Pool and Beach experience for Baha Mar.

Nassau, Bahamas (February 27, 2012) /PRNewswire/ — Baha Mar, said to be the largest single-phase resort development in the history of the Caribbean, celebrated the first anniversary of its historic groundbreaking in a ceremony attended by Baha Mar Ltd., China Construction Americas management and employees. The 1,000-acre, $3.5 billion resort, gaming and entertainment complex slated to open in late 2014 will include some of the world’s most famous hotel brands, including Mondrian, Rosewood and Grand Hyatt and marks the resurgence of The Bahamian Riviera as the paramount destination for sophisticated international travelers.
 

“Not only has construction started, but also the building of the iconic Baha Mar brand has begun. In 2011, we launched our new logo and brand identity and we will soon unveil a new website and begin pre-construction sales of our private residences” said Baha Mar’s Chairman and CEO, Mr. Sarkis Izmirlian. Significant accomplishments in construction and development were made in the last year, putting the resort at the 25 percent completion mark, on pace for the opening, scheduled December 2014.

In an unprecedented nine months, vital road works and infrastructure projects were completed, making way for Baha Mar construction. The entire Cable Beach area has been transformed by the newly diverted West Bay Street. More than a mile long, this new public roadway now borders six acres of beautiful natural wetlands, lakes and parks, including walking trails, gazebos and boardwalks open for public enjoyment. Also part of the first year accomplishments was the construction of the new Baha Mar Commercial Village, including three new financial institutions, a state of the art Police and Fire Station and a highly successful Pompey Market straw and crafts marketplace.

The completion of these important infrastructure projects created 1,400 local jobs for Bahamians and was celebrated by a road opening ceremony on November 11, 2011, attended by VIP guests including The Right Honourable Hubert Ingraham, Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and Minister of Finance and His Excellency Hu Shan, China Ambassador to The Bahamas, signifying the magnitude and importance of the project to the country.

Once the new road was finalized and traffic rerouted, the core works for the Baha Mar campus began in earnest. To date, more than 6,000 foundational piles supporting the massive 3.3 million sq. feet superstructure for the resort are in place and nearly 50 percent complete, putting the first iconic casino tower on track to reach the 100-foot mark by July 2012. “This project is a unique partnership of different industries, skills, languages and nationalities…this is our strength and one day will serve as a model for other projects” remarked Mr. Izmirlian, as he thanked the group represented by team members from more than 20 countries around the globe for their achievements over the past year.

Upon completion, Baha Mar will set a standard for travel expectations unmatched by any other hospitality destination in the world by blending The Bahamas natural beauty and charm with vibrant experiences in entertainment, gaming, amenities and service.

For more information, visit www.bahamar.com

ABOUT BAHA MAR
Baha Mar, the 1,000-acre, $3.5 billion resort, gaming and entertainment complex slated to open in late 2014, will boast some of the world’s most famous hotel brands, including Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, Mondrian and Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, as well as a Casino Hotel, creating more than 2,200 new rooms. Within the hotels, Baha Mar plans to develop 300 highly exclusive residential condominiums and villas, available for private ownership. Baha Mar’s stunning, new 100,000 square-foot casino will be the largest in the Caribbean, and one of the most compelling and exciting gaming experiences in North America, comparable only to the best in Las Vegas.

Baha Mar will also feature the most advanced and versatile convention facilities in The Bahamas, with a combined 200,000 square feet of space, portions of which can also double as an entertainment and sports venue. Other amenities will include 200,000 square feet of retail and entertainment experiences, combining upscale shopping boutiques with authentic Bahamian arts and crafts galleries, chef-branded restaurants and exciting nightclub and entertainment offerings. An Eco Water Park, extraordinary pools, and three unique spas, including the most complete spa experience in the Caribbean, will be set along 3,000 feet of the most pristine beach in the world. The planned 18-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature Course will be one of a select few such top-tier Nicklaus courses in the world, bringing a new, true championship course to The Bahamas.