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  Business Times Singapore 1 Nov 06
Eighth Wonder piles on the attractions
Sentosa IR bidder promises project will be one of a kind in the world
By Arthur Sim

Business Times Singapore 2 Nov 06
Eighth Wonder sees Sentosa gaming revenue hitting 70%
Estimate is higher than the Las Vegas average of 50%

The Straits Times 1 Nov 06
Eighth Wonder fires up a big bang concept
Volcano focus a departure from rivals' aquatic designs
By Marcel Lee Pereira

Today Online 1 Nov 06
Eighth Wonder bares all
Chairman unveils bold plans for Sentosa IR
Val Chua Deputy News Editor

Channel NewsAsia 31 Oct 06
Eco-friendly resort with unrivalled attractions promised by Eighth Wonder
By Yvonne Yong

Channel NewsAsia 31 Oct 06
Eighth Wonder submits $5.5b bid for Sentosa Integrated Resort
 By S Ramesh

SINGAPORE: The final bidder for Sentosa's Integrated Resort project, Las Vegas-based Eighth Wonder, revealed its S$5.5 billion plans to develop what it calls "Harry's Island" on Tuesday.

Eighth Wonder's Chairman Mark Advent intends for Harry's Island to be iconic, creative and one-of-a-kind. He has lined up an international star-studded cast to work with him in developing the Sentosa project.

"There is a spirit that is special about Sentosa regardless. It is an amazing place. It is a lush tropical serene paradise, and now it is evolving as a place for commerce, hospitality, residential and, ultimately in the future, an integrated resort," Advent says.

"So it's a very fine balance to figure out that place where all of these different elements could co-exist in a manner that is sensitive to all. Ultimately, when you isolate it into an integrated resort directive, there is a huge opportunity to create world-class excitement, entertainment, must-see appeal just by the type of project we are proposing," he adds.

When completed, Harry's Island will have 10 world-class, luxury and family-oriented hotels. Among the new features is a tree house with family suites and a 7,500-seat Caldera Theatre with nightly spectacular shows.

Louis Parenteau, President of Dragone Entertainment, says: "Our main concern of this venture would be to create a show which will be done for the Asian people, that people recognise themselves in this show and, at the same time, we want it to be an attraction to a worldwide public.

"People in Singapore have already seen the touring show which Franco Dragone has created. The permanent shows of the nature that we are talking here is of a totally different, totally different world. The theatre itself and all the mechanics and technical are done so that you create a universe which is totally peculiar to the show.

"Our shows are not using any language exactly for that purpose because we want the show to be accessible to a larger public. But we want people here in Singapore, China and Malaysia to feel this is going to be something which belongs to this market and will grow as our shows are always work-in-progress."

Harry's Island will create nearly 15,000 jobs, including 5,000 in the food and beverage business. For the health-conscious, there will be a wellness centre and spa retreat run by doctor and writer Deepak Chopra.

Soccer fans will benefit from a football academy and stadium with Brazilian soccer star Pele giving his inputs.

Eighth Wonder says it wants to turn Harry's Island into a global, world class, must-visit destination. If it wins the bid to construct the Sentosa Integrated Resort, it hopes to achieve the vision of attracting at least 15 million tourists annually by 2014.

The company believes it can recover its investments by 2015, by generating S$5.6 billion in visitor-spending in five years. The Singapore government has indicated that the winning bid for the Sentosa IR would be known in December. - CNA/so

Channel NewsAsia 31 Oct 06
Eco-friendly resort with unrivalled attractions promised by Eighth Wonder
By Yvonne Yong

SINGAPORE: A childhood fantasy that everyone gets to share in - this is the proposal by Eighth Wonder for their S$5.5 billion Integrated Resort on Sentosa.

Harry's Island, as the resort will be called, is based on the fictional founder of the resort, "Hurricane" Harry O'Brien, who was born in Raffles Hotel in 1900. The fictional explorer, researcher, adventurer whose magnanimous spirit is the inspiration for the proposed resort is the brainchild of imaginative Eighth Wonder chairman Mark Advent.

"This idea has been more than a decade in the making. We were just waiting for the right time and the right location," says Advent, who cites Sentosa as the perfect setting for Harry's adventures.

Those who expect some fun and games at Harry's Island can look to the promise of 35 key attractions and rides, including a first ever ride restaurant where each night the roof of the restaurant will literally blow off while guests are dining.

There will also be a Pelé football stadium and football academy, surrounded by a hotel named Gol! with the possibility of premium views of matches and events held in the stadium from the comfort of the hotel room.

Those wanting other forms of entertainment can look to the centre of the resort which will have the Caldera Theatre, that will use waterfalls as curtains to open a nightly spectacular show that will be free to the 7,500 visitors it can seat.

Under the proposal, audiences at Harry's Island will get to enjoy new 'live' shows by Franco Dragone, mastermind of the famous Cirque du Soleil shows. "Eighth Wonder has given me free reign to create my most ambitious show yet. It will be inspired by the Asian region, but will have a universal language that will appeal to an international audience," says Mr Dragone, of the planned show which would be conceived in Belgium and Singapore.

In all, there will be ten luxury and family-oriented hotels and suites with more than 2,100 hotel rooms--including a Tree House that guests can stay in and Crown Yachts that will also provide exciting accommodation.

Among the firsts promised on Harry's Island, will be Asia's only Deepak Chopra Centre for Wellbeing, Retreat and Spa, a Singapore Banyan Tree venue and a Vera Wang hotel with themed wedding pavilions. The icing on the (wedding) cake is of course, access to the entire Vera Wang wedding collection.

Not forgetting the 'Boys', there will be the Toy Box which will feature S$200 million worth of luxury goods such as speedboats, cars, gadgets that can be purchased at the resort as well.

Advent says, "Harry's Island is not a blueprint for a project that we intend to build anywhere else in the world. There will be only one Harry's Island, and that Harry's Island will belong only to Singapore. It will become the crown jewel of Southeast Asia."

In coming up with an ideal resort, Eighth Wonder have paid close attention to the Singapore Government's guidelines, including maintaining top security by drawing expertise from former New York City Mayor Rudolf Giuliani.

According to President of Eighth Wonder, Mark Vlassopulos, "Harry's Island, for the first time, delivers a truly integrated resort. Not only are we integrating the obvious elements--the hotels, the attractions, the entertainment elements, we are weaving in and integrating the brands, the marketing systems and even beyond that, we are integrating to Sentosa itself, the whole Harbour Front precinct, and right through into Singapore."

The proposal for Harry's Island will see the Integrated Resort also being educational and environmentally-conscious, steering away from attractions that involve using animals as entertainment.

Ocean Planet Institute, to be helmed by Philippe Cousteau, grandson of famed oceanographer Jacques Cousteau, will encourage visitors to respect the ocean and all its diverse life forms and habitats, while the Singapore Marine Mammal Research, Education and Recovery Centre will be dedicated to saving injured marine mammals before returning them to the sea.

All of the above attractions, hotels, and restaurants will be situated within the 49 hectare area allocated to the Integrated Resort, in four zones named: Premium, Adventure, Waterfront and Ocean Planet.

Adding to the appeal is free entry to the non-gated themed resort, with guests paying only for the rides, hotels and accommodation they visit. Eighth Wonder says that with their proposal, they will create an estimated 15,000 permanent jobs, attract 15 million tourists by 2014 and generate S$5.6 billion in induced visitor spending by 2015.

Today Online 1 Nov 06
Eighth Wonder bares all
Chairman unveils bold plans for Sentosa IR
Val Chua Deputy News Editor val@mediacorp.com.sg

IT'S a wonderland of sorts--at least to its creator Mark Advent.

Showcasing what lies behind its $5.5-billion mega bid, Eighth Wonder unveiled an ambitious Sentosa concept built around a fictional character--"Hurricane" Harry O'Brien--and a string of big names, like soccer legend Pele, who will run a football school, spiritual guru Deepak Chopra, and wedding goddess Vera Wang.

If Eighth Wonder, a United States-based concept developer, wrests the 49-hectare integrated resort (IR) site from rivals Genting International and Kerzner/CapitaLand, it will be divided into four activity zones.

The eastern third of Harry's Island will host premium activities, from a Deepak Chopra wellness centre and Vera Wang wedding pavilions to Alain Ducasse's fine dining restaurants and Banyan Tree Villas. It's here that Franco Dragone, the man behind 10 Cirque Du Soleil shows, will create a new nightly show for a 1,400-seat theatre, which sits on a floating crystal-like structure.

"Harry's Island is not a blueprint for a project that we intend to build anywhere else in the world. There will only be one Harry's Island, and it will belong only to Singapore," said Mr Advent, the chairman of Eighth Wonder, yesterday. "If at times I had seemed aloof or dodgy, I apologise. I was waiting for the right time to announce this. There was method to my madness."

Beaming like a proud father, Mr Advent said he came up with the fictional character of Harry--a mix between Indiana Jones, James Bond and Ernest Hemingway--12 years ago on a boating trip. He wondered then what would happen if he got caught in a storm. The character of Harry O'Brien, a hurricane expert born in Raffles Hotel in 1900, literally popped in his head. The rest is history, in typical cinematic fashion.

The larger-than-life character is infused into the Caldera, which will use a 10-storey-high waterfall as curtains to open a free, nightly show for 7,500 visitors in its theatre. All in, some 35 rides and attractions--created by Mr Robert Ward, a cofounder of Universal Studios--await visitors. At least 10 rides come with a fee--the rest are free.

Unlike rival Genting's Universal Studios theme park, which sells tickets at the gate, Mr Advent's playground is a non-gated, open concept for the public. Users pay only at certain attractions. Yet, the developer hopes to break even by 2015, with visitors expected to generate spending of $5.6 billion.

Asked how that is possible, Mr Advent said Eighth Wonder would pick up the tab for the free rides. "It is a lot of money but if you create the right place ... people are going to come. We want to open our doors to everybody," he said.

He's hoping too that rich folks will waltz into the Toy Box, a showroom with $200 million worth of luxury goods, to pick up a private jet or Rolls Royce. This emporium sits on the island's waterfront zone, near the 5,000-seat Pele Stadium, where the soccer legend will run a school and the world's first football hotel.

All in, there will be some 2,100 rooms in 10 hotels dotted across the island. The waterfront zone, which faces VivoCity, will also spot a Party Central, the entertainment and retail district on the island.

The bidder, who has trailed behind its rivals in analysts' report cards, is also going big on the water features. For instance, a manmade salt-water lagoon will run through the island, with water taxis to ferry guests.

In its ocean planet zone on the west of Harry's Island, the public can visit an institute managed by EarthEcho International, a company headed by Philippe Cousteau, the grandson of the late French undersea explorer Jacques Cousteau. The centres here will also be focused on research and rescue work of marine mammals.

Eighth Wonder also unveiled its transport plans for the island. For instance, it's putting in $35 million--carved out from its $5.5-billion budget--to develop a second bridge to enter Sentosa. By limiting this flyover to its IR guests, argued Mr Advent, the chokepoint at the entrance will be bypassed.

Unlike its rivals' underground casinos, Eighth Wonder's casino--run by Melco PBL--will be clearly visible from the ground.

Calling Eighth Wonder's proposal "interesting", CIMB-GK head of research Song Seng Wun said it puts the bidder as a dark horse. However, he added: "Things may look good on paper but may not take off."

It's also understood that Eighth Wonder's equity partner Melco PBL, a 50:50 joint venture between Australia's Publishing & Broadcasting and Hong Kong-listed Melco International Development, hasn't cleared probity checks yet.

When asked about this, Mr Advent told Dow Jones: "The probity checks are an ongoing process. It takes a bit of time." It's understood that both Genting and Kerzner/CapitaLand have already cleared probity--in time for the announcement of the winner early next month.

Additional reporting by Tor Ching li

The Straits Times 1 Nov 06
Eighth Wonder fires up a big bang concept
Volcano focus a departure from rivals' aquatic designs
By Marcel Lee Pereira

PICTURE a man-made volcano rising in the middle of the Sentosa integrated resort (IR), with a 10-storey-high waterfall cascading into it. Packed inside this volcano and on its slopes are attractions like a 7,500-seat theatre, themed hotels, amusement rides and restaurants. Resort builder Eighth Wonder's big-bang concept for the 49ha IR site will offer something for everyone.

The Las Vegas-based company also unveiled yesterday the big-name brands it will collaborate with in other parts of the resort. Designer Vera Wang and decorated chef Alain Ducasse will lend their names to hotels; new-age guru Deepak Chopra will helm a spa retreat; and homegrown hotel chain Banyan Tree and Angsana Spas will run its first villas here.

The resort - to be named Harry's Island - will also be home to Toy Box, where the ultra-rich can buy a private jet or a Rolls-Royce.

Mass-market attractions will also feature. The 5,000-seat Pele Stadium will have a football school, where soccer legend Pele will be a frequent visitor. Families looking for some fun will have 35 rides and attractions to pick from. The resort will not charge entry fees, but will do so for individual rides. All in, the 10 hotels on the site will offer 2,100 hotel rooms, a casino, conference facilities and 50 restaurants.

The concept for Harry's Island, two years in the making, quashes Eighth Wonder's dark-horse status in the race for the Sentosa prize. The resort's name comes from 'Hurricane' Harry O'Brien, a fictional adventurer and explorer conceived by Eighth Wonder boss Mark Advent more than 10 years ago.

The $5.5 billion plan is a marked departure from the proposals offered by rival consortiums Kerzner International-CapitaLand and Genting International-Star Cruises.

The two have gone big on a water theme. Each claims its oceanarium is the world's largest, and both plan to feature whale sharks as an attraction. Eighth Wonder will have educational marine and coral exhibits, a marine research facility and a recovery centre for injured sea animals, but no whale sharks.

Eighth Wonder's equity partners are Australia's Publishing & Broadcasting Limited, Hong Kong's Melco International Development and United States-based Isle of Capri Casinos.

The consortium estimates that the resort will create 15,000 permanent jobs. It expects to pull in 15 million tourists by 2014, and later coax them to spend $5.6 billion a year.

marcelp@sph.com.sg

Business Times Singapore 1 Nov 06
Eighth Wonder piles on the attractions
Sentosa IR bidder promises project will be one of a kind in the world
By Arthur Sim

(SINGAPORE) Eighth Wonder yesterday served up a rojak of attractions to add flavour to its bid for the Sentosa integrated resort (IR). And as with the spicy Malay dish, Eighth Wonder CEO Mark Advent has concocted a heady mix of flavours that include wedding pavilions and a hotel by Vera Wang, the Deepak Chopra Centre for Wellbeing, Retreat and Spa - and a world-first Pele Stadium and football academy.

For now, the project is known as Harry's Island. And it will be uniquely Singapore. 'Harry's Island is not a blueprint for a project we intend to build anywhere else in the world,' Mr Advent said. 'There will be only one Harry's Island, and that Harry's Island will belong only to Singapore.'

Indeed, it would be difficult for anyone to replicate such a mix of attractions, not least because most of the famous people involved are also Mr Advent's personal friends. Another famous friend is Franco Dragone, who left Cirque du Soleil in 2001 after creating and directing no fewer then 10 shows including Saltimbanco and 'O'. Mr Dragone, who has since made a name for himself with shows like Celine Dion's A New Day and Le Reve will get his own purpose-built 1,400-seat theatre at Harry's Island.

Eighth Wonder is leading in the Sentosa IR stakes as far as numbers go. Its $5.5 billion investment is the largest, it has promised to create 15,000 permanent jobs - the greatest number - and attract 15 million tourists by 2014. Harry's Island is also now expected to break even in five years and generate $5.6 billion in visitor spending by 2015.

Mr Advent has always been aware of the competition that both Genting International and Kerzner International/CapitaLand pose. And he has previously said he plans to have the most 'creative' and 'innovative' IR proposal.

Delivering on this, he has created his own theme park identity for Harry's Island based on a fictional character Hurricane Harry O'Brien, which he dreamed up while watching Indiana Jones and James Bond on TV.

The centrepiece of the IR will be the Caldera, a 10-storey structure sculpted to look like a dormant volcanic crater. Within this will be a 7,500-seat underwater theatre that will offer a free nightly show created by Marco Balich, who created the opening and closing ceremonies of the Turin Winter Olympic Games.

Integrated into the Caldera will be rides like the Jade Dragon Roller Coaster, Fear Fall Drop Ride and the first ever ride-restaurant with a flying roof, all conceived by Mr Advent and the co-founder of Universal Resorts & Theme Parks, Robert Ward, now president of Strategic Insights & Creative Imagination.

The IR will have 35 key attractions and rides, some of which will be free, but Mr Advent stayed clear of claiming to have more than the competition.

Like Genting and Kerzner/CapitaLand's proposals, Harry's Island will have an aquarium. But unlike the competition, this aquarium is not expected to be the world's largest.

Harry's Island will, however, have the most hotel rooms - about 2,100 in 10 luxury and family-oriented hotels.

On putting together the concept for Harry's Island, Mr Advent said he not only read the Request for Proposal (RFP) document and the draft RFP every day but also, 'followed the desired outcome to the letter'.

One of the 'desired outcomes' is to create a resort that would be 'environmentally sensitive' to its surroundings. To this end, architecture by Bernando Fort-Brescia of Arquitectonica and Peter Marino is subdued, verging on Minimalism.

Interestingly, Eighth Wonder has also included convention centre facilities with a maximum capacity of 7,500 people and an arena for between 5,000 and 10,000 seats.

Mr Advent said security concerns were raised in the RFP, and Eighth Wonder is the only bidder so far to have emphasised that it has addressed these issues, now being handled by former New York mayor Rudolf Giuliani.

Mr Advent also revealed that Eighth Wonder will be taking technology seriously, and announced that German multinational Siemens will design a state-of-the-art technology and command and control centre and a resort-wide energy conservation system.

Whether high-brow attractions like the IR's Ocean Planet Institute - dedicated to presenting research, education and edutainment programmes, and operated and managed by EarthEcho International and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute - will sway the IR assessment panel, will be known in December, when the winner is revealed.

Business Times Singapore 2 Nov 06
Eighth Wonder sees Sentosa gaming revenue hitting 70%
Estimate is higher than the Las Vegas average of 50%

(SINGAPORE) Eighth Wonder, one of three bidders for Singapore's second casino-resort at Sentosa, said gaming at the proposed resort could make up about 70 per cent of revenue.

The projection is higher than a 50 per cent average in Las Vegas because of the 'propensity' for people in Asia to gamble, Eighth Wonder chairman Mark Advent said at a conference in the city-state.

In Las Vegas, the average revenue earned by casino operators is US$3,000 per table, compared with an average of US$25,000 in Macau. 'The vine is higher in the Asian context,' Mr Advent said. 'We believe that's the case in Singapore as well.'

Eighth Wonder and rivals Genting Bhd and Kerzner International Ltd are competing to build Singapore's last casino for a decade. The city-state aims to double overseas visitors to 17 million and triple tourism spending to $30 billion in 10 years.

Competition among the bidders is also intensifying after they submitted bids on Oct 10 and presented their proposals to government officials the following week. A second round of presentations is expected next month, with a decision due before the end of the year.

The Las Vegas-based company on Tuesday said it would recoup its proposed $5.5 billion investment in five years, along with partners including designer Vera Wang and soccer legend Pele.

The resort, which would include 2,100 hotel rooms and a spa by self-help guru Deepak Chopra, is projected to create 15,000 permanent jobs by 2014, the company said.

Eighth Wonder said its proposed resort, called 'Harry's Island', would include 10 hotels. The company last month said Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc, the third-largest US hotel operator, would manage four properties at the Singapore resort, including one under its W Hotel brand. - Bloomberg
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