 The renowned Cirque du Soleil revealed this week that it will present its first permanent show at the Venetian Macau. The performance is part of the strategy of casino operators to attract a new and broader segment of the public to the Chinese enclave, especially through high-level entertainment like this.
In the last few years, Macau has aimed to reinvent itself with luxurious casinos and gaming venues built by foreign investors, such as the Venetian Macao, the Wynn Macao and the MGM Grand Macao. “Entertainment is the key to our strategy,” commented Brad Stone, Executive Vice President for Las Vegas Sands Corp., the operator of the Venetian Macao and the Sands Macao.
The Cirque du Soleil show is called Zaia, a Greek word that means life, and it tells the adventures in space of a young girl. The performance includes bike acrobatics 80 feet from the floor and beautiful songs performed by the extraordinary leading voices of the Cirque.
The general director of the circus show, Daniel Lamarre, said the group was a key factor for the broadening of the markets of other gambling cities. “Figures show that 5 per cent of the tourists that visit Las Vegas casinos, go there just to see a show of the Cirque du Soleil,” Lamarre added.
The group plans to add a second show at the Four Seasons Macao in 2009 and also expects to launch permanent shows at casinos in Shanghai and Beijing.
Source: Article originally published in MediaGambling
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