Friday, August 19, 2005

Ticket sales for the 2005 East Asian Games went on sale today

Ticket sales for the 2005 East Asian Games went on sale today. Some 15,817 seats are available in the Opening Ceremony, and 6,808 seats in the Closing Ceremony. Athletes participate in several events like swimming, basketball, bowling, boxing, football, gymnastics, handball, judo, soft tennis, taekwondo, volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling and wushu (martial arts).">Palm gambles on Macau | News.blog | CNET News.com: "Ticket sales for the 2005 East Asian Games went on sale today. Some 15,817 seats are available in the Opening Ceremony, and 6,808 seats in the Closing Ceremony. Athletes participate in several events like swimming, basketball, bowling, boxing, football, gymnastics, handball, judo, soft tennis, taekwondo, volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling and wushu (martial arts).

Friday, August 12, 2005

Sky jumping off the Macau Tower

Macau Visitors are being offered the chance to jump 233 metres to the ground from the top of the Macau Tower. Beginning August 17, the 'Sky Jump', will give visitors the chance to fly through the air at 75 kilometres an hour for 20 seconds before decelerating to a safe landing speed. The attraction is expected to be the highest adventure of its kind and would attract thrill-seekers from across Asia. The jump will be 41 metres higher than the only other Sky Jump in the Sky Tower in Auckland, New Zealand. Jumpers will wear specially tailored suits that are connected to three cables with a strain capacity of 3 000 kilograms for absolute safety, the spokesperson said. The attraction is masterminded by AJ Hackett who began offering sky walks around the rim of the Macau Tower two years ago to increase the appeal of the new tower.

Ruins of Macau


Ruins of Macau
Originally uploaded by Ola Macau!.

Wednesday, August 10, 2005

LJ International to Open Jewelry Super-Store in Macau

Press Release Source: LJ International, Inc.

LJ International to Open Jewelry Super-Store in Macau

Retail Outlet at Leading Tourist Destination Is One of China's Largest
LJ International, Inc. (LJI) one of the fastest-growing jewelry companies in the world, today announced that it has been awarded the rights to open its largest retail outlet so far, an 8,000-square-foot store at the new Fisherman's Wharf development in Macau . The new ENZO store, a wholly-owned subsidiary of LJI, expects to be opened and fully operational this year.

LJI has been given a prime spot at this location, beating a number of well-known global brands. The Company expects the new super-store to have a substantial and early impact on revenue, possibly doubling or tripling the $80,000-per-month initial volume of its Shanghai Flagship Store. Given the competitive landscape and size of the store, LJI considers this opening as the single most significant event so far in the execution of its ENZO growth strategy in Greater China.

China's Entry into WTO Enables LJ International to Have First-Mover Advantage

The new store is the latest to be opened by LJI's ENZO division, which operates retail stores in mainland China, Hong Kong and, now, Macau. The stores, now numbering eight, include a flagship upscale store in Shanghai, a 5,000-square-foot showroom in Hong Kong, one other store in Shanghai, two stores in Beijing, one in Ningbo and one in Harbin. All offer LJI jewelry exclusively.

The new facility is located in one of Macau's newest and most popular tourist destinations, the Fisherman's Wharf. This project, Macau's biggest since it was handed over to the People's Republic of China in 1999 is co-developed by renowned magnate Dr. Stanley Ho and Mr. David Chow, current legislative member of Macau, with total investment anticipated to reach $320 million. It features restaurants, souvenir shops, a theme park and even a man-made volcano. .

''LJI's opening in Macau is a significant step forward and a sign of the company's growing reputation as a high-volume retailer," said Yu Chuan Yih, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of LJ International. ''Under the guidance of Dr. Stanley Ho, Macau has grown into one of Asia's prime tourist and gaming destinations. We are especially gratified that LJI was chosen over many global jewelry retail giants for such a coveted site in a prime shopping area. We consider this a strong vote of confidence from Dr. Ho and Mr. Chow.''

Mr. Yih continued, ''It is notable that we won the right to operate the largest ewelry retailing operation at Fisherman's Wharf. That testifies not only to the quality of our products and the successful launch of the ENZO brand -- tested here against some of the most stringent competition in the world -- but also to the continuing success of our first-mover strategy in China. Since China's entry into the WTO, we have aggressively expanded in anticipation of the greatly expanded opportunities for retailing on our own and with key partners. The Macau store is the greatest such opportunity thus far.''

Macau: The Las Vegas of Asia

LJI is establishing a presence in Macau during an unprecedented tourism and building boom in the former Portuguese colony. The government of China is pursing a strategy of turning Macau into the gambling capital of Asia, and the effort has paid off in a surge of new hotel and casino building, along with a sharp rise in gaming revenue. During 2004, according to the Asia Times, Macau earned $5.4 billion from gaming, passing the Las Vegas Strip ($5.3 billion) as the world's largest gaming center.

At the same time, Macau has seen a surge in tourist activity that seems destined to keep growing. The 17-square-mile territory has only about 500,000 permanent residents, but the number of tourists visiting last year has been estimated at 30 to 40 times that, or from 15-20 million. And the potential for growth is enormous. As the (Las Vegas Sun has recently reported, some 100 million people live within a 3-hour drive of Macau and more than 1 billion are no more than a 3-hour flight away.

Most tourists have been coming from China for short stays, but developers are rapidly increasing hotel space to extend the stays and make Macau a more practical destination for people arriving from more distant locations. Also, the Macau government's decision in 2002 to end Dr. Stanley Ho's monopoly on gambling has drawn major players from Las Vegas and Hong Kong, including Wynn Resorts), Las Vegas Sands ) and the Hong Kong group K-Wah. The Sands Macau Casino has been open since May 2004, and Las Vegas Sands is building a new 3,000-room resort, Sands Macau Venetian Casino, due to open in 2007. Wynn Macau, a 600-room hotel, is under construction and due to open in Fall 2006.

A Breakthrough for LJI

With its duty-free history and established gold and jewelry retailing, Macau has long attracted jewelry shoppers, especially from China. The new gaming-driven tourist boom has enhanced the enclave's reputation and is greatly expanding the pool of potential customers for a jewelry firm such as LJI. The Company's new ENZO store is situated in the heart of shopper's Macau, in the new Fisherman's Wharf development Opened in 2004, Fisherman's Wharf is described by the 2005 Frommer's Hong Kong as ''the biggest and most conspicuous addition to Macau's shopping and entertainment scene,'' featuring ''shops, restaurants, bars, a disco, a manmade 'active' volcano, an amusement park, playground, hotels, and amphitheater.''

About LJ International

LJ International, Inc. (LJI), based in Hong Kong and the U.S., is engaged in designing, branding, marketing and distributing a full range of jewelry. It has built its global business, currently one of the fastest-growing in the jewelry industry, on a vertical integration strategy and an unwavering commitment to quality and service. LJI distributes to fine jewelers, department stores, national jewelry chains and electronic and specialty retailers throughout North America and Western Europe, with a growing retail presence in China through stores and e-shopping sites. Its product lines incorporate all major categories sought by major retailers, including earrings, necklaces, pendants, rings and bracelets. It trades on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol JADE.

Forward looking statement: Except for the historical information, the matters discussed in this news release may contain forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, factors relating to future sales. These forward-looking statements may involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results may vary significantly based on a number of factors, including, but not limited to, uncertainties in product demand, the impact of competitive products and pricing, changing economic conditions around the world, release and sales of new products and other risk factors detailed in the company's most recent annual report and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.


Source: LJ International, Inc.

Tuesday, August 09, 2005

The most expensive project ever built in the city of Cotai, Macau

Reports are going the rounds that the blockbuster budget for the Venetian Macau casino resort in Cotai has climbed to US$ 2 billion and could go higher. Moreover, Sheldon Adelson announced he is seeking additional land for expansion. Venetian Macau will be the most expensive project in Cotai history. The Venetian will be the most expensive project ever built in the city, with a budget now topping that of the Macau International Airport by two-thirds. Las Vegas Sands announced this week to open the resort with 3,000 guestrooms, instead of holding off on half the rooms till later. Las Vegas Sands aims to open the Venetian Macau in late June 2007.

Job vacancies for Macau

Just saw this in the UK. Might end Sept 8. So good luck to job hunters.... we need to fill the following positions which form the management teams for new projects... * Deputy Project Directors (Quote ref: PW/4898/DK) * Project Managers (Quote ref: PW/4890/DK) * Planning Managers (Quote ref: PW/4891/DK) * Construction / Package Managers (Quote ref: PW/4892/DK) * Commercial Managers (Quote ref: PW/4893/DK) * Senior Quantity Surveyors (Quote ref: PW/4894/DK) * Design Managers (Quote ref: PW/4895/DK) * QA Managers (Quote ref: PW/4896/DK) * M and E Managers (Quote ref: PW/4897/DK) more from UK

838 - a lucky number for total of new companies

Macau has seen 838 companies newly incorporated in the second quarter, a year-on-year increase of 48. 6 percent, according to official statistics issued in Macau on Monday. The figures from the Statistics and Census Service showed that the total registered capital of the new companies recorded 227.36 million patacas (US$28.42 million). These newly incorporated companies were mostly in the wholesale and retail sectors (224), followed by the construction (185), real estate (156) and business services (132), the figures showed. Fifty-five companies, in the meanwhile, were dissolved in the second quarter, according to the statistics.

Sunday, August 07, 2005

Mini Wedding


Mini Wedding
Originally uploaded by Ola Macau!.
This Mini was used for a wedding at the Sao Taigo Fort Hotel.