Venice, Italy Forms Ties With The Venetian in Las Vegas
Alliance Formed between Venice-Themed Mega-Resort and The Forum For The Venice Lagoon To Host International Symposium, Cultural and Artistic Events to Raise Awareness and Funds To Preserve and Revitalize the Venice Lagoon


October 6, 1999
LAS VEGAS, NV -- When developers of The Venetian Resort-Hotel-Casino decided to recreate the famous Italian city built on water, they thought of the irony of transporting the famous city of canals and gondolas to the desert of Las Vegas, Nevada. Now, that irony has translated into a cultural alliance between the new resort and a group of architects, government officials, and international policy experts from Venice, Italy.

The Venetian Resort-Hotel-Casino has formed an alliance with The Forum For The Venice Lagoon, a non-profit
organization formed in 1991 for the protection and redevelopment of the lagoon surrounding the historic city of Venice, Italy. The Venice Lagoon, or Laguna Veneta, has been plagued by ecological problems such as pollution and rising sea-levels that threaten the city and its ancient structures.

"The Venetian is a sincere tribute to Venice, done with care and great attention to historical detail," said Aldo Manos, president of The Forum For The Venice Lagoon.

"Its use of traditional building materials such as Italian marble, gold, and painted murals, is outstanding. It gives a genuine glimpse of the city and it should provide visitors with the feeling of being in Venice. I was surprised and astonished by the scale of The Venetian. It is in a class by itself. The Venetian provides us with an opportunity to inform millions of visitors of the beauty and history of Venice."

The alliance will promote an international symposium organized by The Forum to take place at The Venetian in 2000. More immediately, The Venetian will begin promoting the mission of The Forum by distributing information to its guests. "We believe that all the people who visit The Venetian will be exposed to the city of Venice. We believe there are many opportunities for The Venetian and the city of Venice to create ways to preserve and revitalize the Venice Lagoon," said Roberto Russo, general manager of The Forum.

"As an architect, I see The Venetian as a compilation of true Venetian pieces that give the reflection of the city itself," said Francesco Calzolaio, a consultant to The Forum. "The Venetian translates in an international, post-modern language the feeling of the city of Venice. The fantastic landscape of The Strip now has a wonderful piazza without neon with the fine quality of the reproduction of the famous palaces of Venice. Many other places in the world such as China and Brussels have tried to recreate Venice, but The Venetian is by far the best," Calzolaio added.

The Forum For The Venice Lagoon is a consultative member of the United Nations Program for the Mediterranean for the Urban Environmental Habitat and the European Urban Forum For Sustainable Development. The Forum is deeply involved in environmental, quality of life, and development issues in Venice and its objectives are to generate new ways to breathe life into the Lagoon. Forum, as its name indicates, seeks to embrace institutes and associations that address similar issues.

The city of Venice and its Lagoon has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. With nearly 300 square miles of sea and land influenced by tide, it is the great expanse of wetlands in Europe and the Mediterranean, home to a rich diversity of animal and plant species. Venice has established itself as one of the most ancient, beautiful and culturally endowed cities on the planet.

Opened on May 3, The Venetian is mirrored after Venice, Italy and features authentic recreations of Venice's fabled architecture. The resort boasts the world's largest hotel and convention complex which includes 3,036 hotel suites, the first all-suites hotel on Las Vegas Boulevard; approximately 120,000 square feet of gaming floor; approximately 500,000 square feet of retail space at The Grand Canal Shops; approximately 500,000 square feet of meeting space at The Venetian Congress Center; and a direct link to the approximately 1.2 million square foot Sands Expo and Convention Center.

CONTACT: The Venetian, Las Vegas
Kurt Ouchida, 702/414-4335