Hard Rock Opens New Flagship Cafe on Vegas Strip

Hard Rock Opens New Flagship Cafe on Vegas Strip

Cafe Unveils Innovative Memorabilia Interactive Technology

ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Hard Rock International is proud to announce the opening of the new Hard Rock Cafe Las Vegas! Hard Rock Cafe Las Vegas, which opened on September 5, 2009, is located at 3771 Las Vegas Boulevard South, anchoring the Showcase Mall development at the heart of the world-famous Las Vegas Strip.

Sure to contend as one of the city's premier dining and entertainment destinations, the 42,000-square foot flagship cafe features a 950-seat restaurant, live concert venue and the world's largest Rock Shop complete with Hard Rock's limited-edition merchandise. This is Hard Rock's second cafe location in the Las Vegas market. The original Hard Rock Cafe Las Vegas at Hard Rock Hotel, located at 4475 Paradise Rd., remains open and will continue to provide Rock Star service for guests.

Hard Rock welcomes back former staff members and new local talent to the team at the new location on Las Vegas Blvd. Leading the team will be General Manager Greg Thomas, who has been successfully helming the original Las Vegas cafe for a number of years. The experienced Sales & Marketing Management team of Peter Lin and Diana Webber will also join Greg as members of the veteran staff. New additions to the Vegas management team include Marketing Manager Paula Pettit, Sales and Marketing Manager Cristina Baumann and Special Events Manager Andrew Courtney, who collectively will oversee all event, sales and marketing activities for the new cafe.

"We could not be more thrilled to welcome guests to our brand new location on the Las Vegas Strip," said Greg Thomas, Operations General Manager for Hard Rock Cafe Las Vegas. "Our three-story location, complete with live venue and one-of-a-kind technology, will be sure to deliver a kick-ass guest experience that rocks!"

New Look ~ New Tech ~ New Vibe

In addition, the authentic memorabilia collection of Hard Rock is showcased via innovative multimedia technology. The new Las Vegas cafe is the marquee location for new unique interactive experiences for guests - from right in their booth to throughout the Cafe with Microsoft Surface(TM) and the Rock Wall(TM) featuring multi-touch technology enabling fans to explore the world's greatest rock 'n' roll memorabilia collection and virtually tour all of the company's 156 venues around the world.

-- Rock Wall(TM):

The largest item of the interactive suite is Hard Rock Cafe Las Vegas' one-of-a-kind Rock Wall(TM). Hard Rock partnered with Technomedia Systems and Obscura Digital on this venture to create an 18-foot wide by 4-foot tall interactive touch wall. This technology also highlights Hard Rock's unparalleled memorabilia collection on a grand scale. A guest can access and expand a single image or video to be as large as the wall itself; or up to six guests can explore their own collections in dynamic "zones" simultaneously. Crafted from a single sheet of Stewart film glass, this interactive touch screen is custom made for this Hard Rock venue. The technology behind the installation is almost as impressive as the incredible graphics of the multi-touch interface and user experience that will surely be a focal part of the cafe's unique allure.

-- Microsoft Surface:

The new Las Vegas cafe utilizes Microsoft Surface, providing a 360-degree, multi-user interface that uses cameras to sense objects, touch and hand gestures on the 30-inch display. Hard Rock and Vertigo collaborated to create several custom applications for use on the Microsoft Surface platform. A key feature is the worldwide memorabilia application that allows the guest to locate Hard Rock properties from around the world, explore images of both the exterior and interior of the building, then deep-zoom into the iconic memorabilia items housed within those walls. Deep zoom was previously showcased via Hard Rock's Memorabilia 2.0 online portal. This application also grants users the ability to pivot from one collection to another, using categories such as artist, year, genre, and type. Guests can also expect many other custom applications via Microsoft Surface designed to showcase Hard Rock's unique content.

-- Booth Interactive:

The 19" touch screen runs on a Microsoft Windows software platform and utilizes a Vertigo-written application, allowing guests to interact deeply with Hard Rock's world-famous collection. From "Deep Zoom" functionality to background information on the pieces themselves, the technology grants access to a catalogue of more than 1,000 unique memorabilia items. Guests can also plug in to the in-house music video system to cast their vote on the next song, and explore Hard Rock memorabilia related to those artists. Marquee Rock Shop merchandise items will also be accessible for browsing as part of this interface.

"Microsoft Surface is excited to help connect Hard Rock Cafe guests with rock legend memorabilia in a new and interactive way," said Matt Champagne, Director of Marketing for Microsoft Surface. "At Hard Rock, patrons will be able to have fun with Microsoft Surface and get hands on exploring Hard Rock venues around the world - bringing them face to face with the records, clothing and instruments of music legends they love."

"We were excited to work with Hard Rock on this revolutionary project," said Obscura Digital CEO Patrick Connolly. "This is the longest, largest and most technologically sophisticated multi-touch wall we've built. It utilizes our newest Fireframe technology, and the result is the highest resolution, seamless multi-touch display we have ever seen. We are delivering a 6000 x 1000 pixel display, so that multiple users at a time can enjoy the vast Hard Rock Memorabilia collection in stunningly high resolution. With this display, customers can literally zoom so deep into the images, that things like a scratch on Buddy Holly's glasses can be seen 3 feet wide. The graphic quality of this system is something the public has never seen, and the impact on the customers is something they will not soon forget."

For more than 38 years, Hard Rock Cafe has offered guests classic American fare in a rock 'n' roll atmosphere. Hard Rock Cafe Las Vegas features a hardwood smoker, which uses the very best Hickory wood chips to slowly cook Hard Rock's classic ribs, chicken and pork to perfection. Hard Rock's Legendary Experience menu is just that - legendary - offering six different mouth-watering Legendary Burgers made from Certified Angus Beef. In addition to its food, Hard Rock offers unmatched specialty drinks from its award-winning bar menu, from Hurricanes and Margaritas, to its Alternative Rock non-alcoholic beverage menu featuring favorites like Wildberry Smoothies and Crushed Velvet "martinis."

The Rock Shop offers an exclusive line of authentic Hard Rock Cafe items, including Hard Rock's famous Classic and City T-shirts, as well as highly coveted accessories and pins, which reflect the spirit of the city and the authenticity of Hard Rock's merchandise. New Hard Rock Cafe Las Vegas limited-edition and city-specific merchandise is now available on site.

About Obscura Digital

Located in a 30,000 square foot warehouse in San Francisco, Obscura Digital is a creative technology agency specializing in immersive brand experiences that are both visually stunning and highly interactive. Based on its proprietary software and hardware systems, Obscura can turn any surface, any size and shape into a canvas for high resolution and interactive media that may be triggered through gesture, touch, movement and mobile technology. Obscura's industry-leading creative and technology work for top brands worldwide delivering 360-degree video domes, large-scale building projection and multi-touch screens, earned them a spot on Fast Company magazine's "Top Ten Most Innovative Companies in Advertising & Marketing in 2009." For more information, visit www.obscuradigital.com.

About Hard Rock International

With a total of 157 venues in 52 countries, including 128 cafes and 11 Hotels/Casinos, Hard Rock International is one of the world's most globally recognized brands. Beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar, Hard Rock owns the world's greatest collection of music memorabilia, which is displayed at its locations around the globe. Hard Rock is also known for its collectible fashion and music-related merchandise, Hard Rock Live performance venues and an award-winning website. In addition to the two flagship Seminole Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos in Tampa and Hollywood, Fla., Hard Rock Hotels/Casinos are located in Las Vegas, Biloxi, Orlando, Chicago, San Diego, Tulsa, Pattaya, Bali and Macau. Additional hotel and casino projects have been announced in Penang, scheduled to open in 2009; Singapore in 2010; Palm Springs, Atlanta and Panama, scheduled to open in 2011; Hungary, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, scheduled to open in 2012. Hard Rock International is owned by Seminole Hard Rock Entertainment, Inc. For further details on Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos, visit www.hardrockhotels.com. For more information on Hard Rock International, visit www.hardrock.com.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Hard Rock International

CONTACT: Brian Siemienas, or Brian Pekny, both of Hard Rock
International, both at +1-407-445-7625; or Meredith DeSanti, or Kristen
Hauser, both of Coyne PR, both at +1-973-316-1665

Web Site: http://www.hardrock.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment