White Papers

Winning the Chinese: The free definitive guide to getting Chinese on your property through musical concerts
by Anni Sarah Lam

PARC LANDON PRESS - As experienced by every major gambling property, the Chinese is one of the most profitable types of clientele to attract to casinos. Case in point, Macau is surpassing Las Vegas as the world’s top–grossing gambling destination with expected gross revenue of $8 billion in 2007. Gambling is an activity deeply–rooted since ancient Chinese culture. Betting fortunes was once a method of trying a man’s luck at prosperity, but is now considered a favorite pastime for Chinese men and women, both young and old. In the past, gambling alone was enough to keep clients entertained. Now, casino properties find themselves doing more and stretching the envelope to keep these coveted customers happy.

THINGS ARE NOT WHAT THEY USED TO BE
Threats and Opportunities
Since the late ‘80s, casinos found a proven formula for attracting Chinese gamblers to their property: by inviting heavyweight pop stars from Hong Kong and Taiwan to lure large crowds into casinos during major holidays of the year. For the past decade and more, casinos have grown accustomed to four–walling Chinese concerts with a promoter in between them. Those days are numbered: as Chinese concert promoters keep exiting the business, casinos must find alternate ways to continue promoting Chinese concerts. Logically, casinos are turning towards buying the shows themselves. Entertainment directors and Chinese casino hosts are savvy enough to recognize the type of artists and shows that bring in the high–rollers. But without a promoter, how will the casino’s in–house team execute the nitty–gritty details that are necessary to advertise and sell tickets to the public?

THE BEST TIME TO PROMOTE
Consistency wins
Historically, Chinese concerts are promoted during major holidays, specifically Chinese New Year, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. However, the fact is that the Chinese gamble all year round. If the casino’s venue is outdoors and sticks to its major–holiday–only booking policy, it would mean that the casino would never have the opportunity to promote a large capacity Chinese concert. To keep up with the tradition, the casino can center its shows around smaller holidays and sporting events all year–round, such as on Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, March Madness and the Super Bowl (the latter two for sports book gamblers). The Chinese market will not be captured with one or two big attractions. By promoting Chinese concerts on a regular basis, the casino can establish a firm and repeating relationship with gamblers throughout the year, even during the “off–season.”

TYPES OF CHINESE ATTRACTIONS & THE DEMOGRAPHICS
The Chinese demographic is broken down into two distinct age groups: the baby boomer gamblers from age 40 and above, and the generation–X group age 39 and below. This demographic can also be further broken down by the dialect they speak. The Chinese from Hong Kong and southern China speak Cantonese, while the Taiwanese and northern Chinese speak Mandarin. The language they speak largely determines the type of music they listen to. The Cantonese–speaking Chinese primarily listen to Hong Kong pop, which make up the majority of Chinese concerts in the major casino markets in North America. Baby boomers have been the group that casinos are most likely to attract. Singers from the late ‘70s and early ‘80s such as Paula Tsui, Sam Hui and Frances Yip have successful box office results at casinos. Generation–X gamblers prefer to see the singers from the late ‘80s and ‘90s, such as Alan Tam, Sally Yeh and Andy Lau, who are more favorable with the slightly younger group. Nowadays, casinos are venturing into even younger territory promoting acts such as current hit artist Joey Yung.

WORKING WITH PARC LANDON
Ultimately, the most successful concerts are the ones with strong and targeted marketing. Not only is promoting the actual show important, but the casino should take steps to get to know the customer early–on. Discuss your marketing and revenue goals with Parc Landon in the Chinese sector, and we will help you design a year–long marketing campaign that centers on music and entertainment events. Besides booking concerts, we also custom–design celebrity–centered events that attract Chinese gamblers to your property, such as celebrity gaming tournaments and movie premieres. 

Please call to schedule a consultation. The advice is free but the rewards are endless.
Ask for the Head of Casino Marketing Anni Lam at 877–266–9130 or email anni@parclandon.com