Two Partyhoax Entertainment

Archive for May, 2010

Magna Entertainment (MECQ) is the largest owner of Horse racetracks in America.  It also owns a wagering platform, XpressBet, Casino properties connected to its tracks and other horse racing related entities.  Currently, the firm is operating under Chapter 11 bankruptcy.  It’s founder and Chairman, Frank Stronach has promised aggressive action to fix its problems.

 The horse racing industry, like many businesses, has suffered during this tough economic downturn.  Firms with excessive debt have experienced extreme difficulties, Magna is no exception.  The company had gone through an ambitious buying spree from 1999 through 2002.  During this time period it purchased Golden Gate Fields (Albany, CA), Gulfstream Park (Hallandale Beach, CA), Thistledown (North Randall, OH), Portland Meadows (Portland, OR), Santa Anita Park (Arcadia, CA), Laurel Park (Laurel, MD), and Pimlico (Baltimore, MD) where the Preakness is held.  Recently the firm sold Lone Star Park (Grand Prairie, TX) and Remington Park (Oklahoma City, OK) to the Chickasaw Nation.  Now it appears, with its bankruptcy filing, the rest of these properties are on the auction block.

 Laurel Park and Pimlico are expected to be auctioned off sometime in January 2010.  Included in the package is also the Bowie Training Center in Baltimore, MD.  Presently there are a number of bids for these prized facilities including from Penn Central Gaming.  Penn Central owns a number of racetrack facilities, racinos and casinos around the country.  What price these tracks fetch will help reduce Magna’s debt load.  More needs to be done.

 Magna should preserve its crown jewel, Gulfstream Park, in order to continue to be a viable and eventually prosperous entity.  Additionally, it should maintain its Palm Meadows Training Center in Palm Beach County, Florida.  Gulfstream is a wonderful property with additional development opportunities and a Casino.  This should be the base upon which the revitalization of Magna can be built.

 Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California is one of the most beautiful racetracks in North America.  It should also be preserved as part of the Magna entity when it emerges from bankruptcy.  With both Gulfstream and Santa Anita remaining in the company’s portfolio it will be well on its way toward creating strong growth and income for its shareholders.

 Additional properties that should be preserved under a newly reformulated Magna Entertainment would be:

San Luis Rey Downs (San Diego, CA)—a thoroughbred training center. XpressBet—its online wagering platform. Steufex TM—a straw based bedding product with facilities in Austria and North Carolina.

All of these entities will add value to the company’s core assets, Gulfstream and Santa Anita.

 All other racetracks should go on the auction block with the proceeds used to retire debt.  Any other excess land should also be sold off as real estate conditions improve.  It should make an aggressive move now to sell off all of its off-track betting (OTB) facilities connected to its tracks.  The online experience is rapidly gaining popularity and unless an OTB has the appeal and appearance of a race-book like they have in Las Vegas, NV.  The company should also dump its investments in other subsidiaries in a timely and profitable manner.

 Magna Entertainment runs excellent operations in an efficient and profitable manner.  They just got caught in the economic downdraft coupled with a decline in interest in horse racing.  Add to that the tremendous debt load the company took on and the seeds of failure were sown.  The entity can remain a vital operation by holding onto its prized possessions, Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita Park.  With the prescriptions above Magna can have a prosperous future.

 

 

The style of your wedding will dictate the style of wedding songs you have, particularly for your wedding ceremony. For a religious ceremony the music is more traditional and may include hymns during the service. A civil ceremony is more relaxed and you can choose any style of music so long as it doesn’t have any religious references.

If you are having a religious ceremony you may be handed a list of pre-determined wedding songs to use during the ceremony. This is not because the venue only wants you to have music of their choosing, but because these are songs they deem suitable and for which the organist has music.

Many venues though may be happy for you to choose songs of your own, so long as you discuss them with your officiant first and get their approval. If you are choosing hymns for your service then choose hymns that are popular and which your guests will know, otherwise your service could be filled with random mumblings rather than a chorus of uplifting voices!

Civil wedding ceremonies will allow you to choose any style of music you want and many couples like to have a mixture of traditional and modern wedding songs. As a civil service tends to be shorter than a religious one you will really only need music for when you enter, signing the register and when you leave. You may also want to choose one or two pieces of background music which can be played quietly as your guests take their places.

Whichever type of ceremony you are having it is important that you listen to the chosen wedding songs in their entirety and if possible get hold of a copy of the lyrics. Some songs which may at first listen seem suitable can actually turn out to be totally unsuitable once you read through the lyrics. It is also important that if you are entrusting a third party to source or even play the music that they know which version to play. There is a tale about a bride who requested the theme song from Robin Hood to be played as she walked back down the aisle. On the day the organist broke into ‘Robin Hood, Robin Hood, riding through the glen..’ when what she actually meant was ‘Everything I Do, I Do It For You’ – the theme from the movie Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves!

Here are a few suggestions for traditional and contemporary wedding songs for your wedding ceremony:

The Prelude: Traditional Songs

Awake My Heart With Gladness – Flor Peeters

Chorale in A Minor, Adagio – Cesar Franck

Concerto in D Minor, Adagio – Tomaso Albinoni

Contemporary Songs

Loving You – Kenny G

Truly – Lionel Richie

Unchained Melody – The Righteous Brothers

The Processional: Traditional Songs

Romeo and Juliet Love Theme – Tchaikovsky

Spring, from the Four Seasons – Antonio Vivaldi

Te Deum – Marc-Antoine Charpentier

Contemporary Songs

The Vow – Jeremy Lubbock

Wedding Processional from the Sound of Music – Rodgers and Hammerstein

Wind Beneath My Wings – Bette Midler

The Recessional: Traditional Songs

Hornpipe – George F Handel

Ode To Joy – Ludwig van Beethoven

Spring, Allegro from the Four Seasons – Antonio Vivaldi

Contemporary Songs

Oh! You Pretty Things – David Bowie

Signed, Sealed, Delivered – Stevie Wonder

Sunshine of My Life – Stevie Wonder

The staff needs to enjoy the party.  Employees need to feel appreciated. That is the goal, after all, of having an awards night, or company holiday party.

This year, in the tight economy, clients are very concerned about their annual holiday party.  “Should we even have a party?” They ask?   “Should we even hire professional entertainment?”  Management is concerned not just about budget but also on the message it sends to the staff.  “Doesn’t this send a mixed message to the employees about the severity of the economic crisis?”

Well, clearly these are important questions but the answer is; Now, more than ever it is important to keep company morale high.  Now more than ever it is important to nurture your human resource capital.  Now more than ever it is important to remind your team they are appreciated and that the work they perform is valued, and meaningful.  If a company party can accomplish this task then certainly this is a very cost effective way to do it!

Think of the cost of the party in terms of venue rental, food and beverage service and entertainment / decorations/ awards/ party favors.  Now break down that cost per person coming to the event.  It doesn’t take a “mathemagician”  to see how a good company party is very affordable – especially factoring in the  increased production and performance you can expect following such an event .  Build a better team made up of excited, happy employees who know they are cared about.

So, what makes a great party?  It is so important to choose the right venue, the right menu, and the right entertainment for your party in order to achieve the results above.  I will offer my opinions on what makes a venue work  and great  menu options in the next article. (A list of terrific venues in California can be found at Sharpo.com/Venues.html)

Please visit our site and bookmark Sharpo, Inc.  we really appreciate the opportunity to bid on the entertainment contract for your event.