Hong Kong Observation Wheel Presented by AIA, and The AIA Vitality Park Set to Open

The AIA Group (“AIA”) and The Entertainment Corporation Limited (“TECL”) today conducted an introduction ceremony to mark the imminent opening of the Hong Kong Observation Wheel Presented by AIA. In advance of the Public Opening on 20 December 2017, the Hong Kong Observation Wheel will start turning from tomorrow for over 7,600 people from a number of Hong Kong charities who help those with serious illnesses, the disadvantaged and youth communities.

AIA also showcased the vision behind the new AIA Vitality Park which adjoins the Wheel. The creation of the AIA Vitality Park, which will be free of charge to the public, is designed to help create a world-class destination attraction at Hong Kong’s Harbour Front. The site will feature a full range of free healthy living and wellness-themed initiatives and events throughout the year that would potentially include children’s sports activities, dance classes, yoga and tai chi.

Michael Denmark, CEO, TECL, said: “We are so pleased to partner with the ever forward-thinking AIA, who have supported us in bringing to life this vision for a completely unique destination in Hong Kong, on the incredible Central Harbour Front. The Hong Kong Observation Wheel and AIA Vitality Park will be a vibrant and active place to visit for people of all ages celebrating health, well-being, entertainment and all round 21st century living! It's a privilege to have the opportunity to produce this for the people of Hong Kong and its many overseas visitors.”

Ng Keng Hooi, Group Chief Executive and President, AIA Group: “We are delighted to be helping to re-open the Wheel and to be part of the team that is redeveloping this iconic site at Hong Kong’s world famous Central Harbour Front. Our aim is to create a new and improved experience for the benefit of the local community and Hong Kong’s many visitors. 

“At AIA, we want to raise awareness about the importance of healthy living and wellness, and we see the opening of AIA Vitality Park as a symbol of AIA’s ambition to help the people in the communities where we operate to live longer, healthier, better lives.”

From 16-19 December 2017, the Hong Kong Observation Wheel will experience a “soft opening”, following the distribution of over 7,600 free rides to charitable partners who have been invited to visit and experience the ride in advance of its public opening. TECL will use this as an opportunity to fine-tune operations and to ensure queuing flow is both safe and efficient.

Michael Denmark, added: “Service and safety are our top priority. Over the past months we have worked meticulously to ensure that machinery, technical operations, ticketing, queuing and customer service are of the highest quality. We have given our on site staff specialised training from our highly experienced team of managers to ensure the smooth running of the Wheel operations in view of the hugely positive and significant demand that the much-reduced ticket prices has created.”

With over 5,000 people pre-registered to ride on the Hong Kong Observation Wheel, people are encouraged to book online over the Christmas and New Year holiday period via the website www.hkow.hk to secure their boarding pass to schedule a ride. Tickets can also be purchased onsite for 20 December 2017, but with the new price of HK$20 per ride and HK$10 for concession fares, people are encouraged to book online to secure rides within their preferred half hour timeslot.

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About The Entertainment Corporation Limited
The Entertainment Corporation Limited is a group of media and entertainment professionals with solid track record of over 25 years of experience across Asia and Europe. Our team has worked on theme parks, carnivals with amusement rides, music festivals, musical theatre productions, conferences and television and newspapers. Our skillsets include partnership management, design, event production, and large-scale event operations.

About AIA
AIA Group Limited and its subsidiaries comprise the largest independent publicly listed pan-Asian life insurance group. It has a presence in 18 markets in Asia-Pacific – wholly-owned branches and subsidiaries in Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, China, Korea, the Philippines, Australia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Vietnam, New Zealand, Macau, Brunei, Cambodia, a 97 per cent subsidiary in Sri Lanka, a 49 per cent joint venture in India and a representative office in Myanmar.

The business that is now AIA was first established in Shanghai almost a century ago. It is a market leader in the Asia-Pacific region (ex-Japan) based on life insurance premiums and holds leading positions across the majority of its markets. It had total assets of US$200 billion as of 31 May 2017.

AIA meets the long-term savings and protection needs of individuals by offering a range of products and services including life insurance, accident and health insurance and savings plans. AIA also provides employee benefits, credit life and pension services to corporate clients. Through an extensive network of agents, partners and employees across Asia-Pacific, AIA serves the holders of more than 30 million individual policies and over 16 million participating members of group insurance schemes.

AIA Group Limited is listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited under the stock code “1299” with American Depositary Receipts (Level 1) traded on the over-the-counter market (ticker symbol: “AAGIY”).