The Forum Shops at Caesars in Vegas Celebrates 20th Anniversary

LAS VEGAS, Nevada - What do Fendi, Versace, Dior, Varvatos, Ted Baker, Valentino and Puck all have in common besides great style and flair? They all first opened in Las Vegas at The Forum Shops at Caesars. When the Forum Shops opened their doors 20 years ago in 1992 the concept of couture, high-fashion, luxury and celebrity chefs had not yet made its way to the shopping malls of the desert playground.

When Simon Property Group, Inc. (NYSE:SPG), the world's leading retail real estate company, unveiled its distinctive Roman streetscape, sky-painted ceilings and an array of shopping and dining which had never before existed in Las Vegas, The Forum Shops at Caesars immediately became a Las Vegas institution. Today, 20 years after opening, it remains one of the highest grossing shopping centers in the world.

Perfectly situated in the heart of Las Vegas - right on the center of the famed Strip, the concept for The Forum Shops broke all the standard rules for shopping mall success - and Las Vegas. There were no anchor stores to drive the traffic and luxury retailers had never before made the journey to the famed city.

Now, after two expansions bringing the square footage to nearly 700,000, The Forum Shops is recognized around the globe for its unique combination of top retail, dining, entertainment, excellent location and exciting ambiance featuring 145 specialty shops and 15 restaurants.

While celebrating its past, The Forum Shops has its eye firmly on the future and will launch a series of social media and web-based firsts in honor of the milestone accomplishment, including a 20th Anniversary Pinterest profile ( http://pinterest.com/theforumshops) featuring one-of-a-kind photos from 1992-2012, and Instagram profile ( http://instagrid.me/theforumshops) and a unique campaign utilizing Rdio ( http://www.rdio.com/#/people/TheForumShops/) to house 20 distinctive Forum Shops music mixes from each year it has been open so that people can download and share their favorite tunes.

With the advent of Facebook's new Timeline feature, the Forum shops Facebook page ( www.facebook.com/forumshops) will highlight the last 20 years of fashion and history, as well as be the home-base for a unique digital scavenger hunt.

Additionally, to thank the millions of patrons who have visited The Forum Shops over the years, as well as to say thank you to their loyal local customers who call Las Vegas home, a series of contests and promotions will be launched in April featuring twenty $1000 Shopping Sprees.

With over 25 million visitors annually, The Forum Shops ranks as one of Las Vegas' top attractions and continues to inspire retail and fashion trends across the globe. As an icon in the retail industry, The Forum Shops success has been driven by continuous reinvention; attracting the world's best fashion brands and becoming home to fast-growing new companies looking to showcase their product on the world stage. The Forum Shops at Caesars paved the way for Las Vegas to transform itself into a leading force on the fashion scene.

From its spiral escalator to Wolfgang Puck's Spago restaurant to Antiquities (one of Michael Jackson's favorite stores) to The Palm restaurant to the world's biggest H&M to the Atlantis Show, Trevi Fountain, 50,000 gallon fish tank and spectacular art galleries and jewelers, The Forum Shops at Caesars welcomes more than 25 million people per year. Today, The Forum Shops continues to grow with recent expansions from Salvatore Ferragamo, Stuart Weitzman and Louis Vuitton, as well as new openings from Pal Zileri, Coach Men's, Sephora and Martin Lawrence Galleries.

"We have had a fantastic year," comments Maureen Crampton, director of marketing for The Forum Shops. "I believe people come to The Forum Shops not only to shop and dine, but to literally be transported to a different place in time. From the changing hues of the sky-lined ceiling to the overall ambience of the streets of Rome to the daily Atlantis Show, we created a place where people can enjoy the theatrics of the shopping center."

As part of the anniversary, many of The Forum Shops retail tenants (some dating back to the opening) took part in a special video to share some of their personal memories and stories, this included: Donny Borsack/first family of retail in Las Vegas; Tom Kaplan/Wolfgang Puck-Spago; Haresch Melwani/original Versace/Jeans Couture; Larry Close/The Palm and more. In addition, Caesars Palace Regional President Gary Selesner spoke about how important the partnership with The Forum Shops is in making Caesars Palace the worldwide destination that it is. The video can be found at: http://www.vimeo.com/40136145

The Forum Shops at Caesars opened 283,000 square feet in May 1992 to immediate success. An August 1997 expansion to 500,000 square feet continued the momentum. The third phase of The Forum Shops' growth was a three-level expansion extending from the existing retail, dining and entertainment icon to the famed Las Vegas Strip adding 175,000 square feet, with completion October 2004.

A grand pedestrian plaza entrance on Las Vegas Boulevard further validates The Forum Shops as one of the finest luxury shopping streets in the world. The Forum Shops is recognized for its unique combination of top retail, dining, entertainment, excellent location and exciting ambiance featuring 160 specialty shops and restaurants.

Additional information may be accessed at www.forumshops.com