MGM Resorts Joins World Observance of Earth Hour 2017

24/03/2017 08:00

LAS VEGAS, March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) will recognize Earth Hour, the global effort to raise awareness of climate change, by dimming the exterior lights at 18 of its properties worldwide March 25.

During the annual event, which is sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund, millions of people join communities, businesses and iconic landmarks around the world in switching their lights off for one hour. The goal is to demonstrate the importance of energy conservation and to support action on climate change.

Exterior lighting, rooftop signage, marquees and front features at all the MGM Resorts' major Las Vegas resorts as well as MGM China in Macau, MGM National Harbor in Maryland, Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in New Jersey, Gold Strike Tunica, and Beau Rivage Resort and Casino in Biloxi, Miss., will be turned off from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. local time. These iconic resorts will be joined by several world-famous landmarks, including the Sydney Opera House and The Acropolis of Athens.

"MGM Resorts is an advocate of the environment and we are committed to doing our part to protect our planet's limited resources," said Cindy Ortega, MGM Resorts Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer. "Events such as Earth Hour give us the opportunity to demonstrate our support, while encouraging others to join us in conservation efforts."

This year marks the 11^thanniversary of Earth Hour. The annual conservation awareness event was started by World Wildlife Fund in 2007 in Sydney, Australia with more than two million participants. Now, more than 162 countries and territories and millions of people around the world are engaged in this celebration.

MGM Resorts prides itself on being one of the resort industry's leaders in environmental sustainability. Due to its efforts, the company has saved more than 140 million kilowatt hours of energy in the past five years at its resorts, enough to power 12,000 homes annually.

In 2017, the company will mark a milestone when its 1.3 millionth light bulb will be retrofitted to state-of-the-art, ultra-efficient light-emitting diode (LED) lamps. The project started nearly two years ago. When it's completed, every light in every public and back-of-house area at all of the company's resorts will be energy-efficient. This project is part of MGM's commitment to the U.S. Energy Department's Better Buildings Challenge, which it joined in 2014.

The national pledge calls for organizations to voluntarily reduce their building portfolio energy use by 20 percent, by 2020.

For more information about MGM Resorts International's commitment to sustainability, please visit: www.mgmresorts.com/csr.

About MGM Resorts International
MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) is one of the world's leading global hospitality companies, operating a portfolio of destination resort brands including Bellagio, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay and The Mirage. The Company opened MGM National Harbor in Maryland on December 8, 2016, and is in the process of developing MGM Springfield in Massachusetts. MGM Resorts controls and holds a 76 percent economic interest in the operating partnership of MGM Growth Properties LLC (NYSE: MGP), a premier triple-net lease real estate investment trust engaged in the acquisition, ownership and leasing of large-scale destination entertainment and leisure resorts. The Company also owns 56 percent of MGM China Holdings Limited (SEHK: 2282), which owns MGM MACAU and is developing MGM COTAI, and 50 percent of CityCenter in Las Vegas, which features ARIA Resort & Casino. MGM Resorts is named among FORTUNE® Magazine's 2016 list of World's Most Admired Companies®. For more information about MGM Resorts International, visit the Company's website at www.mgmresorts.com.

About WWF
WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with over 5 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. Visit panda.org/news for latest news and media resources.

About Earth Hour
Earth Hour is WWF's global environmental movement. Born in Sydney in 2007, Earth Hour has grown to become the world's largest grassroots movement for the environment, inspiring individuals, communities, businesses and organizations in more than 170 countries and territories to take tangible climate action for over a decade. The movement recognizes the role of individuals in changing climate change and harnesses the collective power of its millions of supporters to shine a light on climate action.