HIT Entertainment Digital Newsroom

'The Little Big Club' Children's Attraction Set to Open in Puteri Harbour Malaysia in 2012

HIT Entertainment inks new attraction deal in multi-million development

London and Hong Kong

HIT Entertainment, one of the world's leading independent children's entertainment producers and rights owners, has licensed its first 'The Little Big Club' children's attraction in Asia in a new multi-million development project in the prestigious Puteri Harbour in Malaysia with Themed Attractions and Resorts Sdn Bhd (TAR), a wholly owned subsidiary of Khazanah Nasional Berhad, following an official signing ceremony on Saturday, 7 November 2009.

The development of the family indoor theme park at Puteri Harbour in Nusajaya, Iskandar Malaysia will span more than 60,000 square feet of indoor space and will feature five themed zones and is expected to attract more than 400,000 visitors each year. The Little Big Club, one of the three themed attractions within a larger destination development, will be designed across two floors, with a third level dedicated to ticketing and retail and is based on HIT Entertainment's portfolio of world renowned pre-school properties including Thomas & Friends™, Barney™, Pingu™, Bob the Builder™ and Angelina Ballerina™.

'The Little Big Club' is an exciting and unique experience and brings together HIT Entertainment's most loved characters in an indoor attraction environment dedicated to young children. The Little Big Club attraction is a totally immersive experience which can be enjoyed alongside parents and feature play activities, rides, play structures, role play, events, parties, interactive games, performing arts and education. Based in the different worlds of the popular children's characters, young children can take a journey on Thomas and other engines, solve building problems with Bob the Builder and his Can-do crew, dance in Angelina's studio, play in Pingu's igloo or learn English with a Pingu-themed educational curriculum.

Teri Ruffley, Vice President Events and Attractions HIT Entertainment, commented, "Asia represents more than 60% of the world's population and given the strength of our brands in the region it is an important focus for HIT's strategic growth in attractions opportunities. The project design will be led by world leading designers, Forrec, and the attraction will be an innovative and unique visitor offering for young families. We are delighted to be working with TAR on this world class attraction and look forward to opening our first Little Big Club in Asia."

Tunku Ahmad Burhanuddin, the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of TAR said: "It is an honour for us to form this strategic alliance with HIT Entertainment who has a deep understanding of the industry of entertaining young children. I am confident that the presence of The Little Big Club in our family indoor theme park will draw visitors, not just from Malaysia but also other countries in the region. Through this partnership, TAR will be able to offer a unique family experience to our visitors, particularly families travelling with children under 12. These families will have a common centre to spend quality time and forge closer ties while experiencing Malaysia's culture via the local food offered at the first themed restaurant by the country's most popular cartoonist, Lat."

HIT Entertainment is fast becoming one of the world's leading independent branded attractions licensors. HIT Entertainment has opened twofull scale Thomas Lands in the UK and Japan which now attract a combined 3.5 million visitors each year, as well as four outdoor Thomas Towns in the US. Most recently HIT opened a unique new indoor family entertainment centre for shopping malls in Tokyo. 'Thomas Town ' in Shin-misato is the first of 15 Thomas Towns planned in Japan.

The construction on the new indoor attraction at Puteri Harbour is expected to commence in early 2010 and will also offer a 300-room facility under the Traders brand by Shangri-la International Hotel and has approximately 100,000 sq. ft. of retail space, with expected completion in 2012.

About HIT Entertainment
HIT Entertainment, owned by private equity investment group Apax Partners, is one of the world's leading independent children's entertainment producers and rights-owners. HIT's portfolio includes properties, such as Barney™, Bob the Builder™, Thomas & Friends™, Pingu™, Fireman Sam™, Angelina Ballerina™ and Rainbow Magic™. HIT represents Chapman Entertainment's Fifi and the Flowertots™ and Roary the Racing Car™ in North America and Japan, as well as Wallace & Gromit™, Shaun the Sheep™, Timmy Time™ and Aardman Classics from Aardman Animations. HIT also acts as representative for The Wiggles® in the UK. Launched in 1989, HIT's lines of business span television and video production, content distribution, publishing, consumer products licensing and live events and has operations in the UK, US, Canada, Hong Kong and Japan. HIT is a part-owner of US-based preschool channel, PBS KIDS SproutSM, and international preschool channel JimJam, (outside of the US, UK and China). For more information, visit www.hitentertainment.com.