I was honored to meet with PHL Casino Revolution Marketing Point man A. Bruce Crawley.
A. Bruce Crawley is president and principal owner of Millennium 3 Management, Inc. (M3M). Prior to establishing M3M in 2006, Crawley served as president of Crawley Haskins Sloan (CHR) PR & Advertising, which he founded in 1989. Before he established CHR, Crawley was employed at First Pennsylvania Bank, where he was senior vice president and director of public and investor relations.
Active for years in the Philadelphia hospitality industry, Crawley is a member of the executive committee of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau (PCVB), and served for five years as chairman of the organization’s board. He was also a co-founder of the Convention Bureau's Multicultural Affairs Congress and a founding member of the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation. In 1993, Crawley founded Philadelphia's African-American Chamber of Commerce and served as that organization's chairman for 13 years.
Crawley has been a part of the PHL team since 2012. PHL is actively seeking the 2nd casino license in Philadelphia. If successful in its bid, PHL will open "Casino Revolution," a $428 million, 250 room hotel and gaming facility. The casino will offer 2400 slots and 105 table games, a steak house an Italian restaurant and a covered, 1600 - car garage. We met recently for series of questions about the pursuit of that endeavor.
1). What is your role with PHL? Crawley - "We (Millennium 3 Management) are involve with the advertisement, public relations and social media strategies for PHL. My role is communication consultant."
2). Much has been made of the various sites proposed by the applicants. What is the strengths of your location? Crawley - "We have good traffic flow. This eliminates the need to go thru the neighborhood. We want a lack of intrusiveness. Our location is almost .8 of a mile from the Whitman community. PHL is ideally situated for convenient access to I-76 and I - 95."
3). What type of reception has PHL received from the community? Crawley - "The Whitman Council has endorsed the project. They want the jobs and contracts that PHL will bring to the area. In addition, we have done tree plantings at 2nd and Jackson and given financial assistance to the Southeast Youth Athletic Association."
4). A top casino executive from New Jersey describe the casinos in Pennsylvania as the "Walmarts of the gaming industry." Offering gaming and little else. What will PHL do to dispel this notion?
Crawley - "My response to that executive is that "Walmart must be the preference of the gaming public. LOL. Pennsylvania is the 2nd largest gaming region in the country. PHL is committed not only to having a world class hotel but will also develop an entertainment facility. This will be the LoSo Entertainment Center. It will include food and beverage and retail businesses. This project is independent of the casino and will cater to family activities."
5). It was mention at the end of 2013 that PHL could be open before any of its competitors. Can you elaborate? Crawley - "We have over 84,000 square feet to work with. Within 9 months of getting construction permits, PHL would have 6 months of lead time. The end result would be 600 jobs, millions in taxes and wages along with the completion of the project in one phase."
6). The PGCB hearing next week will be the last opportunity to present your proposal to the board and the public. What two points would you stress that makes your bid the winning one?
Crawley - "PHL has the advantage of local ownership and economic impact here. We will have access to an ideal location. Other bidders in this process sought to buy our location prior to PHL submitting a proposal. Our plan also includes strong emphasis on diversity. This include ownership ,construction and local vendor participation."
7). What is your opinion of the current gaming climate in this region? Philly and Atlantic City.
Crawley - "Gaming is now a business of convenience. Atlantic City's problem is a fundamental lack of population. They are largely dependent on traffic from other jurisdictions. Philadelphia has tremendous upside because of the population density and that is a sign of encouragement for everyone."
8). You have had an impressive career in Philadelphia. What achievement are you most proud of?
Crawley - "I am most proud of my son, Christopher Bruce Crawley. He is in Atlanta and doing well with his family and business ventures."
I want to thank Mr. Crawley for his time and insight. Follow PHL on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/PHLLocalGaming.
This is a great way to start my 2014 interview series. Follow me for more on Twitter at @GamingGuyM, Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/gaming.guym and Instagram at http://instagram.com/gamingguym
1). What is your role with PHL? Crawley - "We (Millennium 3 Management) are involve with the advertisement, public relations and social media strategies for PHL. My role is communication consultant."
2). Much has been made of the various sites proposed by the applicants. What is the strengths of your location? Crawley - "We have good traffic flow. This eliminates the need to go thru the neighborhood. We want a lack of intrusiveness. Our location is almost .8 of a mile from the Whitman community. PHL is ideally situated for convenient access to I-76 and I - 95."
3). What type of reception has PHL received from the community? Crawley - "The Whitman Council has endorsed the project. They want the jobs and contracts that PHL will bring to the area. In addition, we have done tree plantings at 2nd and Jackson and given financial assistance to the Southeast Youth Athletic Association."
4). A top casino executive from New Jersey describe the casinos in Pennsylvania as the "Walmarts of the gaming industry." Offering gaming and little else. What will PHL do to dispel this notion?
Crawley - "My response to that executive is that "Walmart must be the preference of the gaming public. LOL. Pennsylvania is the 2nd largest gaming region in the country. PHL is committed not only to having a world class hotel but will also develop an entertainment facility. This will be the LoSo Entertainment Center. It will include food and beverage and retail businesses. This project is independent of the casino and will cater to family activities."
5). It was mention at the end of 2013 that PHL could be open before any of its competitors. Can you elaborate? Crawley - "We have over 84,000 square feet to work with. Within 9 months of getting construction permits, PHL would have 6 months of lead time. The end result would be 600 jobs, millions in taxes and wages along with the completion of the project in one phase."
6). The PGCB hearing next week will be the last opportunity to present your proposal to the board and the public. What two points would you stress that makes your bid the winning one?
Crawley - "PHL has the advantage of local ownership and economic impact here. We will have access to an ideal location. Other bidders in this process sought to buy our location prior to PHL submitting a proposal. Our plan also includes strong emphasis on diversity. This include ownership ,construction and local vendor participation."
7). What is your opinion of the current gaming climate in this region? Philly and Atlantic City.
Crawley - "Gaming is now a business of convenience. Atlantic City's problem is a fundamental lack of population. They are largely dependent on traffic from other jurisdictions. Philadelphia has tremendous upside because of the population density and that is a sign of encouragement for everyone."
8). You have had an impressive career in Philadelphia. What achievement are you most proud of?
Crawley - "I am most proud of my son, Christopher Bruce Crawley. He is in Atlanta and doing well with his family and business ventures."
I want to thank Mr. Crawley for his time and insight. Follow PHL on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/PHLLocalGaming.
This is a great way to start my 2014 interview series. Follow me for more on Twitter at @GamingGuyM, Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/gaming.guym and Instagram at http://instagram.com/gamingguym
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