Host Gala Dinner for Yao Foundation and Honors Yao Ming

September 23, 2014, Shanghai, China - In line with Marriott International's ongoing Spirit to Servecommunity campaign, Marriott hotels in Shanghai, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Kunshan, Wuxi, Ningbo, Wuhan and Changzhou joined forces to host the 2014 Marriott Charity Black Tie Gala Dinner on 19 September 2014 and raised a net total of USD 328,000 (RMB 2,018,000) for the Yao Foundation, Marriott International's non-profit charity partner in China. The event took place at Shanghai Marriott Hotel Parkview.

[Photo: Mr. Simon Cooper, president and managing director of Marriott International Asia Pacific together with the regional team present the cheque to Mr. Yao Ming, former professional basketball star and founder of Yao Foundation.]

The evening was centred on an authentic Spanish flair with flamenco music and performances and a customized menu by all Marriott hotels in Shanghai. Over 630 guests were present at the gala event, which was graced by Yao Ming, former professional basketball star and founder of Yao Foundation, and Simon Cooper, president and managing director of Marriott International Asia Pacific.

Prior to the event, Simon Cooper commented: "We are looking forward to hosting this charity gala dinner. Marriott International has a heritage of putting people first and opening doors to a world of opportunity for its guests, partners and associates. The key to making this happen is education, especially for the younger generations. We are delighted to have the opportunity to work with the Yao Foundation and to make a contribution to support children's education in China."

The event was supported by the following key sponsors: 

Top level sponsors:

Delta Airline, Hong Kong Airlines, Juneyao Airline, Star Cruise China, United Airline, WMF Shanghai, Heineken Asia Pacific Brewery, Marriott Rewards, Rioja Wines

Other sponsors included:

Air New Zealand, Danone Premium Brands (Shanghai) Trading Co., Ltd., LG Electronics Inc., Michael Wong (Hong Kong celebrity), Shiji Information Technology (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Precor China, Johnson Health Tech. Co., Ltd., PepsiCo (China) Limited, Ming Fai Group, Qatar Airline, Shenzhen Guest Supply Trading Company Limited, Lu Zhou Lao Jiao, China National Calligraphic Art Association

Yao Foundation is a highly regarded charity organization established in 2008 by Yao Ming under the auspices of The China Youth Development Foundation and aims to promote the all-round development of Chinese youth by providing them the opportunities to improve their education, sports skills, health and self-esteem.

Under the terms of a three-year agreement with Yao Foundation, Marriott cluster hotels will donate USD 800,000 (RMB 5,000,000) to Yao Foundation to establish three Project Hope schools in the Southwestern region of China. The Marriott donation will also be used to support the Yao Foundation Hope Primary School basketball season program in 2014 and 2015.

The cocktail reception and silent auction began at 6:00pm, followed by a gourmet Spanish five-course dinner at 7pm with raffle draw and live auction, and finished with dance and entertainment by 10pm. Tickets were priced at USD 308 (RMB1,888) per person and USD 4,078 (RMB25,000) per corporate table of 10 with corporate benefits. All proceeds from the event will be donated to Yao Foundation.

About Marriott International
 Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is a global leading lodging company based in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, with more than 4,000 properties and 690,000 rooms in 78 countries and territories.  Marriott International reported revenues of nearly $13 billion in fiscal year 2013.  The company operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts under 18 brands, including: Marriott Hotels, The Ritz-Carlton, JW Marriott, Bulgari, EDITION, Renaissance, Gaylord Hotels, Autograph Collection, AC Hotels by Marriott, Moxy Hotels, Courtyard, Fairfield Inn & Suites, SpringHill Suites, Residence Inn, TownePlace Suites, Protea Hotels,Marriott Executive Apartments and Marriott Vacation Club timeshare brand.  Marriott has been consistently recognized as a top employer and for its superior business ethics.  The company also manages the award-winning guest loyalty program, Marriott Rewards® and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards® program, which together surpass 45 million members.  For more information or reservations, please visit our website at www.marriott.com, and for the latest company news, visit www.marriottnewscenter.com.

About Yao Foundation
 Yao Foundation is a specialized fund by Yao Ming under the auspices of The China Youth Development Foundation and aims at promoting the all-around development of Chinese youth by providing them the opportunities to improve their education, sports skills, health and self-esteem. Since Yao Foundation established, more than 10,000 Chinese rural youth have benefited from studying in the 17 Hope Primary Schools and one special education school it has funded. Besides constructing the school buildings, the Yao Foundation also improves the educational experience of Chinese youth by partnering with leading Chinese and multinational companies to build libraries, computer rooms, kitchens, and sports and exercise areas in local schools. In 2012, the Yao Foundation initiates a new programme called the "Yao Foundation Hope Primary School Basketball Season." In 2012, 2013 and 2014, the programme has 151,500 attendances of Chinese youth. Besides teaching basketball skills, it will help them build self-confidence and learn sportsmanship which will be crucial for their development in the future.www.yaofoundation.cn.

Contact:
Kelly Fan
Marketing Communication Manager
Shanghai Marriott Hotel Changfeng Park
P: +86 21 2215 6698
E: mhrs.shacp.marc.mgr@marriott.com

distributed by