Playboy Unveils List of Cities Hosting Parties in Honor of the 50th Anniversary of the Playboy Club

CHICAGO, June 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Playboy Enterprises, Inc. (PEI) (NYSE: PLA, PLAA) announced today its list of more than 50 cities and venues that will host parties on June 10 and June 11 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the world-famous Playboy Clubs.  Party locations include: New York, Melbourne, Las Vegas, Ibiza, Los Angeles, Macau, Miami and Oslo.

Select venues around the world will open their doors as "Playboy Clubs" for one night only, and guests will have the opportunity to celebrate in true Playboy fashion.  The nightclubs and bars will be transformed and illuminated with historic images and video footage from the famed Clubs, and guests will be invited to party and dance the night away with Playboy Playmates and Playboy Club Bunnies.  Select parties will also feature the sounds of well-known S.K.A.M. Artist DJs, including Jermaine Dupri, Lil John, DJ Vice, Eric Cubeechee, DJ Ob-One, DJ Skribble and Mr. Mauricio, among others.

Holly Madison and Bridget Marquardt, former stars of "The Girls Next Door," will also toast the milestone.  Holly will don the Bunny Costume while serving as a celebrity Blackjack Bunny Dealer at the Playboy Club in the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, and Bridget will host the party at the Horseshoe Casino outside of Chicago.

"When I opened the original Playboy Club in 1960, I wanted to bring Playboy magazine to life and invite others to experience the 'Good Life' featured in its pages. Now, 50 years later, the Bunny is back," said Hugh M. Hefner, Playboy founder, editor-in-chief and chief creative officer.  "In June, people from around the world will be part of the global event that celebrates a new era for the Playboy Clubs.  Welcome to the party!"

For updates and venue and ticket information, please visit www.PlayboyClub50.com.  

Those who cannot attend the parties can tune in to Playboy Radio's Playboy Club celebration on Thursday, June 10, between 4-7pm PT; Playmates hosting the events will call into the show during this time.  Playboy Radio airs on SIRIUS channel 99, and on XM channel 99 as part of the "Best of SIRIUS" package.

The parties are part of Playboy's global, year-long celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Playboy Club and Playboy Bunny.  Playboy is also commemorating the milestone with a uniquely-commissioned art exhibition at The Andy Warhol Museum; features in the July issue of the magazine and on Playboy.com and Playboy Radio; and newly-designed Bunny-inspired merchandise available at www.playboyclubstore.com.  Additionally, Playboy and Defected Records will launch a new music series, "Playboy Sessions;" and the first album, "Playboy Sessions—Las Vegas," will include a compilation of seductive DJ sessions inspired by the Playboy Club.  The series will be available for sale worldwide later this year.  

Historical Background

Originally opening to the public on February 29, 1960, in Chicago, the Playboy Clubs quickly became the embodiment of sexy sophistication.  In their more than two decades of operation, the Clubs sold nearly 2.5 million membership keys and became one of the most successful nightclub chains in history.  The Playboy Clubs, together with the hotel, casino and resort facilities, eventually included 40 properties in 25 states and seven countries.

The famous venues, which were home to the iconic Playboy Bunnies, allowed key holders to enjoy performances by some of the era's biggest names in entertainment, including Steve Allen, Ann Margaret, the Count Basie Orchestra, Milton Berle, Sid Caesar, George Carlin, Ray Charles, Bill Cosby, Bob Hope, Steve Martin, Bette Midler, Ginger Rogers, the Smothers Brothers, Mel Torme and Muddy Waters. The Clubs also featured cocktail Bunnies, camera Bunnies, checkroom Bunnies, cabaret Bunnies, gift shop Bunnies, bumper pool Bunnies, customer service Bunnies, and floor Bunnies.  

In 2006 the Bunnies returned, and Playboy reopened its famous Club at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, and plans to open three additional multi-faceted entertainment venues in 2010 in Miami, Cancun and Macau.   The privileged Playboy Club key holders of today include some of the biggest names in music and entertainment, including P. Diddy, Kim Kardashian, Usher, Paris Hilton, Dennis Hopper, Dave Navarro, Jamie Presley and Michael Phelps.

About Playboy Enterprises, Inc.

Playboy is one of the most recognized and popular consumer brands in the world. Playboy Enterprises, Inc. is a media and lifestyle company that markets the brand through a wide range of media properties and licensing initiatives. The company publishes Playboy magazine in the United States and abroad and creates content for distribution via television networks, websites, mobile platforms and radio. Through licensing agreements, the Playboy brand appears on a wide range of consumer products in more than 150 countries as well as retail stores and entertainment venues.

NOTE TO EDITORS:  Historical Playboy Club and Playboy Bunny images and b-roll are available upon request.  Please contact Steve Mazeika at 312-373-2436, [email protected].  For interview requests please contact Abi O'Donnell at 312-373-2440, [email protected].

SOURCE Playboy Enterprises, Inc.