SBE's Sam Nazarian Joining LA Board of Airport Commssioners

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. August 12, 2009

LOS ANGELES, CA, August 12, 2009 - SBE announced that its Founder and CEO, Sam Nazarian, was unanimously approved through a 10-0 vote by the Los Angeles City Council to join the seven-member Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners. Effective immediately, the decision finalizes Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's appointment of Nazarian to the commission that governs Los Angeles World Airports.

"I am truly honored by Mayor Villaraigosa's appointment to the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners and, with the City Council's resounding approval, am ready to get to work," said Nazarian. "I'm deeply proud of the unique hospitality experience that my company has created for our city's residents and visitors alike and intend to bring this same expertise and knowledge to LA's regional airport system to help create a seamless travel experience. Los Angeles is one of the most diverse, dynamic - and, frankly, exciting - cities in the world and I look forward to working closely with the Mayor, the entire City Council, LAWA's Executive Director Gina Marie Lindsey, and the LAWA staff to ensure that our regional airports offer state-of-the art amenities and safety procedures for both our residents and worldwide visitors."

As a member of the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners, Nazarian will have the ability to influence the programs, policies and procedures of Los Angeles' regional airport system. He will leverage more than 10 years of experience as a successful entrepreneur in Los Angeles who has built and helms a conglomerate of 14 hotels, restaurants and nightclubs.

"Sam's record of entrepreneurship and management is exactly what LAWA needs to take Los Angeles air travel into the 21st century," said Mayor Villaraigosa. "His experience will add great value to our team at the airport as we continue to implement the LAX Master Plan, improving safety and convenience."

In 1998, Nazarian founded Platinum Wireless, a telecommunications business specializing in Nextel software distribution. Within a year, Platinum Wireless became the number one Nextel distributor in Southern California. In 2001, Nazarian established 3Wall Development and successfully distributed his family's assets into real estate holdings across the market, securing partnerships with the country's leading developers and investors. 3Wall soon became one of Southern California's largest owners of multi-family housing.

In 2002, Nazarian founded SBE, which includes a diverse array of businesses in the worlds of hospitality, nightlife, real estate development and independent film production. SBE's Restaurant division includes eight Los Angeles-area restaurants, including "XIV by Michael Mina," "The Bazaar by Jose Andres" located at SLS Hotel Beverly Hills, The Abbey, four Katsuya locations - Hollywood, Brentwood, Glendale, L.A. LIVE - and, most recently, Gladstone's of Malibu. Nightlife venues include Foxtail, Hyde Lounge and Area. As the cornerstone of its synergistic approach, SBE has also completely rethought and re-imagined the luxury hotel experience. SBE debuted its first luxury hotel brand, SLS Hotels, in Fall 2008 with SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills, A Luxury Collection Hotel. Also in the SBE Hotel collection are Miami's Ritz Plaza hotel, to debut in early 2010, and Las Vegas' Sahara Hotel & Casino, which will undergo a complete redevelopment for completion in early 2011.