Hello Kitty's 40th anniversary expected to attract crowds

KUALA LUMPUR: Themed Attractions and Resort Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned unit of Khazanah Nasional Bhd, expects to attract over 10,000 visitors to Sanrio Hello Kitty Town in Johor for the 40th Hello Kitty anniversary celebration.
"The company expects the number of visitors to be higher than last year's as it would also be the first anniversary celebration for Hello Kitty in Malaysia," said chief marketing officer, Phillip Whittaker.
Whittaker said this at a media briefing to announce Hello Kitty's 40th anniversary celebration here today.
The three-day celebration, from Oct 31 to Nov 2, 2014 is expected to be a fun-filled carnival with activities for all Hello Kitty fans.
Hello Kitty ambassador for Malaysia, Joyce Tay, said Europe was the largest Hello Kitty retail market followed by Asia in terms of products.
"Hello Kitty brand not only focused on female products. It also come out with products for men like ties and sports goods," she said.
Meanwhile, in a statement today, Themed Attractions and Resort said the Hello Kitty Friends Gathering event would play host to the first and largest Hello Kitty fan gathering in South-East Asia.
"It is expected to be a record-breaking gathering as thousands of fans come together in an attempt to create a record of the largest Hello Kitty fan gathering outside Japan," it said. – Bernama