Release #327-00

 

Contact:	Sunny Mindel/Curt Ritter (212) 788-2958
	Bob Lawson (212) 360-1311 (Parks)
	Rob Goldstone (212) 541-5698 (Best Buy)

25,000 Free Tickets to September 12th Concert Will Be Distributed
Throughout the City's Five Boroughs

Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, Parks Commissioner Henry Stern, NYC 2000 Executive Director Marcia Lee, NYC & Company President and CEO Cristyne Lategano-Nicholas, and Best Buy Regional Vice President Tim McGeehan today announced that Best Buy - in conjunction with NYC 2000 and the City's Parks Department - will stage a free ticketed concert featuring Grammy-award winning musician Sting. The millennium concert, which is being presented by Best Buy, will take place in Central Park's East Meadow on September 12th at 8:00 PM.

"I cannot think of a better place to watch a concert then under the stars in Central Park," said Mayor Giuliani. "Over the years, New Yorkers have enjoyed the music of Simon and Garfunkel, Garth Brooks, and last summer's performance by Sheryl Crowe. In a few weeks, on September 12th, Central Park will play host to another great musician as Sting performs at the only concert in Central Park in the new millennium year. I want to thank Best Buy for staging this concert, which will benefit the City's Parks and local youth programs."

Sting will distribute the first of the 25,000 free concert tickets at a press conference on September 7th. The remaining tickets will be distributed throughout the City's five boroughs by three street (mobile) teams as well as at various fixed locations throughout the City, including NYC & Company's Visitors Center located at 810 Seventh Avenue. Individuals interested in attending the concert will receive a free Sting compact disc (CD), which will then be scanned to determine if the individual is an instant winner. Instant winners will receive two free tickets to the September 12th concert, while those who are not instant winners will get to keep their free Sting CD.

"This is our way of introducing Best Buy to the people of New York and show that we can bring fun, music and technology to the area," said Best Buy Founder, Chairman & CEO Richard M. Schulze. "I can't think of a finer artist to perform at this show in Central Park than Sting, who has made his home in New York for so many years."

Sting received two Grammys this year - one for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, and one for Pop Album of the Year for his current CD, Brand New Day. He is well known for his love of Manhattan, which he sings about in his hit song An Englishman In New York. He said playing Central Park is like "playing in his own backyard." This concert will conclude Sting's sold-out tour of the United States.

Best Buy is staging the concert to celebrate its entry into the New York market, with the first of a planned 40 retail stores which will be built in the tri-state area. In addition Best Buy is offering consumers nationwide a chance to win one of 15 trips to New York City, which includes round trip airfare for two, two nights hotel accommodations and two preferred seating tickets to the concert. Best Buy customers can enter the exclusive sweepstakes solely through BestBuy.com by clicking on a "Sting" icon on the music or movies home page of the Web site.

In an effort to improve the lives of children in every Best Buy community, Best Buy has committed more than $1 million to New York area youth programs over the next year. A portion of these funds, $30,000, will be used to install 20 multi-media entertainment consoles in the pediatric units of area hospitals. These consoles, know as Fun Centers, are equipped with a television, VCR, videotapes, a Nintendo 64 video game system and video games, and can be wheeled to the bedside of young patients.

Nintendo of America, Inc. has agreed to match the Best Buy donation. The Fun Center program, which was created in 1991 and is managed by the Starlight Children's Foundation, strives to make hospitals a more enjoyable place to be for young patients.

"NYC & Company is delighted to assist in the Sting concert in Central Park. An event like this is one of the reasons that makes New York City one of the world's greatest entertainment destinations in the world," said Cristyne Lategano-Nicholas, President and CEO of NYC & Company, the City's Convention and Visitors Bureau.

NYC 2000, the Official New York City Millennium Committee, was established through an Executive Order by Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani to ensure New York City's millennium celebrations are befitting of the world's financial and cultural center. Comprised of a dynamic group of business leaders and community leaders, NYC 2000 showcased the best New York City has to offer before an international audience on New Year's Eve 2000. This historic celebration continues, leading up to New Year's Eve 2001.

Minneapolis-based Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE: BBY) is the nation's number one specialty retailer of consumer electronics, personal computers, entertainment software and appliances. The Company reaches consumers nationwide through its more than 350 retail stores located in 40 states and online at www.BestBuy.com.