HISTORIC HUMAN RIGHTS PROJECT COMES TO LAS VEGAS

24 JAN. 2011 – Las Vegas, NV - Sin City will play host to the historic I AM EQUAL project, an human rights and equality focused photo campaign, as it stops in Las Vegas on 19-FEB-2011 at The New York – New York Hotel & Casino to collect hundreds of new photos of people stepping up for causes of civil rights and human compassion in our community and around the world.

“This project is here to empower individuals from all walks of life to get actively involved in a social dialog about the issues that mean the most to them,” explains project creator Jason Beckett. “People participate in this photo campaign because they have a story to tell and a message to send the world; our job is to give them a platform to stand on so they can open their mouths and start changing the world.”

Participation in the project is as simple as wearing a brightly-colored shirt and getting a photo taken during the open public event anytime from 11:00am to 9:00pm. After a brief registration process, individuals have a temporary tattoo put on their hand and then they present it to the camera in a creative way that represents their unique cause or issue.

“It doesn’t really matter how they pose for their picture, as long as it represents their reason for taking part in the project,” explains project photographer Matt Spencer. “Some people are taking a photo to stop child slavery and others are drawing attention to domestic violence issues; there are some people who want to bring marriage equality to their state, and others who are beating the drum for environmental issues. We celebrate every cause and invite everyone to come join the movement as a way to share their story with the world.”

This event stop represents the only scheduled stop for this project in Las Vegas, and would-be participants are encouraged to plan ahead as this may be their only opportunity to be part of this project. “We are visiting 28 U.S. cities this year and 175 total during the course of this project,” continues Beckett. “Unfortunately, we can’t visit every city, so it’s important to take advantage when the chance comes around. It’s because of the support and commitment to diversity of MGM Resorts International that residents and visitors of Las Vegas will have this unique opportunity to take part in this historic project, and we thank them.”

The event is FREE and open to the public. A $20 donation is recommended to support the efforts of the I AM EQUAL global scholarship initiative and the photo tour. Additional details are available online at Facebook.com/iamequal as well as at the official website, www.iamequalproject.org.

About the I AM EQUAL Project
The I AM EQUAL Project was created by Jason Beckett and fashion photographer Matt Spencer in January 2010 in an effort to empower individuals to speak out about the causes that inspire them. The project goal is to capture more than 100,000 photos of people from all walks of life with the “I AM EQUAL” logo emblazoned on the palm of their hand as a symbol of their commitment to stand up for their rights, and the rights of others around the world.

Learn more at: http://www.iamequalproject.org
See the photo collection at: http://photos.iamequalproject.org
Find event details at: http://www.iamequalproject.org/events

About MGM Resorts International
MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) is one of the world’s leading global hospitality companies, operating a peerless portfolio of destination resort brands, including Bellagio, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay and The Mirage. The Company has significant holdings in gaming, hospitality and entertainment, owns and operates 15 properties located in Nevada, Mississippi and Michigan, and has 50% investments in four other properties in Nevada, Illinois and Macau. One of those investments is CityCenter, an unprecedented urban resort destination on the Las Vegas Strip featuring its centerpiece ARIA Resort & Casino. Through its hospitality management subsidiary, the Company holds a growing number of development and management agreements for casino and non-casino resort projects around the world. MGM Resorts International supports responsible gaming and has implemented the American Gaming Association’s Code of Conduct for Responsible Gaming at its gaming properties. The Company has been honored with numerous awards and recognitions for its industry-leading Diversity Initiative, its community philanthropy programs and the Company’s commitment to sustainable development and operations. For more information about MGM Resorts International, visit the Company’s Web site at www.mgmresorts.com.

Sacramento, CA - 20 DEC. 2010 – The ambitious I AM EQUAL photo project will officially launch its 29 city, 2011 U.S. tour at The Citizen Hotel in downtown Sacramento on 6-JANUARY-2011 and open the doors to people of all walks of life who are stepping up for human rights & equality in our community and around the world.

“We’re excited to open this project in, what TIME Magazine has called, the most diverse city in the country,” explained project creator, Jason Beckett. “Mayor Johnson’s office has been instrumental in connecting us with all the different community leaders to ensure a successful event that truly represents the diversity of this city and we couldn’t be happier with the response.”

The I AM EQUAL photo project is open to the public from 11:00am through 9:00pm and more than 600 people are expected to participate in support of various causes related to human rights & equality. “We see people coming in support of children’s rights, or to end domestic violence,” explains project photographer, Matt Spencer. “There are some who are standing up for gay and lesbian issues, and others who are survivors of abuse or disease. Each person has a story and this project is here to empower people to stand up and tell their story.”

Connecting with the personal stories and causes of each community is the cornerstone of this project and a major reason why its viral expansion is so effective. Participants are encouraged to share their I AM EQUAL photo with friends, family, and co-workers through social media, email, blogging, and other methods in order to start a conversation about the issues and causes that mean the most to the individual.

“The photos are most effective as a conversation starter,” said Mr. Beckett. “In the moment these people share this photo, they invite a conversation with those around them and that’s when the magic happens. These participants find that they are talking about issues with people they never would have guessed would be interested. The power of the project is in the person’s willingness to open up and talk when someone asks about the photo or project.”

Participants are asked to wear a brightly colored shirt and come to the event ready for their photo with hair and makeup complete. A $20.00 donation is suggested to support the efforts of the I AM EQUAL FOUNDATION and the photo tour, but the event is free to participate. Event organizers have said that anyone who is registered for a photo before 9:00pm will get a photo, and recommends that those who wish to participate in the project come early in the day to avoid the last-minute rush at the end of the event. As this is a project to showcase individuals stepping up for human right and equality, there are no group pictures at this event.

ABOUT THE I AM EQUAL PROJECT

The I AM EQUAL PROJECT was created by Jason Beckett and fashion photographer Matt Spencer in January 2010 in an effort to empower individuals to speak out about the causes that inspire them. The project goal is to capture more than 100,000 photos of people from all walks of life with the “I AM EQUAL” logo emblazoned on the palm of their hand as a symbol of their commitment stand up for their rights, and the rights of others around the world.

Learn more at: http://www.iamequalproject.org
See the photo collection at: http://photos.iamequalproject.org
Find event details at: http://www.iamequalproject.org/events

ANNOUNCING:  I AM EQUAL 2011 PHOTO WORLD TOUR
Human Rights & Equality photo project to visit 29 US cities in 2011

Salt Lake City, UT,  23-NOV-2010 – Today, project creator Jason Beckett and photographer Matt Spencer announced the 29 U.S. city stops for the 2011 I AM EQUAL PHOTO WORLD TOUR as they set out to gather more than 100,000 individual photos from around the world as part of this human rights & equality campaign.

“We’re excited to reveal the 22 states and 29 cities we will be visiting in 2011 as we kick off the first in our 8-year global tour,” announced Beckett to a gathering of volunteers and I AM EQUAL participants at the Salt Lake City photo studio of Matt Spencer. “While we couldn’t get every city in the schedule for this year, we did our best to spread the tour around to as many cities as possible,” Beckett continued.

“The first four legs of our tour cover the Western U.S.  and then we are headed to the East Coast and Central States,” explains Spencer as he points to the regions targeted for the event. “Along with these states, we will also take the I AM EQUAL project to three Canadian cities before the end of the year.”

The complete list of 2011 I AM EQUAL tour cities are:

Albuquerque, Baltimore, Billings, Boise, Calgary, Cheyenne, Chicago, Columbus, Denver, Detroit, Idaho Falls, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Louisville, Nashville, New York City, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, Reno, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Seattle, Spokane, Toronto, Tulsa, Vancouver.

The 2011 tour will launch with the first leg starting at The Citizen Hotel in Sacramento California on January 6^th, 2011 and quickly move to San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas, before returning to Salt Lake City. “By the end of the year,” explains Beckett, “we hope to add more than 9,000 new photos to the collection and empower people in all 29 cities to take an active role in the cause of equality and human rights for themselves, our neighbors, and our communities.”

ABOUT THE I AM EQUAL PROJECT

The I AM EQUAL PROJECT was created by Jason Beckett and fashion photographer Matt Spencer in January 2010 in an effort to empower individuals to speak out about the causes that inspire them. The project goal is to capture more than 100,000 photos of people from all walks of life with the “I AM EQUAL” logo emblazoned on the palm of their hand as a symbol of their commitment stand up for their rights, and the rights of others around the world.

Learn more at: http://www.iamequalproject.org
See the photo collection at: http://photos.iamequalproject.org
Find event details at: http://www.iamequalproject.org/events

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Press Inquiries: I AM EQUAL Media Relations
Malissa Barlow | CONTACT | 888-802-8806 ex. 503

Equality Hits Utah County

From: The UVU Review
Author: Kelly Cannon

Utah Valley University welcomes the I AM EQUAL project in support of Human Rights & Equality.

Orem, UT – The I AM EQUAL Project, in conjunction with the school’s Spectrum Club, made a stop in Orem on Sept. 9, ready to provide people with a way of advocating their message.

The project, which originated in Salt Lake City, was created by California native Jason Beckett and international photographer Matt Spencer.

The idea behind the project is to turn apathy into action. Spencer and Beckett, along with a team of volunteers, are traveling the country taking pictures of people with a black rub-on tattoo on their hand that says, “I Am =.” Each photo is a close- up of the person’s face and their hand being presented in a creative way.

“It’s a mechanism to take action,” Beckett stated while explaining the concept. “People share the photo and others become curious as to what it means.”

The photo is emailed to each person and they are encouraged to display it on social networks, share it through e-mail, print it and put it in their homes, or however they please. It works as a conversation starter for a cause in a non-aggressive type of format.

The fascinating aspect to the I AM EQUAL project is that it doesn’t promote a single cause, but any cause that any individual supports. Depending on the person in the photo, it could mean gay rights, environmental rights, women’s rights, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, or numerous other causes that need support.

“A simple picture can be the reason to start talking,” Beckett explained.

The project started in Salt Lake City as a controlled environment test run.

They’ve already taken over 600 photos. Starting in January, I AM EQUAL will travel to Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Boise and other prominent cities. The goal is to collect 125,000 pictures. Once that goal has been accomplished, the Project will come back to Salt Lake City and create a public installation of the largest photo mosaic in the world. It will be 8,000 square feet with each picture on a 2-inch square tile.

Some local and national celebrities have already participated in the Project including comedian, best-selling author and television host Chelsea Handler, current mayor of Salt Lake City Ralph Becker, former mayor of Salt Lake City Rocky Anderson and web personality Deena Manzanares.

At the event in Orem, people were excited to help and get their cause out. When asked about what causes they were supporting, the answers ranged from human rights in Africa to religious tolerance here in America.

A group of young men came all the way down from Salt Lake City to be a part of the Project. When asked what cause they were promoting, they all unanimously said gay rights.

“Yeah, Prop. 8 needs to go away.”

As they were leaving, one of them turned to another and said, “We just made a difference. That’s freaking awesome!”

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From: The UVU Review
Author: Kelly Cannon

PHOTO PROJECT TO CHANGE THE WORLD

New photo essay supports human rights & equality around the world.

Salt Lake City, UT – If a picture is worth 1,000 words than you can bet 100,000 pictures can say a lot; at least that’s the theory behind an ambitious photo project from international photographer Matt Spencer who is setting out to change the world from behind his camera.

“Pictures are such simple things. We think very little about them but they are everywhere around us,” comments Spencer, “What if pictures were more than something beautiful to look at, what if they actually made a statement?” And that is what he is setting out to do with his I AM EQUAL 100,000 PHOTO WORLD TOUR – an unprecedented 5-year project to capture the passion, purpose, and vision of people from all walks of life as they stand up for human rights and equality.

The initial tour plan is to travel to 125 international cities over the next 5 years to gather photos of people with the I AM EQUAL logo emblazoned on the palm of their hand. “We are really looking to kill apathy in people. We’re asking them to put aside their cynicism and take up a banner for change,” says project co-founder, Jason Beckett. “It doesn’t matter if you’re standing up for civil rights, or women’s rights, or to protect children from abuse; all that matters is that you’re standing up and doing something – and this simple picture may be just the push they need.”

Each picture takes less than two minutes to shoot after the participant is registered through the process and requires nothing more than a temporary tattoo on the palm and a genuine desire by the individual to make a change in the world.

“We don’t tell a person what their cause is, that’s up to them individually,” explains Spencer during a small photo event in Salt Lake City, Utah. “I had a women in here about an hour ago who was nearly in tears as she explained her passion for ending female genital mutilation. For her, this picture is a way to show here support for this issue and invite others to join her in this cause.

The tour is set to launch officially in July of 2010 in Salt Lake City and then quickly move on to Los Angeles, Chicago, Orlando, and Seattle before crossing international waters into Europe.

“This is an adventure, no doubt about it,” says Beckett of the 5-year commitment. “but I can think of nothing I’d rather be doing with my time than creating a forum for these important conversations to be taking place.

The I AM EQUAL project was created by Jason Beckett and photographer Matt Spencer in 2010. For information about the tour events and schedule visit www.iamequal.com. The site includes a photo gallery of the pictures, event sponsors, as well as a blog featuring articles and stories about the pictures and participants.

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If you’d like more information about the I AM EQUAL 100,000 PHOTO WORLD TOUR, or to schedule an interview with Jason Beckett and Matt Spencer, please call Andrew Crowley at 888-802-8806 ex. 506 or email Andrew at pr@iamequalproject.org