Global Experience Specialists Partners with National Geographic on 'Earth Explorers' Exhibition

GLENDALE, Calif., April 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Experience Specialists (GES) and National Geographic announce production of a major new educational and interactive museum exhibition, set to begin touring museums and science centers across North America this year. The exhibition, titled National Geographic Presents: Earth Explorers, will allow museum visitors to learn what it takes to explore the wildest places on Earth. The exhibition follows National Geographic's explorers as they venture into dangerous and remote parts of the world—including the deepest depths of the oceans, the North and South Poles, dense rain forests, mountains and caves.

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(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130423/LA99307-b)

GES is now accepting submissions from venues to host this exhibition during its three-year tour. For information on hosting this exhibition, please contact Lisa O'Keefe, director of partner development for GES, at [email protected] or 1-410-500-4174; or Jeffrey Wyatt, vice president of business development for GES, at [email protected] or 210-722-5653.

"National Geographic's filmmakers and explorers live in a world filled with discovery, adventure and danger, and our goal is to allow visitors across North America to walk in their shoes for a day," said Eddie Newquist, chief creative officer for GES. "We are thrilled to partner with National Geographic to showcase the cutting-edge technologies and methods used by their explorers."

Earth Explorers will stimulate the museum visitor's love for science and technology. This unique hands-on exhibition will allow visitors to let their imaginations run wild, as they become world explorers and embark on an epic adventure to discover new species, study animal behavior and learn about the important roles that technology, innovation and ingenuity play in making and documenting these discoveries. Earth Explorers is designed to appeal to the entire family and ignite a renewed sense of curiosity about and excitement for the world around us.

"National Geographic has been sending its scientists, photographers and filmmakers to explore the world for more than a century," said Kathryn Keane, vice president for National Geographic Exhibitions. "We hope this exhibition will inspire a whole new generation of explorers to be more curious about the Earth—and to dare to explore it."

The exhibition will include many interactive areas where museum visitors can experience the methods employed by National Geographic's filmmakers and photographers to capture amazing images of the natural world. A simulated hot-air-balloon ride will allow guests to document the migration of herds across Africa, and a deep-sea submersible will take visitors on a virtual dive to survey life at all levels of the water column—from abundant coral reefs to deep-sea thermal vents.

• Earth Explorers, presented by National Geographic in association with GES, will feature six themed and immersive environments, each with engaging areas to explore and interactive activities to entertain and educate visitors.
• Base Camp: Visitors will start their "adventure" by climbing aboard an off-road vehicle used by filmmakers and scientists in the field. The vehicle will contain video monitors showing actual footage captured by explorers in the ecosystems featured in the exhibit.
• Polar Regions: Guests will enter an interactive Arctic cabin and learn what scientists need to survive harsh conditions while studying polar bears and other Arctic life. In the Antarctic section, guests will learn about penguins and other species native to this polar region.
• Oceans: Inside a replica deep-sea submersible, visitors will take a dive to study undersea life—and dive even further and discover thermal vents and bizarre creatures dwelling miles beneath the ocean's surface. They will learn about great white sharks and their hunting habits through a dorsal-mounted "Crittercam."
• Rain Forests: Guests will enter a themed outdoor lab to study the diverse ecosystems and the animals living within these complex environments.
• Mountains & Caves: Visitors will climb a mountain and learn about the animals that make their homes there, and explore a crystal cave featuring an interactive activity that will allow users to touch and illuminate a selection of crystals.
• African Savannah: Visitors will take a simulated balloon ride above the African savannah and see how ecologists use aerial surveys to study and document animal migrations. They will learn tracking methods used by scientists, and can take part in an interactive activity matching scat samples with the animals that produced them.

About GES
Global Experience Specialists, Inc. (GES), a Viad Corp (NYSE: VVI) company, is a leading marketing agency that produces exhibitions, events, exhibits and retail environments. GES provides a wide range of services, including turnkey official show services, cutting-edge creative and design, marketing and measurement services—all with an unrivaled global reach. GES partners with leading shows and brands, including Spring Fair Birmingham, International Woodworking Fair, CONEXPO-CON/AGG and IFPE, Bell Helicopter, Genzyme, L'Oreal, Warner Bros., and Simon Property Group. GES' National Servicenter® has been recognized with certification under the J.D. Power and Associates Certified Call Center Program℠ for the past five years, and for the third year in a row Ad Age has named GES as one of the "World's 50 Largest Agency Companies." For more information, visit ges.com or the GES blog at defyingconvention.ges.com.

About National Geographic
The National Geographic Society is one of the world's largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. Founded in 1888 to "increase and diffuse geographic knowledge," the Society's mission is to inspire people to care about the planet. It reaches more than 450 million people worldwide each month through its official journal, National Geographic, and other magazines; National Geographic Channel; television documentaries; music; radio; films; books; DVDs; maps; exhibitions; live events; school publishing programs; interactive media; and merchandise. National Geographic has funded more than 10,000 scientific research, conservation and exploration projects and supports an education program promoting geographic literacy. For more information, visit www.nationalgeographic.com.

SOURCE Global Experience Specialists