New partnership with KBW Ventures and the General Entertainment Authority of Saudi Arabia to grow National Geographic Encounter's portfolio around the world.
National Geographic Encounter: Ocean Odyssey, an immersive entertainment experience that takes viewers on adventures across the ocean from the South Pacific to the coast of California, will be brought to Saudi Arabia in partnership with KSA-based partners KBW Ventures and the General Entertainment Authority of Saudi Arabia. The partnership will see the team develop and launch up to 10 new locations with Ocean Odyssey and the first of these locations will be situated in Riyadh starting 2019.
After the recent successful opening of National Geographic Encounters flagship location in New York Citys Times Square, SPE Partners, creators and developers of Encounter, and its partner the Peterson Companies will engage a global team of Academy, GRAMMY, and Emmy Award-winning artists, including the design firm Falcons Creative Group, Pixomondo which is the visual effects team behind Game of Thrones, and GRAMMY Award-winning composer David Kahne, to produce this experience that is changing the landscape of entertainment and cinema. Through groundbreaking technology and stunning photo-realistic animation, guests are transported to extraordinary underwater destinations and gain access to rarely witnessed moments in nature.
We are excited to bring this iconic brand and immersive experience into Saudi Arabia and provide premium entertainment in our country, said Faisal Baraft, CEO of the General Entertainment Authority of Saudi Arabia.
Alexander Svezia, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of SPE Partners added that the goal at SPE and Peterson is to expand and revolutionise entertainment and storytelling, while delivering world-class guest experiences.
We aim to combine the power of technology with the awe of entertainment to advance science and conservation, and KBW shares that vision. The General Entertainment Authoritys mission, to create a vibrant society and provide exciting entertainment and tailored experiences in Saudi Arabia, aligns perfectly. We are excited to bring entertainment with purpose to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed, Founder and CEO of KBW Ventures added: When I first visited National Geographic Encounter and saw that the experience brings people around the globe into the natural world of wildlife, I knew that this was the future. We also believe in Encounters entertainment with purpose ethos, especially with our current work with Future Oceans, an organisation whose mission is to protect all marine wildlife.”
National Geographic Encounter consulted with dozens of technologists and scientists to create a new kind of immersive experience that guests can walk through to share stunning ocean encounters with friends and family. Blockbuster new science some of it not even published yet was used in its creation. National Geographic Encounter is also working with marine biologist, professor and National Geographic Emerging Explorer David Gruber, Chief Science Advisor to the experience and who specialises in bioluminescent and biofluorescent marine animals.
Guests will get up close with dozens of species, including mischievous sea lions waiting for a playmate, sharks up to 20 feet long, a 50-foot Humpback whale, and a battle between two ferocious Humboldt squids which could have as many as 35,000 teeth each. The coral reef was built from a process called photogrammetry, where more than 1,300 photos were taken on location in the Solomon Islands. The 2D photos were then used to construct 3D models of coral. Kelp found throughout the experience is modeled after the Giant Kelp species, which grows at a rate of up to two feet per day. 120,000 fish make their appearance in the bait ball feeding frenzy.
Audiences also get to enjoy a gaming challenge to clean up their own piece of the ocean and play with holograms of the seas greatest wonders and mightiest creatures. Visitors will have the opportunity to take an individual pledge to take action that makes a difference in ocean conservation, and share it with their social communities and on a live social feed.
Because of our partnership with SPE Partners, audiences have gotten to experience this in a completely new way as part of the enriching, immersive experience that National Geographic Encounter: Ocean Odyssey offers in New York. Encounter has been wildly successful and has proven to be a powerful new storytelling platform for us that perfectly embodies our passionate belief in entertainment with purpose and is a natural extension of our brand. These expansion plans are very exciting, and were looking forward to delivering this one-of-a-kind experience to our important Middle East audience, added Rosa Zeegers, Executive Vice President, Consumer Products and Experiences at National Geographic Partners.
Saudi Arabia recently announced a USD 64bn investment to grow its media and entertainment industry including the lifting of a 35-year ban on its cinemas. Following the announcement, several initiatives and partnerships have been announced to bring various forms of entertainment to the Kingdom. The first cinema screen following the lifting of the ban is also scheduled for launch this month.
