BRC Imagination Arts' Ford Rouge Factory Tour Receives Prestigious THEA Award for Outstanding Achievement

release date: February 7, 2005

Burbank, Calif. -- BRC Imagination Arts, one of the world's leading innovators in the creation of distinctive and compelling “experience” attractions for corporations and non-profit organizations worldwide, today announced that its Ford Rouge Factory Tour project received a THEA (Themed Entertainment Association) award for outstanding achievement in the Visitor Center category. BRC Imagination Arts designed and produced the Visitor Center and the overall visitor experience for this unique automotive factory tour, which opened in May 2004.

Senior executives from Ford Motor Company, the project owner, accepted the award on behalf of the entire creative team during the annual THEA awards ceremonies last weekend in Anaheim, Calif. This is the 9th THEA award for a BRC Imagination Arts production, and one of over 250 international awards garnered by BRC over more than 25 years.

Retained by the Ford Motor Company and the Henry Ford Museum as the experience designer of the new tour, BRC Imagination Arts designed a visitor center that engages attendees through multi-sensory theaters, interpretative and hands-on displays, special effects, and an 81-foot-high observation deck with a view of the World’s Largest Living Roof.

"The Ford Rouge Factory Tour Visitor Center is the heart of the entire tour, so it was critical to deliver a compelling experience that leaves a lasting, positive impression with today’s sophisticated audiences," said Bob Rogers, president and CEO of BRC Imagination Arts. “By applying world class storytelling with a variety of technologies, we were able to share Rouge’s rich history while engaging visitors -- who can’t help but be awed by Ford’s historical success and ongoing vision. This was a fantastic project, from working with the Ford teams, to watching visitor’s delight during the opening tours.”

Among the Visitor Center features are two theaters that bring the Rouge Factory story to life. The Legacy Theater features a three-screen film presentation that explores the history of the Rouge and celebrates the generations of Americans who worked there. In the second theater, The Art of Manufacturing, visitors enjoy a multi-sensory, seven-screen experience that allows them to see, hear, smell and feel the intricacies of vehicle manufacturing from start to finished product.

Finally, visitors walk around the interior perimeter of the Dearborn Truck Plant along a mezzanine where they are able to view final assembly of new Ford F-150 pickups. Along the way, numerous touch-screens provide further facts and information from past and present. Visitors can also visit the center’s 81-foot observation deck, aside the new Dearborn Truck Plant final assembly building, and enjoy a panoramic view of the Rouge Center complex.

A display of legendary Ford vehicles made at the Rouge Center, including a 1929 Model A Roadster, 1932 Victoria, 1949 Coupe, 1956 Thunderbird, 1965 Mustang convertible and new Ford F-150, completes the tour. The Tour was sold out through last summer, exceeding all expectations. An independent survey reported a visitor satisfaction rate of 94 percent among respondents.

About BRC Imagination Arts

Founded in 1981, BRC Imagination Arts is the leader in the design, creation and production of innovative and immersive experience-based attractions for museums, experiential marketing, theme parks and cultural heritage sites worldwide. With offices in California, Amsterdam and the United Kingdom, BRC has been honored with over 250 international awards for creative excellence including two Academy Award nominations and nine THEA Awards for Outstanding Achievement in themed entertainment. BRC projects have consistently exceeded the expectations of clients and visitors, and have a proven track record of economic sustainability and the industry’s best record for on time, on budget performance. Clients include Ford Motor Company, General Motors, NASA, Disney, Warner Brothers and Universal Studios. The company is currently engaged in major projects in the U.S., China, Japan, Singapore, South Africa, the UK, and Sweden. More information about BRC can be found at www.brcweb.com.

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Contact:

KMC Partners, Kristen Collins, 617-758-4193, kristen@kmcpartners.com