“The annual Thea Awards recognize and honor excellence in the creation of outstanding visitor experiences, attractions, exhibits and places,” said TEA President Nick Farmer of Farmer Attraction Development, Leicester, UK. “Whatever the continent and whatever the venue -” says Farmer, “- be it a museum, visitors center, theme park, waterpark, heritage center, retail complex, casino, cultural attraction - TEA’s Thea Awards have the power to focus international attention on innovation within the Experience Industry. That is why a Thea Award confers great worldwide prestige and is known as the industry’s highest honor.”

On March 8, TEA will present 17 Thea Award recipients with Thea Award statuettes at the 14th Annual Thea Awards Gala, a lavish, black-tie dinner event at the Disneyland Hotel. Some of the award recipients will travel from as far away as Israel, Australia, Singapore, Japan and Ireland. The Gala, which regularly sells out, is a who’s-who gathering of the themed entertainment industry. Top designers, architects, creatives, analysts, and technical artists, plus industry leaders representing some of the best-known entertainment companies in the world, will be in attendance. The event is open to the public. Tickets: www.teaconnect.org/boxoffice_2008.

As TEA continues to rise in stature – the association is an increasingly valuable resource to the entertainment development community and its many intersecting lines of business – the Thea Award becomes more prestigious. The Thea Awards Nominating Committee evaluated more than 120 nominations in order to recommend the current slate of 17 Thea recipients, with final approval by the TEA International Board of Directors.

As a global alliance, TEA is growing and expanding to meet industry demands. Significant new leisure and recreation developments are being planned and built in many parts of the world, especially the UAE and Asia, and TEA recognizes the need to enlarge its quality talent pool to support this new demand. TEA has recently embarked on a Fast Track Expansion Initiative, which is being fueled by contributions from leading organizations including Walt Disney Imagineering and Universal Creative.  

Economics Research Associates is an official sponsor of the Thea Awards Gala. “The Thea Awards celebrate the highest and best achievements in our industry, and our company is proud to sponsor the Thea Awards Gala,” says John Robinett, Senior Vice President of Economics Research Associates. “Since the very first Thea Awards in 1994, these honors have showcased the imagination, engineering, and know-how that have entertained and educated audiences around the world. It is important to recognize the many people behind the scenes who create the great diversions of our day.”

Recipients – 14th Annual Thea Awards

Thea Lifetime Achievement Award: Jack Rouse, Jack Rouse Associates
Thea Classic Award: SeaWorld, San Diego, CA

Thea Awards for Outstanding Achievement (AOA)

• Attraction: Shuttle Launch Experience, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Center, FL
• Attraction Limited Budget: Awakening of the Temple Lobby Show, Aztec on the River, San Antonio, TX
• Attraction Rehab: Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, Disneyland, Anaheim, CA
• Exhibit: Noah’s Ark at the Skirball, Skirball Community Center, Los Angeles, CA
• Museum: Donald W. Reynolds Education Center, Mount Vernon, VA
• Heritage Center: The Chain of Generations Center, Western Wall Heritage Foundation, Jerusalem, Israel
• Exhibit Limited Budget: Cleveland Avenue Time Machine Experience, at Troy University’s Rosa Parks Museum
• Traveling Exhibit Limited Budget: CSI: The Experience, Fort Worth Museum of Science & History, Fort Worth, TX
• Science Center Limited Budget: Cosmos at the Castle, Black Rock Castle, Cork, Ireland
• Event Spectacular: Songs of the Sea, Sentosa, Singapore
• Live Touring Event: Walking with Dinosaurs, WWT-Rex Pty. Ltd., Australia
• Event Spectacular: Peter Pan’s Neverland, Universal Studios Japan
• Technical Achievement: KA Floating Stages, Las Vegas, NV
• Themed Training Experience: Battle Stations 21, Great Lakes Naval Station, IL
• Interactive Adventure: Kim Possible World Showcase Playtest, Epcot, Walt Disney World, Orlando, FL   

About TEA
The TEA (Themed Entertainment Association) is a nonprofit organization representing some 6,500 creative specialists, from architects to designers, technical specialists to master planners, scenic fabricators to artists, and builders to feasibility analysts working in nearly 500 firms in 39 different countries. TEA is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1991. It is dedicated to connecting organizations seeking to engage, enchant, educate and entertain their guests and visitors with the creators of compelling places and experiences worldwide. Its members have conceived, designed, fabricated and produced highly successful experience-based museum exhibits, science center interactives, corporate visitor centers, live events and live performance venues, themed entertainment and retail centers, casinos and resorts, themed restaurants, aquariums, zoos, heritage centers, theme parks and more.  For more information, visit www.TEAConnect.org.

About the Thea Awards
Like the TEA, the Thea Awards were created to bring recognition to achievement, talent and personal excellence within the themed entertainment industry. From a modest beginning in 1994, the Thea Awards have become internationally recognized as a symbol of excellence. The public is welcome to attend the black tie 14th Annual Thea Awards Gala, which will be held March 8, 2008 at the Disneyland Hotel. Tickets may be ordered online at www.teaconnect.org/boxoffice_2008. The name of the award is a play on three words: the first is “Thea,” the Greek goddess from whom all light emanates. Thea was the mother of Helios (the sun), Eos (the dawn), and Selene (the moon). The second key word is “Theater,” a word derived from the goddess Thea. The third word, of course, is TEA, the name of our association.

About Economics Research Associates
Economics Research Associates is an international consulting firm focused on economic analysis for the entertainment and leisure industry, real estate development, public-policy analysis, tourism, and economic development. Since its founding in 1958, ERA has completed over 15,000 assignments yielding unmatched experience in land use economics. In the process, the firm has made important contributions to som