Olympic Spirit Presented with Prestigious Thea Award of Outstanding Achievement at Disneyland Black Tie Gala

The "Academy Awards" of the Entertainment Industry

Disneyland - California - March 18, 2006 Olympic Spirit Toronto was presented with the 2005 Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Branded Visitor Center category at the TEA's Thea Awards and Gala held at the Disneyland Hotel Saturday evening. "The Thea Awards are truly an international affair this year" said Craig Hanna, of Thinkwell Design & Production and President of the International Board of the TEA (formerly Themed Entertainment Association). Olympic Spirit is the first recepient of a Thea Award in Canada. Yves Pépin of France received the Thea Lifetime Achievement Award and the Athens 2004 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony was recognized in the Live Event Spectacular category. The Thea Awards are to the entertainment industry what the Oscars are to Hollywood. TEA membership is not a consideration in judging of the awards. Excellence is the only standard.

Speaking for Toros Entertainment Inc, Chairman Glenn Miller recalled meeting with the IOC for the first time at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. "The goal was to bring the games to the people. Under the design expertise of Bronskill & Company, we worked very closely with past and current Olympians in order to truly capture the essence of what it's like to be an Olympian, to capture the essence of the Games and the Olympic Spirit." "With an incredibly tight timeline to open in time for the Athens Games, Bronskill and Team Adrenaline, working with some other TEA members such as ETI and Mice Kadoke, provided nothing short of a gold medal performance. This award is a wonderful affirmation that everyone’s efforts allowed us to achieve our goal. On behalf of everyone at Olympic Spirit Toronto, we thank you and we share this with our friends from Bronskill & Company who are here with us tonight."

Olympic Spirit Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Mark Dzenick said in his acceptance speech "On behalf of the International Olympic Committee, the Canadian Olympic Committee and the Olympic Spirit Group, I would like to thank and congratulate everyone whose talent, energy and commitment to the concept design and development of Olympic Spirit over the years is being recognized by the TEA this evening." "We are at the beginning of a long journey. Following an inspirational week at the 2006 Torino Olympic Winter Games with some of our friends from Bronskill and Team Adrenaline, we are now focusing our imagination, creativity and passion to create bigger and better celebrations of the Olympic Spirit around the world."

"Our vision and purpose is clear. We aspire to be an icon of Olympic values and ideals, worthy of consideration in due course for a Thea Classic Award, and as an education and entertainment attraction which has stood the test of time as honourably and gracefully as Disneyland." "Thank you Disney, thank you distinguished members of the TEA, thank you to everyone who has contributed to the success of Olympic Spirit over the years." "Félicitations Yves Pépin, congratulations to all recipients this evening. We will all cherish this prestigious symbol of excellence for a long time to come."

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International Olympic Committee (IOC)
Juan Antonio Samaranch, Honourary President
Jacques Rogge, President
Urs Lacotte, Director General
Timo Lumme, Director, Television & Marketing Services
François Gabet, Managing Director - Olympic Museum

Canadian Olympic Committee (COC)
Chris Rudge, Chief Executive Officer
Lou Ragagnin, Chief Operating Officer
Nick Marrone, Marketing and Communication

Olympic Spirit Group
Concept Design, Development and Supervisory Management –
Mark Dzenick, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
John Krimsky, Vice-Chairman - Spirit of the Americas
Jerry Hewitt, Project Planning and Development
Edward P. Powis, Project Licensee Coordination
Mark Mathias, Technology
Terry Stevens, Operational Planning (Stevens & Associates)
Jeff Mayer, Project Planning and Development (Jeff Mayer & Partners)
Brad Copeland, Look and Identity (Iconologic)
Ward Copeland, Look and Identity (Iconologic)
Stewart Binns, Media Consultant (OTAB)

Toros Entertainment Inc.
Project Development/Operator –
Glenn Miller, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
Neil Miller, President
Peter Doyle, Chief Operating Officer

Olympic Spirit Toronto Athlete Advisory Board
Marnie McBean (Rowing)
Brian Stemmle (Alpine Skiing)
Curt Harnett (Cycling)
Bruny Surin (Athletics)
Steve Nash (Basketball) - NBA 2005 MVP
Cheryl Pounder (Hockey)

Bronskill & Co. - BaAM Productions
Experience Design & Project Management –
Gary Myers, Creative Director
Annemarie Roe, Project Manager
Christine Kerr, Project Director
Rae Lam, Graphic Design
Angie Gammage, Graphic Production
Ana Francisca de la Mora, Design Detailing
Keith Storey, Project Manager
Mike Gilman, Graphic Installation
Erin Parkin, Project Coordinator
Matt Kerr, Content Developer/ Writer
Ian Caldwell, Client Services
Reg Bronskill, President

Team Adrenaline
Feature Media Production – “The Calling” –
Gord James, Executive Producer
Nina Beveridge, Producer
Paul Hart, Director
Giorgio Saturnino, Editor
Jack Lenz, Composer
Dave Toms, Writer

Panasonic Canada
Ian Kilvert

Media Consultants & Content Development
Ty Granaroli
Lisa Nash

Insight Sports
Additional Media Production –
Gord Redel, Senior Producer

Edwards Technologies Inc. (ETI)
AV & Show Control –
Brian Edwards
Sam Hatcher
Mitch Hartmann
Ravi Shankar
Arnold Tang

Light Brigade
Lighting Design –
Rhomney Forbes-Gray
Heather Seniow

Additional Exhibit Fabrication & Installation –
Mice Kadoke
Panigas
John Thurston Machine
Chris Reaney

PenEquity Management Corporation
Property Development –
Glenn Miller, Chairman
Doug Peters, Vice President Planning & Construction
Keith Travis, Special Projects

Baldwin & Franklin Architects
Architecture and Engineering –
Mark Franklin
Will Hudson

About the Thea Awards - The Thea Awards were created to bring recognition to achievement, talent and personal excellence within the themed entertainment industry, which had some of the most accomplished, yet under-recognized talents working in all of entertainment. From a modest beginning in 1994, the Thea Awards have become internationally recognized as a symbol of excellence – prestigious awards for outstanding achievement in the creation of compelling places and experiences. TEA membership is not a requirement or consideration in judging. Excellence is the only standard.

Inspiration for the name “Thea Awards” comes from three key elements. First, the Greek goddess Thea from whom all light emanates – the mother of Helios (the sun), Eos (the dawn), and Selene (the moon). Second, ‘Theater’ – itself a word derived from the goddess Thea. Third, TEA, the name of the association (formerly the Themed Entertainment Association).

Award for Outstanding Achievement: Branded Visitor Center - Olympic Spirit Toronto (Toronto, Canada) - The Olympic Spirit visitor center provides an engaging and participatory environment as well as an educational experience that captures the essences of the Olympic Games. It successfully combines interactive sports simulators, multimedia presentations and authentic artifacts into an immersive guest experience enabling visitors, particularly children, to effectively understand what it is like to be a highperforming athlete. This permanent discovery center extends the Olympic brand by delivering strong entertainment components within an inspirational learning context.

Other recipients honoured at the Thea Awards and Gala at Disneyland:

Thea Lifetime Achievement Award - To Yves Pépin, founder of ECA2 (Paris, France) – the designer of logos for the Concorde and Air France, producer of the first interactive audiovisuals for the Musée d’Orsay and the Louvre, designer/producer of multimedia shows and large-scale events such as the Eiffel Tower Millennium Show, the night-time spectacular at the Seville Expo’92, Lisbon Expo’98, Yamaguchi Expo 2001, as well as the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 1998 FIFA World Cup in Paris.

Thea Classic Award - To Disneyland - Opened in 1955, Disneyland (Anaheim, California) created a new genre of entertainment environment, immersing guests immediately in immaculately presented story-driven worlds. For fifty years, Disneyland has offered families fun, familiarity, challenge, entertainment, and leading-edge experiences with a style and approach that is often imitated but rarely achieved. Disneyland is a worldwide icon and an exemplar for the entire industry, and the Thea Classic Award honors the park and the thousands of creative people who have conceived, designed and built the park for their leadership role in defining contemporary theme park design and continuing to expand the guest experience.

Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement – Live Event Spectacular - To the 2004 Athens Olympic Games Opening Ceremony – Creating and producing a one-time live event with a cast of over 8,500 performers and crew, live audience of 70,000 and a worldwide broadcast audience of 4 billion is a daunting challenge in any circumstance. To pull it off with sublime artistry, creativity and showmanship is a truly Olympic achievement.

12th Annual Thea Award Recipients

Thea Lifetime Achievement Award –

· Yves Pépin, ECA2 - France

Thea Classic Award –

· Disneyland - Anaheim, California

Thea Awards for Outstanding Achievement –

· Attraction: The Curse of DarKastle, The Ride, Busch Gardens - Williamsburg, Virginia
· Branded Visitor Center: Olympic Spirit Toronto - Toronto, Canada
· Reinvention of a Cultural Heritage Center: Images of Singapore - Sentosa Island
· Live Event Spectacular: Athens 2004 Olympic Games Opening Ceremonies
· Show: Remember… Dreams Come True, Disneyland - Anaheim, California
· Live Show: Fear Factor Live, Universal Studios - Hollywood, California
· Museum: Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum - Springfield, Illinois
· Exhibit: The Lifeline Table, Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Room - London, England
· Limited Budget/Refurbishment: Ice Age Adventure! Movie Park - Bottrop, Germany
· Limited Budget: Dodge’s Wild Earth at the Philadelphia Zoo - Pennsylvania
· Development of Interactive Technology: The Magiquest Wand

For more information www.themeit.com

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