With the projected 100,000 visitors and 1 million Houston natives expected to travel through Downtown Houston at Super Bowl LIVE, GES, under the direction of IDEAS and the Houston Super Bowl Host Committee, along with A.R.M., Inc. created a Super Bowl fan experience set to amaze featuring the “wow” factor Future Flight.

“We are fortunate to be able to work with NASA and our team partners at GES, as well as the great ride team at A.R.M. to bring the story of Houston’s important role in human spaceflight and the adventure of a Mars mission to life for our guests,” said Bob Allen, chief storytelling officer of Orlando, FL-based IDEAS, which was selected by the Houston Host Committee as the lead to design and implement the Future Flight experience. Future Flight is an out-of-this-world virtual reality experience, including a virtual reality tower-drop ride that takes guests on an excursion through space to Mars. Guests don VR goggles for the 2-minute ride, which concludes with a 64-foot vertical drop that transports riders back to Earth, landing on the 50-yard-line of Houston’s NRG Stadium.

GES worked to bring the project to life, and its involvement ranged from creating the graphic look and experience supporting the Future Flight and Mission to Mars, to assisting with the development of the site. GES organized logistics and worked with all vendors and sponsors to facilitate the event, including loading in the tower by strategically and carefully working with Discovery Green’s landscape to leave the park undisturbed.

“Houston is the perfect city to host the big game, and this project really displays the ingenuity that the city is known for and the influence of the space industry as one of Houston’s vital industries,” said Jeff Snyder, account executive with GES. “Future Flight is the first-ever drop tower with virtual reality. It’s all custom designed to truly fit with Houston. We are grateful to be a part of this ‘WOW’ project, and to use our recognized creative and logistics capabilities to bring Future Flight to the 2017 Super Bowl LIVE fan festival in downtown Houston.”

Future Flight is open to the public from Jan. 28, 2017 through Feb. 5, 2017. Located at Super Bowl LIVE, the 10-day fan festival is held the week of Super Bowl LI. The free event is in and around Discovery Green in downtown Houston and features music, games and attractions.

“Through Future Flight, fans get to experience the important role Houston has played in space exploration. We are bringing that legacy to life through this exhilarating experience. It’s a story only Houston can tell because of Johnson Space Center and NASA’s commercial partners,” said Allen.

In addition to Future Flight, GES is helping produce other activations in Houston. ON Services, a GES Company, is providing audio for the five stages in the Houston LIVE tent, and lighting and monitors throughout the events as well as a social media wall.

Houston LIVE is a celebration of all things Houston. It tells the real story of Houston as it ignites enthusiasm for the future and inspires action and conversation about what Houston truly is/has become. Told through the stories of 19 forward-thinking and visionary sponsors who have joined together to weave a tale of innovation, diversity, technology, artistry, and community pride.

Also located within the Super Bowl LIVE fan festival, this 60,000 square-foot experience features several different areas that collectively present the Houston story. At the heart of the more than 20 interactive exhibits and attractions are multimedia presentations, live entertainment, local cuisine, and social media connectivity. All of this is presented in a uniquely-designed environment showcasing the host city as a dynamic center of culture and innovation.

About GES

GES, a Viad Corp (NYSE: VVI) company, is a global, full-service provider for live events, producing corporate events, exhibitions, conferences, congresses, exhibits and entertainment experiences. GES provides a wide-range of services, including official show services, audio visual, cutting-edge creative and design, marketing and measurement services, and event accommodations – all with an unrivaled global reach. GES partners with leading shows and brands, including Mary Kay, Spring Fair Birmingham, MAGIC, CONEXPO-CON/AGG and IFPE, and Toronto Boat Show. GES’ National Servicenter® has been recognized with certification under the J.D. Power and Associates Certified Call Center Program℠ for the past eight years, and for the seventh year in a row Ad Age has named GES as one of the “World’s 50 Largest Agency Companies.”

About IDEAS

IDEAS is a Media and Experience Design firm created in 2001 in a management-buyout of a division of The Walt Disney Company. IDEAS creates, designs and activates experiential brands through media, immersive experiences and training for entertainment, enterprise, government and healthcare clients worldwide. Connect with IDEAS at facebook.com/ideas.orlando.

About the Houston Super Bowl Host Committee

The Houston Super Bowl Host Committee is the centralized planning entity for Super Bowl LI, and acts as the liaison between the NFL, City of Houston, Harris County and the local community. The Host Committee is a private, non-profit 501(c)(6) Texas corporation. Follow the Houston Super Bowl Host Committee on Instagram and Twitter at @HouSuperBowl or on Facebook at facebook.com/HoustonSuperBowlLI.

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