Gozo’s very own Cittadella Visitors’ Centre tonight received the themed entertainment industry’s top honour – a TEA Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement – in front of an audience of nearly a thousand themed entertainment professionals. This years Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) Thea Awards Gala was held at the Disneyland® Hotel in California and the award was accepted on behalf of the Cittadella Visitors’ Centre by a very special guest, H.E. Mr Pierre Clive Agius, Ambassador of the Republic of Malta to the United States of America, along with Ross Magri, Managing Director of Sarner International.
H.E. Mr Pierre Clive Agius was so delighted to be able to accept the award on behalf of the Ministry for Gozo, commenting: “We are all very proud of the Cittadella and I want to personally congratulate everyone involved, not only for receiving this award but for the beautiful work you all did. The Visitors’ Centre brings the history of the island to life and has considerably helped increase tourism to Gozo. It’s a real honour to be here to accept this award which goes to each and every person that was involved in the project.”
The award, which recognises outstanding achievements in the creation of compelling places and experiences, specifically honours the owners and operators while at the same time acknowledges the contributions of individuals and companies who invent, create and produce the attractions and events. Other Thea-honored attractions this year included ‘Pandora – The World of Avatar’ at Disney’s Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Jameson Distillery Bow St. in Dublin and the DreamWorks Animation Zone at MOTIONGATE™ Dubai, so the Cittadella Visitors’ Centre was in extremely good company.
In addition to the great honour of receiving a Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement, the team responsible for the design and creation of the project, Sarner International, presented a case study on the project to some 300 delegates at the TEA Summit yesterday in the Magic Kingdom Ballroom at the Disneyland® Hotel. Ed Cookson, Sarner’s Project Director and Michael Bennett, Sarner’s Creative Director together reviewed the project’s memorable milestones from the development process through to visitors’ reactions, sharing anecdotes, insights and issues critical to the outstanding success of the Cittadella Visitors’ Centre.
TEA founded the Thea Awards in 1994 to help bring recognition to achievement, talent and personal excellence within the themed entertainment industry, and the Thea Award has become internationally recognised as a symbol of excellence. Ross Magri, Sarner’s Managing Director was thrilled to have been a part of the 24th Annual Thea Awards Gala and TEA Summit, saying: “It’s been an absolute privilege to be here. Not only to have received a Thea Award in recognition of the dedication and hard work of the entire Sarner team but also to have been able to present a case study of the Cittadella project to esteemed colleagues within our industry. I must thank the Themed Entertainment Association for inviting us but also graciously thank H.E. Mr Pierre Clive Agius for travelling from Washington to accept the award on behalf of the Ministry for Gozo.”
Gozo’s rich history and natural beauty, woven in with local customs and traditions, were key factors in creating this award winning tourist attraction. Sarner worked with the Ministry for Gozo to create the visitor centre within the walled ‘Cittadella’, utilising the architecture of the reservoir – the high ceilings and vast spaces. The result is a visually striking walk through exhibition that draws the visitor deeper and deeper within the building whilst highlighting the characteristics of this unique site. Sarner used drama to add to the tension by building on the interactivity and technology within each of the nine multi-language zones. And the visitors’ culminate their journey in the dramatic 360° Cittadella Show set within an impressive theatrical space created by the reservoir. This ingenious combination of history and technology, cleverly balancing the old with the new, made a material impression on the TEA Thea Awards Committee and helped lead to Cittadella Visitors’ Centre being named for this prestigious award. The Thea Committee stated that “what makes this project so special is the combination of traditional exhibition techniques, exceptional storytelling and the 360° show finale, within the unique setting”.
