National Geographic "Experience Parks and Conservation"

For the second consecutive year, National Geographic turned to Grand Central Marketing to help them design and produce an exhibition inside New York City's Grand Central Terminal to support the magazine's annual "Experience Your World" campaign.

This year's theme was "Experience Parks and Conservation." GCM created a week-long, interactive exhibit that brought to life the photography and aesthetic beauty found on the pages of the magazine, while educating visitors about the international efforts being made to preserve our natural resources. The centerpiece was a photography exhibit featuring 10' x 15' images from the magazine of national and urban parks around the world. Additionally, a large-screen display featured two live Web-cams capturing animals in their natural habitat from Pete's Pond, a remote watering hole in Botswana, and Kakadu National Park in Australia's Northern Territory.

In addition to the photographs and webcams, there were four interactive, advertiser-supported areas for visitors to learn about the environment: The Green Lifestyle Pavilion, which showcased four different sponsors, each with an environmental message; the Epson Mini Theater, where guests could relax in lounge chairs and watch National Geographic's wide-screen DVDs on nature and the environment; The Green Travel Pavilion, which showcased four different travel-related sponsors, and the Lenovo Think Area, which consisted of computer kiosks where consumers could take an online survey testing their knowledge on green living.

The Experience Parks and Conservation exhibit was enjoyed by more than 50,000 visitors over the course of a week. Media coverage of the exhibition, including stories in the Daily News and a feature on WCBS-TV, further increased awareness of the event, attracting many visitors who do not normally commute through Grand Central Terminal. FOLIO Magazine awarded "Experience Parks and Conservation" with the GRAND FAME Award as the top magazine event of 2006.