Table of Contents 6 2012 OVATION Awards Winning Entries

The occasion offered attendees the rare opportunity to witness an extraordinary ritual that merged
traditions of the past, knowledge of the present and desires for the future; it also left a lasting
impression amongst all guests and brought to light the importance of respecting ancient traditions in
our modern society.
INTENDED AUDIENCE/STAKEHOLDERS
The special opening event was targeted towards several different key audiences:
Media in the Greater Toronto Area (print, online, broadcast, community and multicultural)
Many of the media invited have attended at least one preview event at the Science Centre in
the past. Each time the team approaches the media, the challenge is to make every trip to the
Science Centre newsworthy.
Representatives of the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation and Ontario Minister of
Culture and Tourism
First Nations leaders have special protocol to follow as with all government representatives
New Zealand expatriates and government officials
The local NZ population is small and difficult to reach with few cultural organizations; those who
attended were delighted to see a colourful yet respectful display of Māori culture
Science Centre staff
We invite staff to attend all of our exhibition previews; they were interested in coming because
of the exceptional nature of the ceremony
In addition, media coverage reached our core visitor targets:
Families with children ‐ The exhibition offers a range of artifacts and models with crossgenerational
appeal
Potential members ‐ This exhibition provided added value to memberships purchased during
the fall/winter season
GOALS/OBJECTIVES
a) Create and execute an out‐of‐the‐ordinary experience during the preview event that
reached beyond the Science Centre’s traditional audience and stakeholders
Position the Ontario Science Centre as a place where there is always something new going
on and where culture, art and science intersect.
There are many attractions for families and visitors to visit when in the Toronto area. The
Science Centre distinguishes itself by offering a large variety of programs and exhibitions
that cannot be experienced elsewhere.
Media coverage and tone would be monitored to judge whether these key messages are
relayed.