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| Copyright AMNH/D. Finnin |
Los Angeles, CA, USA — Rubicon Group Holding (RGH), designer and project manager for The Red Sea Astrarium (TRSA), has signed a licensing agreement with the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) for intellectual property rights to AMNH’s famed exhibition, “Traveling the Silk Road: Ancient Pathway to the Modern World;” it was announced today by RGH CEO Randa Ayoubi.
The new agreement grants RGH rights to use “Traveling the Silk Road” as the foundation for the design of a new interactive experience to be featured at the Astrarium, the US $1.5 billion leisure-resort now in development for Aqaba, Jordan.
“Traveling the Silk Road” explores the most celebrated trade route in human history through evocative sights, sounds and artifacts as well as intriguing interactive features, as it transports visitors to four ancient cities: Xi’an, Turfan, Samarkand and Baghdad. RGH will expand and enhance the exhibition at TRSA, adding an additional city to the mix and updating the interactive elements with new technology and media. The Silk Road exhibition will be layered throughout the Hijazi Gardens at the Astrarium, a sprawling botanical garden recreating the environments found at various points along history’s most important trade route.
“Everyone knows the Silk Road as an important trade route, but it was more than just a means of moving goods from one place to another, it was a vital conduit for the transfer of knowledge and ideas,” explained Lenny Larsen, Business Development Director of Themed Entertainment for RGH. “The Astrarium’s attractions focus on inspiration, innovation, and human achievement, so exploring the Silk Road, as a means of connecting cultures and ideas, is a natural fit for this unique experience.”
The exhibition serves as the foundation for a new interactive, augmented reality game in which park guests take on the roles of merchants, citizens, and explorers traveling the Silk Road. The game will send players on quests through the Hijazi Gardens to engage with the exhibit content, other guests and park staff … exploring the gardens, trading virtual goods, and learning about other cultures along the way through the use of personal mobile devices and other, in-park technology. For example, one player could take the role of an English Nobleman who needs 10 peppercorns as a dowry for the girl he wants to marry. To get the peppercorns, he needs to trade English goods for Chinese silk which will subsequently be traded for Indian Spices.
“This important blending of the entertainment world and the museum world will result in an incredible new approach to engaging our visitors with history,” said Ayoubi. “In the beginning, RGH started with a vision for making education fun and interactive. With the Silk Road adventure at the Astrarium, we’re blurring the lines between the real world, the virtual world, and history, which will serve to usher in a new way of engaging audiences with museum content.”
About The Red Sea Astrarium
Built upon the foundations of creativity, integrity and wisdom, The Red Sea Astrarium (TRSA) is a celebration of collaboration and innovation transcending cultures, geography, and even time. The 184-acre Astrarium features four luxury hotels, lush botanical gardens and an impressive collection of entertainment, dining and retail offerings that will soon elevate Jordan to a prominent place among the world’s leading leisure destinations. The project also serves as a catalyst for advancing regional technology and utility infrastructures with clean energy and state-of-the-art water and waste management.
Overlooking the Gulf of Aqaba, the Astrarium is home to a spectacular array of attractions and entertainment experiences, all of which seek to engage and inspire guests to explore their world, discover new ideas, and dream big dreams. While most attractions focus on cultural or historical themes, the Astrarium is also home to a signature Star Trek experience, created in collaboration with Paramount Parks & Recreation and CBS Consumer Products.
RGH (Rubicon Group Holding) is a diversified entertainment company devoted to the creation of incomparable entertainment experiences and interactive educational content across all media channels.
RGH has a team of 400 employees in four locations: Amman (Jordan), Los Angeles (United States), Manila (Philippines) and Dubai (United Arab Emirates). Together, RGH’s world class team collaborates to provide a unique perspective into the realization of compelling digital content and immersive entertainment.
