Imagine Exhibitions Celebrates 15 Years of Bringing Innovation and Inspiration to the World of Immersive Experiences, Focuses on Exponential Growth and New Business
Atlanta, February 26, 2024 - Imagine Exhibitions, the Atlanta-based global leader in creating and producing museum-quality traveling exhibitions, celebrates 15 years of being at the forefront of delivering awe-inspiring and educational experiences to audiences around the world.
Producing more than 56 unique exhibitions in the last 15 years, Imagine Exhibitions has toured shows to over 354 venues across 193 cities and over 55 countries in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Exhibitions presented by Imagine have reached over 26 million visitors worldwide making Imagine the largest global touring exhibition company with venue and consulting services.
"Our motivation stems from wanting to tell great stories and creating unforgettable experiences for our visitors," said Tom Zaller, President and CEO of Imagine Exhibitions. "Our journey so far has been extraordinary, and our upcoming projects are positioned to elevate Imagine to new heights for visitors worldwide.”
From the early days of Imagine in 2009 when Zaller was called on to refine the overall vision for the ArtScience Museum in Singapore and later named the founding Director, Imagine Exhibitions has expanded its offerings to include not only permanent builds like the ArtScience Museum, but also hundreds of exhibits that span a diverse range of subjects, from science and technology to fine art, history, and popular culture. Deep storytelling, a high level of craftsmanship, attention to detail, sophisticated design and interactive technology that enhances the visitor experience is what sets Imagine Exhibitions apart from its peers.
Image 1: Titanic has been a major part of Zaller’s career for the last 25 years, to date he has produced over 100 international and domestic Titanic exhibitions, making Titanic the world’s most popular exhibition of all time. Zaller is also one of only 250 people in the world to have dived the wreck site of the Titanic, giving him first-hand experience and knowledge of the remarkable vessel. ‘’Titanic: The Exhibition’ is currently on view in Chicago, IL, and is experiencing renewed commercial activity.
Image 2. Dinosaurs in Motion in 2013 was the first exhibition that Imagine Exhibitions owned.
Over the past 15 years, Imagine has had the opportunity to produce and operate exhibitions with a number of internationally recognized brands such as Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment (Harry Potter™: The Exhibition); NBCU International (Downton Abbey: The Exhibition); Rovio (Angry Birds Universe: The Art & Science Behind a Global Phenomenon); Lionsgate (Hunger Games: The Exhibition), and Universal Brand Development (Jurassic World: The Exhibition).
Also during this time period, Imagine secured long term contracts with Universcience, a French institution and one of the largest science centers in Europe; Scitech, a leading science center in Australia; the renowned artist Sean Kenney, who creates incredible sculptures using LEGO© bricks; and the Danish artist, Thomas Dambo, who builds large folk-inspired sculptures from recycled materials.
Image 3: Tom Zaller visiting artist Sean Kenney in his studio in NYC in 2019.
Amidst the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and with only a dozen employees, the Imagine team demonstrated resilience. Led by Zaller, the small team ingeniously organized the world's first Dinosaur parking lot exhibitions featuring colossal animatronic dinosaurs set in a safari landscape. This safe and creative drive thru approach not only brought joy during a difficult period but also played a pivotal role in sustaining the business, showcasing Imagine’s adaptability and resourcefulness.
Image 4: A family enjoying Dino Safari: A Drive Thru Adventure at Freehold Raceway Mall in Freehold, NJ. This COVID-safe, family-friendly, no touch, educational and entertaining drive-thru journey wowed tens of thousands of visitors in 2020 and 2021.
Image 5: Cars lined up to experience Dino Safari: A Drive Thru Adventure in Raleigh, NC.
Coming out of the pandemic, Imagine Exhibitions presented the world premiere of Harry Potter: The Exhibition in Philadelphia, the first stop on a global tour in February 2022. Over the course of seven months on view, the exhibition attracted more than 522,000 visitors to Philadelphia from all over the world, including countries as far away as Australia, Japan, and Thailand. The exhibition saw record-setting attendance which played a key role in increasing museum visitation after a pandemic-affected period that was characterized by low attendance. The rebound was significant as it had broader impacts on tourism for the city of Philadelphia.
Image 6: Tom Zaller speaking at the press preview for the world premiere of Harry Potter: The Exhibition at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, PA, 2022.
Since the success of the world premiere at the Franklin Institute, more than 2 million visitors have experienced the magic of Harry Potter: The Exhibition in seven cities across three continents. Imagine has brought the popular experience to Atlanta, Georgia; Vienna, Austria; Paris, France; New York, New York; Barcelona, Spain; Macao, China, and soon will open in Munich, Germany, with more cities on the horizon.
Image 7: Tom Zaller at the opening of Harry Potter: The Exhibition in Barcelona, Spain. Photo by Mario Wurzberger, 2023.
In the summer of 2022, Zaller, a veteran working in the Las Vegas space, broke into the food and beverage business and opened Imagine’s first permanent bar, lounge, and speakeasy, The Cabinet of Curiosities and The Lock at Horseshoe Las Vegas. Other big projects by Imagine in Vegas include Dino Safari: A Walk Thru Adventure, REAL BODIES, and Discovering King Tut’s Tomb.
Image 8: The Cabinet and The Lock brings together the extraordinary and the ordinary in a bar and lounge atmosphere where visitors can enjoy their favorite cocktail while solving riddles.
“Hundreds of leading institutions, museums, gardens, zoos, aquariums, integrated resorts and cultural organizations look to Imagine to bring world-class exhibitions that drive visitor attendance to their institution while focusing on content that supports their mission.” said Debbie Donohue, COO and VP of Sales of Imagine Exhibitions.
“But what’s been really amazing has been working with Tom for 15 years, working with hundreds of amazing clients and partners worldwide, and our amazing team. I’m looking forward to what the future brings at Imagine,” Donohue added.
Image 9: Tom Zaller, artist Thomas Dambo, and his wife, Alexa Dambo, in front of the giant wooden forest troll named “GRO” at Coastal Maine Botanical Garden, 2021.
Specializing in Exhibition Design, Production, Marketing, Sales, and Operations, for a variety of clients including non-traditional entertainment venues, Imagine’s commitment to excellence and innovation continues to attract the best and the brightest leaders in the business. Since 2009, Imagine has grown from a few employees to over one hundred employees working in locations across the globe, from Boston to Barcelona to Buenos Aires, and now has headquarters in Atlanta and offices in Las Vegas.
Additionally, Imagine has added an unrivaled Retail division that creates exclusive merchandise for special exhibitions, and has strengthened the Consulting side of the business by hiring experts in specific areas that bring with them over 30 years of experience.
Image 10: Zaller, decked out in a Gryffindor scarf and hoodie, stands among the bespoke merchandise available in the Retail shop of ‘Harry Potter: The Exhibition’ in Barcelona, Spain. Photo by Mario Wurzberger, 2023.
“We invest in our people and collaborate with exceptionally talented individuals to bring out the very best. I’m humbled to be where we are today. Looking forward, we will focus on our growth across all areas of the business so that we can continue to bring our clients and partners the world’s best immersive experiences,” said Zaller.
Committed to pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the world of immersive experiences, Imagine Exhibitions will be announcing new and groundbreaking projects in development in the coming months.
Join Imagine Exhibitions in celebrating 15 years of innovation, exploration, and inspiration by following us on our social channels #Imagine15.
Stay tuned for announcements about upcoming events and exhibitions by visiting www.imagineexhibitions.com, and following us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Facebook.
About Imagine Exhibitions:
Atlanta-based Imagine Exhibitions, Inc. is a world leader in narrative-driven, immersive theatrical design, story-telling, and immersive experiences, and creates sophisticated, high-quality experiences for museums, brands, venues, and integrated resorts across the globe. From ideation to operation, Imagines’ team of industry pioneers draws upon decades of success in the fields of immersive design experiences and entertainment to consistently create and implement memorable and thought-provoking environments. The company’s custom experiences deliver focused messaging and serve to increase attendance wherever it is presented. Imagine Exhibitions, Inc. is a global pioneer in traveling entertainment, responsible for many internationally recognized exhibitions such as Harry Potter: The Exhibition, Titanic: The Exhibition, The Hunger Games: The Exhibition, Angry Birds: The Art & Science Behind a Global Phenomenon, Jurassic World: The Exhibition, and Downton Abbey: The Exhibition.
Imagine Exhibitions is currently presenting over 40 unique exhibitions in museums, science centers, aquariums, integrated resorts, and non-traditional venues worldwide. The company also continues to design, open, and operate its own venues, along with creating and implementing permanent and semi-permanent museum, brand, entertainment properties, and food and beverage experiences. For more information, visit www.ImagineExhibitions.com or find us on Facebook.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Joy Deibert
Director of Public Relations, Imagine Exhibitions
jdeibert@imagineexhibitions.com
Cell/ WhatsApp: 215-901-2846