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Spaceport America

Spaceport America

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The New Mexico Spaceport Authority contracted with IDEAS and our teammates to design the facilities and exhibits aimed at inspiring and educating visitors to the state-financed Spaceport America under construction in southern Sierra County, New Mexico. The welcome center and the visitor center are planned to open in early 2015, when the Spaceport’s anchor tenant, Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic, is expected to begin flying tourists paying $200,000 per ticket to the edge of space on suborbital trips. The “spaceport experience” is aimed at providing Earthbound visitors – children and adults alike – something more than just a look at the otherworldly terminal and hangar facility and Virgin Galactic spaceships.

“We are very excited to have Team IDEAS onboard to develop Spaceport America’s tourism experience,” said Christine Anderson, Executive Director of the NMSA. “Their relevant experience in the entertainment and education industry, with an emphasis on creative storytelling and a strong focus on education and learning design, is a great match for Spaceport America. All together, the companies working under Team IDEAS will create the highest value for the project.”

The IDEAS team will oversee the design and development of the Visitor Experience and facilities at Spaceport America, as well as the design, fabrication and installation of all exhibits and attractions for visitors to the spaceport. We will also conduct market research, enhance the spaceport branding and marketing, and facilitate alliance and sponsorship development opportunities.

In Phase 1 of the project, the work included spaceport branding identity and strategy planning, website redesign, messaging development, market profiling, demand modeling, business/financial trade studies and plans, pricing and budgeting, overall visitor planning and programming. Phase 2 tackles detailed experience design, creative concept validation, exhibit and attraction fabrication / acquisition / installation, training, architectural / engineering design and construction level documents, construction administration, and robust private sponsorship/alliance development. The project kicked off in August 2011 and is to be completed in early 2015.

Team IDEAS is comprised of some of our most valued and talented colleagues including Integrated Insight, Inc., ORCA Consulting LLC, Cordova Marketing Group, Exline Design & Architecture, MYDesign Inc. and Blackhorse Worldwide. Team members from New Mexico include SMPC Architects of Albuquerque, which has worked on the construction plans for the spaceport’s terminal and hangar facility, and Santa Fe-based Larry Littlebird, a wonderfully talented story master. Click HERE to learn more about the Spaceport America team.

Click below for a news story from El Paso, TX ABC affiliate KVIA about Spaceport America, including the Visitor’s Experience, with mention of our team starting at 2:04 (originally aired 02/14/2013).