Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. ® and National Geographic Entertainment (NGE) have signed a three-year agreement for the renowned kids and family brand to become the presenting sponsor of Great Wolf Lodge® Cub Club™ activities. Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. is North America’s largest family of indoor waterpark resorts, all of which are themed around the great outdoors. Under the agreement, NGE will provide content for Cub Club activities at the 11 Great Wolf Lodge properties around the country, as well as the sponsor for kids activities at the company’s Blue Harbor Resort™ in Sheboygan, Wis.
The deal is the latest initiative from National Geographic’s Kids and Families Synergy Group, an umbrella marketing solutions and production unit focused on creating and promoting print, online, TV and events for kids.
Popular National Geographic content will star at each resort’s Cub Club, which is a dedicated location within each resort where children aged from 3 to12 years old can participate in activities and crafts designed to entertain and enlighten. Content includes features from National Geographic Kids magazine and characters and stories from National Geographic Kids Entertainment properties, such as “Mama Mirabelle” and “Iggy Arbuckle.” Activities are led by staff members designated as Ambassadors of Fun.
“This is an amazing partnership. National Geographic is such a treasured brand and, at 120 years old, the National Geographic Society is part of our culture, ” said Julie Stokes, Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Great Wolf Resorts. “We just know our young guests will be wild for this, and that’s something we work diligently at — pleasing the little ones.”
“Our goal is to inspire kids to care about our world, and by reaching the Cub Club members, we’re on target to hit an audience that is in that zone, ” said Shannon Hebert, Vice President, Integrated Marketing, National Geographic Entertainment. “This is a group of consumers — environmentally conscious and family focused — that our Kids and Families Synergy Group is seeking, and we’re thrilled to partner with Great Wolf Resorts.”
As a presenting sponsor of Cub Club activities, NGE will incorporate selected print, video and web-based games and activities for guest entertainment. Screenings of NGE series, like “Mama Mirabelle’s Home Movies, ” which airs on public television stations around the country, will take place throughout the day as well. Great Wolf Resorts guests will also have the opportunity to subscribe to National Geographic publications like National Geographic Kids magazine at special rates, as well as purchase its merchandise in the resorts’ retail outlets.
In addition to NGE’s on-site presence, National Geographic Kids’ digital media group will share assets and advice for the new Cub Club website. Web content offerings will include interactive games, animal profiles, e-cards and a library of National Geographic photos and videos.
The agreement was developed through the efforts of The Kempton Group (TKG), a Cincinnati, Ohio based firm that represents Great Wolf Resorts in its corporate partnerships and strategic alliances.
Other well-known brand products available at Great Wolf Resorts include Starbucks, Pizza Hut, Pepsi, Aquafina, Little Tikes, Nestle USA and Bank of America.
Information on Great Wolf Resorts’ properties may be found on online at www.greatwolf.com.
About Great Wolf Resorts, Inc.
Great Wolf Resorts, Inc.® (NASDAQ: WOLF), Madison, Wis., is North America’s largest family of indoor waterpark resorts, and, through its subsidiaries and affiliates, owns and operates its family resorts under the Great Wolf Lodge® and Blue Harbor Resort™ brands. Great Wolf Resorts is a fully integrated resort company and owns and/or manages Great Wolf Lodge locations in: Wisconsin Dells, Wis.; Sandusky, Ohio; Traverse City, Mich.; Kansas City, Kan.; Williamsburg, Va.; the Pocono Mountains, Pa.; Niagara Falls, Ontario; Mason, Ohio; Grapevine, Texas; and Grand Mound, Wash.; and Blue Harbor Resort & Conference Center in Sheboygan, Wis. A Great Wolf Lodge currently is under construction in Concord, N.C. and a 203-suite expansion is under construction at the company’s Grapevine resort.
The company’s resorts are family-oriented destination facilities that generally feature 300 – 400 rooms and a large indoor entertainment area measuring 40, 000 – 100, 000 square feet. The all-suite properties offer a variety of room styles, arcade/game rooms, fitness rooms, themed restaurants, spas, supervised children’s activities and other amenities. Additional information may be found on the company’s Web site at www.greatwolf.com.
About National Geographic
National Geographic Entertainment (NGE) was established in 2007, combining into a single operating group National Geographic’s Cinema Ventures, Feature Films, Kids Entertainment, Home Entertainment and Music & Radio business units. NGE is part of the newly established National Geographic Global Media (NGGM), also formed in 2007, bringing together all of National Geographic’s editorial platforms in order to streamline collaboration and further support the Society’s mission. Founded in 1888 to “increase and diffuse geographic knowledge, ” National Geographic works to inspire people to care about the planet. It reaches more than 300 million people worldwide each month through magazines, books, digital media, and television, radio, music and film. It funds more than 250 scientific research, exploration and conservation projects each year and supports an education program combating geography illiteracy. For more information, visit nationalgeographic.com.
National Geographic Kids, a multitopic, photo-driven magazine for 6- to 14-year-olds, empowers its readers by making it fun to learn about the world. It has received numerous industry awards, including the Periodical of the Year award in 2005 and 2006 from the Association of Educational Publishers. Published 10 times a year, National Geographic Kids has a circulation of 1.3 million and is available by subscription for $19.95 a year and on newsstands for $4.95 a copy. Its Web site is at kids.nationalgeographic.com.
