Alec Baldwin Hosts VIP Opening for NYC's NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ENCOUNTER

Last night, National Geographic Encounter hosted a star-studded "Blue Carpet" VIP Celebration of Ocean Odyssey in Times Square, in advance of the public opening this Friday, October 6, 2017.

Entertainment & Media Personality Alec Baldwin hosted the evening, with music by DJ Questlove and a menu catered by Chef Marc Murphy.

Additional gala VIPs included Hilaria Baldwin; Actress & Singer Vanessa Williams and her three daughters, Jillian Hervey, Melanie Hervey and Sasha Gabriella Fox; Actor David Mazouz of "Gotham" on FOX; Broadway Actress Chilina Kennedy; Broadway Actress Jenn Colella; Actor Dominic Chianese; Caroline Hirsch of Caroline's on Broadway; Bill Rudin of Rudin Management; and many others.

Guests began the evening by going through the first-in-kind immersive entertainment experience that transports audiences on a breathtaking undersea journey from the South Pacific across the ocean to the west coast of North America. Host Alec Baldwin commenced the speaking portion of the celebration by saying, "I have been a fan of National Geographic my entire life. My generation used to collect the National Geographic print magazines, but today, National Geographic Encounter takes a leap forward with this compelling storytelling experience and provides entertainment with a purpose for parents and kids."

In addition, National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Enric Sala, leader of the Society's Pristine Seas project, also announced the news via a video feed from Malta that the Government of Niue will create a large-scale marine protected area encompassing 40 percent of the country's Exclusive Economic Zone. The 127,000- square-kilometer LSMPA will include Niue, a remote island nation in the South Pacific, and nearby Beveridge Reef, an uninhabited, semi-submerged atoll within Niue's waters that is home to the highest density of grey reef sharks in the world. In addition, Chile added two new marine parks where fishing and all other extractive activities are banned. Together, the three new parks protect some 290,000 square miles of ocean - an area more than twice the size of Germany.

"We are thrilled to have Alec Baldwin as our host tonight, who is synonymous with New York," said Lisa Truitt, Chief Creative Officer and a Managing Partner of SPE. "In addition to being an entertainment and media personality, he has been a long-time philanthropist and a supporter of the clean water and ocean issues, which is why we partnered with him as the emcee for the evening. With Encounter, we wanted to provide 'entertainment with a purpose' and push the boundaries of typical attractions by combining National Geographic's incredible storytelling with an innovative blend of immersive, cutting-edge visual effects and technology, resulting in a completely new kind of entertainment experience."

SPE Partners, creators and producers of National Geographic Encounter, engaged a world-class global team of Academy, GRAMMY, and Emmy Award-winning artists, including the design firm Falcon's Creative Group and the visual effects team behind "Game of Thrones," to produce this first-in-kind experience that is changing the landscape of entertainment and cinema. Through ground-breaking technology, audiences go on a digital "underwater" dive and come face-to-face with life-size photo-real versions of some of the largest and most interesting creatures of the sea.

National Geographic Encounter is not a museum, exhibit, movie, aquarium or virtual reality; instead, the producers consulted with dozens of technologists and scientists to create a new kind of immersive experience that guests can walk through to share stunning true-life ocean encounters with friends and family. Blockbuster new science - some of it not even published yet - was used in its creation. National Geographic Encounter is also working with marine biologist, professor and National Geographic Emerging Explorer David Gruber, Chief Science Advisor to the experience and who specializes in bioluminescent and biofluorescent marine animals.

National Geographic Encounter Fun Facts:

· Guests will get up close with dozens of species, including sharks up to 20 feet long, a 50-foot Humpback whale, playful sea lions, and a pair of battling Humboldt squids which could have as many as 40,000 teeth each;

· The coral reef was built from a process called photogrammetry, where more than 1,300 photos were taken on location in the Solomon Islands. The 2D photos were then used to construct 3D models of coral;

· Kelp found throughout the experience is modeled after the Giant Kelp species, which grows at a rate of up to 2 feet per day;

· 120,000 fish make their appearance in the grand finale.

Once visitors "resurface" to land, they can learn about their experience, track their trip, and listen to sounds of the animals they have encountered along the way. Guests will also hear from renowned ocean explorers and marine biologists, including National Geographic Explorers-in-Residence Sylvia Earle, Bob Ballard and Enric Sala, who through transparent multi-media screens, share their inspiration and passion for the ocean. Audiences can enjoy a gaming challenge to clean up their own piece of the ocean and play with holograms of the biggest creatures. Everyone will have the opportunity to take an individual pledge to take action that makes a difference in ocean conservation, and share it with their social communities and on a live social feed.

Ticket prices are $39.50 plus tax for adults, $36.50 plus tax for seniors 65+ and $32.50 plus tax for kids 12 and under. Groups of 10 or more will receive 15% off. Special educator rates will be available for local area school groups during select times. National Geographic Encounter is a timed ticketed walk-through experience that lasts approximately 90 minutes.

For more information, visit NatGeoEncounter.com or follow on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @NatGeoENCOUNTER.