New Award for MOSI

MOSI  - the Museum of Science & Industry in Manchester - was voted winner of the M & H Online Readers Award, as part of the 2011 Museums & Heritage Awards for Excellence, announced this week. TV presenter and comedienne Sue Perkins revealed the winners of the coveted awards at a glittering ceremony in Church House, Westminster.
Over 10,000 readers and members of the public voted online for the M&H award, and MOSI came top as their favourite attraction, beating off competition from Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Bristol Art Gallery and Museum, and Museum of the Order of St John.
Tony Hill, Director of MOSI said: "Awards are always great to win but they take on a special meaning when the public vote is the measure by which you are judged. Last year MOSI was visited by almost 640,000 visitors and this award confirms that we are not only the most visited museum in the North West but also the highest rated."
MOSI has recently undergone a £9million redevelopment of its Great Western Warehouse with a brand new gallery called Revolution Manchester, which showcases the city’s greatest innovations and includes Britain’s largest indoor video wall. The redeveloped building, which was supported by NWDA, includes an extended interactive Experiment gallery, new, dedicated conference and education suites, as well as a new restaurant and coffee shop. Last year MOSI also invested in a popular new 4D Theatre, which envelopes visitors in an all-round cinematic experience: In addition to 3D effects viewers are truly part of the on-screen action, with moving seats, air, water spray, snow and bubbles.
http://www.mosi.org.uk/.

Hollywood Stars in Blackpool (Part 1)

Is it too much of a stretch to call SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer 'Hollywood Stars'? If you are aged between 4 and 11 years old, I suspect not! As Children's TV icons, Blackpool Pleasure Beach's new link-up with Nickelodeon is inspired, promising new interest in the 114 year old amusement park and a whole new generation of visitors.

There are 12 new 'Nick' themed rides in the new 6 acre area of the Pleasure Beach, with a focus on thrill rides for the under 12s. Getting wet is very much part of the fun.

What struck me as I attended the official opening yesterday was the high quality of the whole park: staff and service were all fantastic and the park was spotless and bright.

The partnership with Nickelodeon means that another international brand joins Merlin (who are due to open the new Madame Tussauds in the Blackpool next week) to bring significant new marketing muscle and profile for the resort.

http://nick.co.uk/nickelodeonland/