Annual Television Special and Theme Park Event
The Children’s Entertainment Hall of Fame (CEHOF) is being established to honor an individual’s lifetime contribution to children's music, film, television, video and the performing arts. There will be between 5 and 10 inductees (we expect names of the caliber of Walt Disney, Jim Henson, Shari Lewis, William Hanna, Joseph Barbera, and Irvin Feld) each year.
A 90-minute television special and week-long theme park event, "A Celebration of Children's Entertainment," will honor these men and women.
The CEHOF facility does not have to be built in order for this television special to be produced. In fact, the television special will serve as a fundraiser for the facility.
The television program will be modeled after those typical "Christmas at Walt Disney World" specials, with theme park performances intercut with interviews, film clips, and award presentations. The special would be broadcast on Father’s Day of each year. Father’s Day, in mid-June, has been chosen to best impact theme park summer attendance.
This is a powerful opportunity for a broadcaster to:
• create an “evergreen” television special that attracts both adults and children
• attract the superstars of children's entertainment to the event
• create a long-running television franchise
• promote their programming and licenses through on-air performances
A similar event was held at the Opryland USA theme park in Nashville, Tennessee on June 18, 1995. The event was built around the Children’s Entertainment Awards, then given out by the American Academy of Children’s Entertainment, a non-profit trade association in the children’s music and video business.
Theme park attendance increased 33% that day due to the event. While no stand-alone television special was produced, The Nashville Network devoted its top-rated prime-time variety show, Music City Tonight, to AACE's award winners the evening of June 19.
The CEHOF Inductions
Plaques commemorating the honor of being inducted into CEHOF will be given to inductees and/or family members throughout the theme park. There will not be any banquet ceremony, although celebration parties are planned (see details later in this proposal).
Stars from the world of family entertainment -- Raven-Simone, Amanda Bynes, Big Bird, the cast of Blue’s Clues, Barney the dinosaur, and others – will present the plaques and honor the inductees with performances.
The program will be hosted by a popular, bona-fide, family entertainment star. For presenters, "old-timers" (Chuck McCann, Soupy Sales, etc.) will be paired with "new-timers" (Hillary Duff, Steve of Blue’s Clues, etc.).
The inductions offer ample opportunities for film clips and musical performances.
Park Performances
Performances will be scheduled in various theme park theatres and locales to both promote the theme park and honor the CEHOF inductees. The casual theme park atmosphere will give us live audiences of relaxed, non-cranky children.
The goal is to expose as many quality children's entertainers as possible to the international audience.
By spreading out, and taping, performances throughout one week’s time, the theme park will get the most return on its investment.
Ancillary Promotional Opportunities
Consumer Promotions
1) Television/Radio Marketing
CEHOF would work to get a television or radio morning program to broadcast live from the theme park.
2. Music Marketing
CEHOF would to work with a major retailer (K-Mart, Target, etc.) to develop POP materials that spotlight inductee’s product. Promotional and advertising support will be created under the umbrella theme "A Salute To Children's Entertainment and the Children's Entertainment Hall of Fame."
2. Contest Marketing
CEHOF will create a songwriting contest (and will pursue media and corporate sponsors for it) with the winning child and his or her family receiving an all-expenses paid trip to the theme park for the event.
3. On-Line Marketing
CEHOF will work with major international entertainment websites to create a parallel awards program, with kids nominating and voting for the award winners. At the theme park, our internet partner will be on-line so that children from all over the world can interview our inductees.
4. Consumer Magazine Promotion
CEHOF will pursue a major consumer magazine tie-in. "A Salute to the Children's Entertainment Hall of Fame" would be a special section filled with information about the inductees, and advertising from all major and minor children's entertainment producers aimed at the consumer.
This promotion would carry a bonus circulation, which will be given out to attendees at the theme park event.
Trade Promotions
1. Program
We envision The Hollywood Reporter, or other entertainment industry trade magazine, producing the official CEHOF program. Hollywood Reporter would sell ads to companies interested in congratulating them. The program would appear as a special insert in the Hollywood Reporter's entire worldwide circulation.
2. After-Taping Parties
Corporate sponsors will be attracted to underwrite special parties ("The Songwriter's Ball," "The President's Reception," etc.) at the theme park. These adults-only events would be another way for CEHOF’s sponsors and members to pay tribute to the CEHOF inductees.
A 90-minute television special and week-long theme park event, "A Celebration of Children's Entertainment," will honor these men and women.
The CEHOF facility does not have to be built in order for this television special to be produced. In fact, the television special will serve as a fundraiser for the facility.
The television program will be modeled after those typical "Christmas at Walt Disney World" specials, with theme park performances intercut with interviews, film clips, and award presentations. The special would be broadcast on Father’s Day of each year. Father’s Day, in mid-June, has been chosen to best impact theme park summer attendance.
This is a powerful opportunity for a broadcaster to:
• create an “evergreen” television special that attracts both adults and children
• attract the superstars of children's entertainment to the event
• create a long-running television franchise
• promote their programming and licenses through on-air performances
A similar event was held at the Opryland USA theme park in Nashville, Tennessee on June 18, 1995. The event was built around the Children’s Entertainment Awards, then given out by the American Academy of Children’s Entertainment, a non-profit trade association in the children’s music and video business.
Theme park attendance increased 33% that day due to the event. While no stand-alone television special was produced, The Nashville Network devoted its top-rated prime-time variety show, Music City Tonight, to AACE's award winners the evening of June 19.
The CEHOF Inductions
Plaques commemorating the honor of being inducted into CEHOF will be given to inductees and/or family members throughout the theme park. There will not be any banquet ceremony, although celebration parties are planned (see details later in this proposal).
Stars from the world of family entertainment -- Raven-Simone, Amanda Bynes, Big Bird, the cast of Blue’s Clues, Barney the dinosaur, and others – will present the plaques and honor the inductees with performances.
The program will be hosted by a popular, bona-fide, family entertainment star. For presenters, "old-timers" (Chuck McCann, Soupy Sales, etc.) will be paired with "new-timers" (Hillary Duff, Steve of Blue’s Clues, etc.).
The inductions offer ample opportunities for film clips and musical performances.
Park Performances
Performances will be scheduled in various theme park theatres and locales to both promote the theme park and honor the CEHOF inductees. The casual theme park atmosphere will give us live audiences of relaxed, non-cranky children.
The goal is to expose as many quality children's entertainers as possible to the international audience.
By spreading out, and taping, performances throughout one week’s time, the theme park will get the most return on its investment.
Ancillary Promotional Opportunities
Consumer Promotions
1) Television/Radio Marketing
CEHOF would work to get a television or radio morning program to broadcast live from the theme park.
2. Music Marketing
CEHOF would to work with a major retailer (K-Mart, Target, etc.) to develop POP materials that spotlight inductee’s product. Promotional and advertising support will be created under the umbrella theme "A Salute To Children's Entertainment and the Children's Entertainment Hall of Fame."
2. Contest Marketing
CEHOF will create a songwriting contest (and will pursue media and corporate sponsors for it) with the winning child and his or her family receiving an all-expenses paid trip to the theme park for the event.
3. On-Line Marketing
CEHOF will work with major international entertainment websites to create a parallel awards program, with kids nominating and voting for the award winners. At the theme park, our internet partner will be on-line so that children from all over the world can interview our inductees.
4. Consumer Magazine Promotion
CEHOF will pursue a major consumer magazine tie-in. "A Salute to the Children's Entertainment Hall of Fame" would be a special section filled with information about the inductees, and advertising from all major and minor children's entertainment producers aimed at the consumer.
This promotion would carry a bonus circulation, which will be given out to attendees at the theme park event.
Trade Promotions
1. Program
We envision The Hollywood Reporter, or other entertainment industry trade magazine, producing the official CEHOF program. Hollywood Reporter would sell ads to companies interested in congratulating them. The program would appear as a special insert in the Hollywood Reporter's entire worldwide circulation.
2. After-Taping Parties
Corporate sponsors will be attracted to underwrite special parties ("The Songwriter's Ball," "The President's Reception," etc.) at the theme park. These adults-only events would be another way for CEHOF’s sponsors and members to pay tribute to the CEHOF inductees.
