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COMMENTS
Comment by:
txtiger on May. 14th, 2010 - 1:30pm
I'll be attending the next EarthQuest Institute (non-profit component) fundraising event at the Heights Theater in Houston, June 2nd 6pm-8pm, and will update this Discussion as best and as quickly as I'm able after the event.
(Don't let the prospect of my reporting, however, discourage any of you from attending as well and supporting the Institute. Call EMCID for details on the event...)
The project team will be giving the latest overview of the status of the project on that Wednesday evening...
Comment by:
Anderson on May. 13th, 2010 - 6:27pm
What I am getting from the article is that they are 'weeding' out the serious investors from the investors that would like to invest - yet may or may not actually be able to see the project through to the end.
It would be a mistake to bring on the first potential investor that says they are willing to see the project through yet for whatever reason abandon the project a year into construction.
I think Marlin/Atlantis should proceed slowly and do their homework in order to have a solid, stable investor that is in it for the long haul and can make this project successful.
The article goes on to mention that they expect to have chosen an investor by mid to late summer of 2010.
It is only late Spring so there is no reason to assume that there are not serious investors that will be brought onboard.
Comment by:
Investors on May. 13th, 2010 - 1:15pm
"Where does it say they dont have investors."
If they haven't chosen an investor yet, it means they have no money yet. The reason they don't have investors yet, is because they haven't found an investor they can work with yet. They haven't come to terms. If they had found a great investor, they would have taken the money already. Investors are always "talking" to people, because that's their job. Fact is, none of those investors have bitten the bullet yet.
Comment by:
PorterResident on May. 13th, 2010 - 1:09pm
Where does it say they dont have investors. They way I understand it is that the project has several funding options. One is public. The other is private investment. They were going to use the public option at first but word has it they found 'several" intersted parties that may want to do it privately.
Believe it or not naysayers....its coming.
Comment by:
Anderson on May. 11th, 2010 - 3:29pm
"We've been working on this project for two years," said Thomas. "It's been a very full two years because it's a very complicated project."
Comment by:
Anderson on May. 11th, 2010 - 3:27pm
"We've gotten a very interested list of prospective investors," she said. "They have to do their due diligence, and part of the process is that we do due diligence on them. We have to know they have the wherewithal to fund the entire project. We have to weed out those who are questionable."
Comment by:
Anderson on May. 11th, 2010 - 3:27pm
Thomas said there is a team of five people working on the investment marketing, adding that the process is going very well at this time.
Comment by:
Anderson on May. 11th, 2010 - 3:26pm
Barrette said he expects an investment partner to come in some time mid- to late summer this year.
Comment by:
Maylay on May. 11th, 2010 - 2:49pm
So they finally admit there are no investors or people with money behind this project yet. I feel this has somewhat misleading to the community so far.
Comment by:
Mike Anderson on May. 11th, 2010 - 2:46pm
Here is some more 'reality'...
Deborah Thomas and Rich Barrett of MARLIN ATLANTIS told the EMCID directors that response from potential investors has been positive. The marketing team is working to find some $500 million in investment money for the EarthQuest project.
"We've been working on this project for two years," said Thomas. "It's been a very full two years because it's a very complicated project."
With multiple feasibility and market penetration studies, design tweaking, construction projections and verifications of those projections, a marketing package was finally ready to take before potential investors late last fall, she said.
The finished product being taken to investment bankers and other investment markets is "stunning" and a "real eye-catcher," said Thomas.
Barrett told directors at a meeting earlier this month that the marketing team is well aware of the challenges presented by the current unavailability of some capital markets. However, the team has approached other non-traditional, high level investors for this project.
"We've looked at a lot of Texas-centric and Houston-centric investors," he said. "We have a deep dialog with the Indian Nation and have been traveling through Europe as well."
Thomas said there is a team of five people working on the investment marketing, adding that the process is going very well at this time.
"We've gotten a very interested list of prospective investors," she said. "They have to do their due diligence, and part of the process is that we do due diligence on them. We have to know they have the wherewithal to fund the entire project. We have to weed out those who are questionable."
Currently, the marketing group is talking to six investors, Thomas said.
"And, any one of them could come to the table with the money," said Thomas. "Bottom line, it is looking very good. It is not a matter of if. It is a matter of when we get the funding."
Barrette said he expects an investment partner to come in some time mid- to late summer this year.
Thomas also told directors that although she is primarily focused on raising the half-billion dollars for the for-profit part of EarthQuest, she is always on the lookout for support for the non-profit EarthQuest Institute.
In the second newsletter from EarthQuest it says,
"We will share information about the timeline for groundbreaking and construction as it becomes clear".
Comment by:
Vessmech on May. 11th, 2010 - 11:40am
No negativity here...only reality.
I am familiar with marketing and investor relations and realize that what is stated in the public domain does not always reflect the true status of a project.
Moblu - care to share what is happening with the financing for the park? How much that has been spent on marketing, web site design/hosting and State lobbying was EMCID money vs. Marlin Atlantis funds?
Comment by:
moblu on May. 11th, 2010 - 11:27am
Well... maybe we'll have those updates, as a result of this cocktail party. Be positive... negativity is so ugly!
Comment by:
Vessmech on May. 10th, 2010 - 12:03pm
So....where is all of the construction activities? I recall Mr. McCrady being quite positive back in March that the financing would be in place by now, but I have seen no announcement.
Instead of marketing for museum dollars, I would rather see updates on where they are in the process of getting this park built.
No money = no park
Comment by:
moblu on May. 8th, 2010 - 12:20pm
The Earthquest Institute (museum and research facility) is non-profit.
The Earthquest Adventures Theme Park is for-profit.
Comment by:
A non-profit! on May. 8th, 2010 - 11:12am
How can it be a non-profit with all these investors? someboday is going to make lots of money and I know it's not going to be FREE to the public.
Perry is backing them up with all kinds of tax breaks.
Comment by:
Bill M on May. 6th, 2010 - 9:33am
Subject: EarthQuest Institute Fundraiser and Information Session
Dear Friends,
The EarthQuest Institute is pleased to invite you to a cocktail party fundraiser on Wednesday evening, June 2, 2010 from 6pm-8pm at the Heights Theater, 339 West 19 Street, in Houston, Texas.
Please consider joining our team, including Don Lessem, the founder and Chief Creative Officer of the EarthQuest Institute, Dr. Matthew Gardner, Chief Science Officer of the EarthQuest Institute, Chris Brown, the President of Contour Entertainment, as well as the project developer and other members of our team. They will present the latest developments in the EarthQuest Institute and EarthQuest Adventures Theme Park projects, describe their visions, and walk you through the various elements of the project. Drinks and appetizers will be served.
Tickets are available for a donation of $100 per person, which will be used to fund the activities of the EarthQuest Institute, a non-profit, 501 c3 organization.
Here are links to PDF versions of the invitation and the response form.
For more information, or to purchase tickets to the event, please call 281-354-4419, or email info@earthquestinstitute.org.
Sincerely,
The EarthQuest Institute Team
Comment by:
on Apr. 19th, 2010 - 7:21pm
thats whats poppin...i cant wait
Comment by:
cj on Apr. 15th, 2010 - 6:38pm
Comment by:
George on Apr. 13th, 2010 - 2:10pm
This Newsletter was sent out today from Earthquest:
-----------
Welcome from the EarthQuest Institute
Thanks for reading the second newsletter from the EarthQuest Institute. First, an update: We are continuing to make progress on the fundraising for the EarthQuest Institute and the EarthQuest Adventures Theme Park. Even in these economically challenging times, there is tremendous interest from the investment community in this project. The Houston region does not have a major destination theme park and resort, the EarthQuest Institute is a globally unique concept that plays directly into the region's reputation as a global energy hub, and lastly, people are hungry for information about energy and the environment.The time is right for a project such as this.
We will share information about the timeline for groundbreaking and construction as it becomes clear. We anticipate sending out these newsletters once a quarter for now, and more frequently as we have new information to provide. As everyone can appreciate, it takes great effort to put the pieces in place for a project of this scope. Stay tuned....
Programs at the EarthQuest Institute will present the latest developments about the science and technology of energy and the environment.
Our Mission
"The mission of the EarthQuest Institute is to further public understanding about the connections between society’s need for energy and for environmental conservation and to continually empower people to make informed decisions about living in ways that preserve the planet and its resources.".
This sums it up. We at the EarthQuest Institute are committed to the idea that we Americans, and we citizens of this planet, can have our cake and eat it too. We are smart enough, innovative enough, caring enough and brave enough to figure out ways that we can meet our need for energy, while also protecting and preserving our planet, particularly its life support systems upon which we all depend.
The problem we see is this: the debates about environmental protection, climate change and energy supply and demand have become so politicized and polarized, and frankly so loud and shrill, that the public has tuned out. No matter what side of the argument you listen to, all you hear are loud voices that are trying to shout over the other side. Gloom and doom dominate. This is the wrong way to succeed.
There is no doubt that we, as humans on this planet, face huge challenges regarding energy, the environment, to say nothing of the economy. But we insist on taking a different path, and building the EarthQuest Institute, and the EarthQuest Adventures Theme Park as places that celebrate our ingenuity and bring fun, excitement and a sense of discovery so we can meet these challenges head on.
Dr. Matthew Gardner is the Chief Science Officer of the EarthQuest Institute
Don's Corner
Come back, Bill Nye. If a P.R. agency was in charge of promoting science education, they'd have been sacked long ago. Sadly, we equate the concept of science education with the way we learned science: by rote, and badly. You don't need me to tell you why science education matters. Any number of gloomy analysts can trace Americ'as ever-dwindling role as a global economic power with our inability to provide a competitive science education.
But what is scarcely mentioned is the missing key equation to that success: science = fun.
Fun?
Educators shy away from the word as if fun were only frivolity. It's the joy at the heart of science - the wonder of how things work. One of America's abiding strengths is its ingenuity. The spirit of inquiry and personal freedom in learning sparks our innovation. If we can turn science learning from perspiration to inspiration, we will be creating a climate of creativity that encourages science learning and science achieving.
But science isn't the sole province of scientists and students. We are all looking for ways to incorporate science into our daily lives - to live more efficiently, more sustainably, more economically. The research that can inform our daily decisions is seldom presented in a way we can absorb it. We all want a clear, simple, FUN science education. That means making science education direct, accessible, and most of all enjoyable to all.
At the EarthQuest Institute, we're working and playing, to do just that.
Don Lessem is the Founder and Chief Creative Officer of the EarthQuest Institute
EarthQuest Institute Quiz
The quiz in our last newsletter asked which of the following uses the largest percentage of electricity in our homes? Air conditioning, home electronics, or heating? Answer: It depends! It is either heating or air conditioning. Because we are in the Houston region, we all know that air conditioners are used far more than heating systems, however in other parts of the country, heating is used more. So after careful review and consultation with our back-benchers, we decided to randomly select the winner from those who chose heating OR air conditioning. Those of you who chose electronics, well, you're out of luck. And the WINNER IS:
Annette Zaage, of Splendora, TX! You will receive a special edition EarthQuest Institute Golf Shirt. Wear it with pride!
Next Quiz:
Which fuel produces more carbon dioxide per gallon when burned, gasoline or diesel fuel?
Send your answers to quiz@earthquestinstitute.org by May 1, 2010 to be entered in a raffle for special edition EarthQuest Institute Merchandise.
State-of-the-art energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies will be deployed throughout the EarthQuest development.
Where is all this Green Stuff?
Right now, there are tons of websites out there talking about Green. There are some really interesting places on the web where you can find information about all kinds of cool stuff that brilliant scientists and creative engineers are thinking up as a way to get cleaner and renewable energy sources up and running; ways of capturing and treating water to help support the massive demands of irrigation and cleaner and greener ways to power our sports cars of tomorrow. But right now there isn’t any place that you can go see all this cool stuff.
That’s where EarthQuest will change things.
Rather than just seeing pictures or reading about all these cool new technologies, you’ll be able to see them in action. We’re going to utilize all of the greenest technologies we can in the development and infrastructure of the EarthQuest Resort. And where they’re not right for widespread integration into our applications, we’re going to have demonstration systems so you can still see them in person and understand what their advantages and disadvantages are.
Theme Park design is a wonderful process that balances all the various aspects of storytelling and aesthetics with technology, cost and performance and we’ll be doing our best to make sure we utilize and showcase as many different types of sustainable systems in our project as we can. It will be an exciting and immersive platform to present choices, opportunities and technologies and this platform will be unlike any other with our focus on exciting and inspiring our guests, all while having fun.
It’s our greatest hope that we’ll help to motivate our guests to adapt, adopt – and maybe even invent – the technologies that will help to propel us all into an optimized and exciting future. And, of course, to have a good time doing it!
Christopher Brown is the President of Contour Entertainment, the lead design firm of the EarthQuest Resort
Comment by:
EQ/IQ on Apr. 12th, 2010 - 1:44pm
Kudos moblu...Lgleysit must be angry about living too far away to enjoy our coming attaction or suffering from the loss of Astroworld or something. Things may be going slow now, but I definitely believe that things will be rolling along very soon! Down with the naysayers. I can't wait to take my kids to see the dinosaur exhibits and ride the rides. EMCID and EQ will do Montgomery Co. proud...EarthQuest is coming!! EarthQuest is coming!!!
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