Premier Exhibitions

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Poster for its Titantic exhibition at the Discovery Times Square Exposition in 2009

Premier Exhibitions Inc NASDAQ: PRXI is an Atlanta, Georgia-based company that organizes traveling exhibitions.

Its two most prominent exhibits are artifacts from the RMS Titanic (for which it is the sole legal guardian of the artifacts)[citation needed] and BODIES... The Exhibition in which it displays cadavers arranged in lifelike poses via plastination from the Dalian Medical University (through its Dalian Medical University Plastination Company subsidiary)[1] in China.

It has multiple exhibits of both bodies and Titanic running at the same time in different venues. In 2008 it entered into a 10-year lease for more than 36,000 square feet (3,300 m2) at the Luxor Las Vegas for exhibits of Titanic and bodies there.[2]

History

RMS Titanic Inc.

Premier Exhibitions has it roots in the New York-based company RMS Titanic Inc. and Titanic Ventures Limited Partnership. In 1987, G. Michael Harris Co-Founded Oceanic Research & Exploration (ORE)which secured the Charter Agreement with IFREMER in March 1987. ORE then partnered with Titanic Ventures Limited Partnership, founded and managed by George Tulloch (August 6, 1944 - January 21, 2004), they partnered with and the French oceanographic institution IFREMER and completed 32 dives to Titanic in the deep diving submersible “Nautile". This was the first expedition to Titanic conducted with the purpose of recovering artifacts. This is the greatest number of deep-sea dives ever completed for any televised project.

in 1992, Titanic Ventures would eventually evolve into the public company RMS Titanic, Inc. with the OTC ticker symbol of SOST.[3] In 1994 it won a Virginia court order to obtain salvor-in-possession rights to the ship.[4] RMS Titanic Inc. subsequently conducted research and recovery expeditions to the wreck of Titanic in 1993, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2004, and 2010 and has collected over 5,500 artifacts.[5]

In 2010, the Company collaborated with some of the world’s leading oceanographic and archaeological professionals, in executing its eighth and most technologically advanced expedition to Titanic ever conducted. The expedition produced the first comprehensive survey map of Titanic, including imaging the bow and stern sections and her entire artifact debris field in high resolution sonar and 3D optical imagery. This data will form the basis of an archaeological and site management plan in an effort to preserve Titanic, as well as to provide the public with the first-ever virtual picture of the ship in her current state.[6]

1999 takeover

In 1999 founder Arnie Geller (Atlanta, Georgia), John Joslyn (Los Angeles, California), G. Michael Harris (Belleair, Florida), and music promoter Joseph B. Marsh (who handled tours for Janet Jackson, David Copperfield, and Fleetwood Mac) led a takeover and ousting of Tulloch.[7]

Arnie Geller was installed as President and CEO of the company and G. Michael Harris was installed as Chief Operating Officer as well as Secretary of the Corporation RMS Titanic, Inc. G. Michael Harris and Arnold Geller fired all officers and Directors for misapropreation of Company assets and were the only two remaining Directors of the Company.[8] Mr. John Joslyn was a shareholder of RMST but had no part in the Takeover of the Company in 1999.[9]

Bodies

In October 2004 the company changed its name to Premier Exhibitions and changed its ticker symbol to initially to PXHB on the OTC after it branched out with the Bodies exhibition after it acquired the The Universe Within Touring Company, LLC.[10]

The Body exhibits is now the primary money maker for the firm with presenting 19 separate human anatomy exhibitions at 33 venues while the Titanic is on exhibit at 15 locations in 2009.[10]

In 2009 the company reported that 19% of its revenue comes from Titanic and 67% from Bodies with the rest among its other exhibitions.[2]

The Body exhibits have generated considerable controversy over their appropriateness and questioning the practice of selling cadavers for public display without family permission.[1]

The company changed its ticker symbol again to PRXI when it was listed on NASDAQ.

2009

In 2009 its other exhibits include "Dialog in the Dark" in which visitors pass through an exhibit totally without light.[11] and Star Trek: The Exhibition.[12]

RMS Titanic Inc.

RMS Titanic Inc. has been the wreck's legal salvager since 1994. Starting in 2009 they changed their approach to that of closer co-operation with Titanic preservation and regulatory bodies, an approach in place circa 2012.[13]

External links

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Negative publicity piles on Premier Exhibitions". Atlanta Business Chronicle. February 27, 2008. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Form 10-K". 2009. Archived from the original on 2012-02-26. 
  3. ↑ "RMS Titanic, Inc. Announces Name Change and Holding Company Formation". 2004-10-15. Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. 
  4. ↑ Elia, Ricardo (2000-09-20). "Titanic in the Courts - Archaeology Magazine Archive". Archive.archaeology.org. Retrieved 2013-10-24. 
  5. ↑ "Premier Exhibitions - Exclusive Steward of RMS Titanic". Prxi.com. 1912-04-15. Retrieved 2013-10-24. 
  6. ↑ "About Us". RMS Titanic, Inc. Retrieved 2013-12-26. 
  7. ↑ Testerman, Jeff (August 15, 2005). "A 'Titanic' tale behind 'Bodies'". St. Petersburg Times. 
  8. ↑ "RMS Titanic, Inc. to Conduct First Research and Recovery Expedition to the RMS... - re> ATLANTA, Aug. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/". Georgia: Prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2012-06-05. 
  9. ↑ United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (2005). "No. 04-1687 (Unpublished), D'Addario vs. Geller, Marsh, Couture, et al". 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Premier Exhibitions Inc (PRXI.O)". Reuters. 
  11. ↑ "DIALOG IN THE DARK - Your Senses Will Never Be The Same | Home". Dialogtickets.com. Retrieved 2011-06-05. 
  12. ↑ "Star Trek - The Exhibition - Home". Startrekexhibition.com. Retrieved 2011-06-05. 
  13. ↑ Sides, Hampton (April 2012). "The lights are finally on". National Geographic Magazine. 
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