The Producers of the Canadian Awards for the Electronic and Animated Arts (CAEAA 2006), or "The Elans", are offering up a once-in-a-lifetime evening with Host William Shatner to the highest bidder.
The package, dubbed "The Shat Pack" will include all the Hollywood glitz a person could dream of, along with worldwide magazine, newspaper and television cameras focused on them as they walk the red carpet with Shatner. And as "William Shatner's Host to the Elans", the lucky winner needn't feel guilty about enjoying the excessive amount of attention they have purchased for themselves as they wave to the Entertainment Tonight cameras, because through their purchase of the extravagant evening they will have made a charity contribution of $10,000 to The Richmond Therapeutic Equestrian Society, Vancouver's answer to charities close to Shatner's heart, Ahead with Horses and Camp Max Straus for which he has annually raised money through his Hollywood Charity Horse Show for the past sixteen years.
Captain Kirk, who "boldly dared to go where no man has gone before", will be landing in Richmond, British Columbia on September 14th to Host the first annual Awards Show, The Elans (CAEAA), at the fabulous River Rock Show Theatre to honour Canadian achievements in three sectors of the Electronic and Animated Arts industry: talent development (New Media and Animation Art Schools), animation, and video game development. William Shatner's Host to the Elans will get to share the memories of his adventures in space and be inspired by his passion to help children with disabilities through Therapeutic Horseback Riding programs. The "Shat Pack" sponsorship will not only provide the opportunity to spend time with Shatner in a V.I.P. Award Show setting, Shatner's Host will also be helping a very special "Therapeutic Horseback Riding Program" for children with disabilities in Richmond " Helping children to "boldly go where they have never been able to go before".
From a business point-of-view, the successful bidder will be purchasing a unique opportunity to associate themselves with a Hollywood celebrity and an Awards Show that has become a worldwide public draw through the media as The Elans award excellence in Video Gaming, Animation and the education of both to Canadians at the top of these industries around the world. The Video Gaming industry is a 30 billion dollar-a-year industry alone, more lucrative now than the movie industry by at least 2 billion dollars. "What a great way to promote a business or personal image that is deductible as an advertising and promotion expense," remarks Geoff Dodds, C.A. of Buckley Dodds & Associates, the official accounting firm that will handle the winning ballots for the CAEAA 2006.
And, of course, just "for the fun-of-it", William Shatner's Host to the Elans will arrive via limo with Mr. Shatner at the River Rock Resort and walk the red carpet with him in front of the public and approximately 100 media members from around the world. They will then attend the Oscar-dress Champagne Gala Reception held in the resort's two-level gallery connected with a Hollywood-style sweeping staircase with Mr. Shatner and approximately 400-600 VIPs as well as the media. The Host Sponsor and their guest will be seated at the Producer's dinner table for the Awards Show. The VIP tables are on a 2-level tiered theatre floor around the stage where the Awards Show will take place over a 3-4 course dinner, Golden Globe-style. At the end of the evening, the "Host to the Host" will go up onto the stage to take part in the actual awards show itself, presenting Mr. Shatner personally with the Award for Industry Legend in front of 390 VIPs, 300 public attendees (seated above in the gallery theatre seats) and 100 media members all with cameras rolling, light bulbs flashing and microphones held close. Recognition for their important contribution will be made by Mr. Shatner and then, of course, there's the After-Party to attend! A suite-for-two at the River Rock Resort and a champagne breakfast round off this remarkable experience.
Sponsors already behind the Canadian Awards for the Electronic and Animated Arts 2006 include EA, Mainframe Entertainment, Ubisoft, A2M, Autodesk, Foundation 9, Propaganda Games, BVG, Studio B, Voicebox, Nitrogen, Bardel, Toon Boom, Western Imperial Magnetics, David Kaye Productions, Budget Monks, British Columbia Film, Sheridan Institute, VanArts Vancouver Institute of Media Arts, Selkirk College, The Art Institute of Vancouver, Emily Carr Institute and Dean Lauzé of D'Arts.
For more information on the first year of this high tech/high glam awards event and to place your bid, visit www.caeaa.com.