'Tut', 'First Emperor' exhibits galvanize Atlanta arts

In three months, when "Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs" and "The First Emperor: China's Terracotta Army" open to museum visitors, Atlanta will become the tomb-treasures capital of America.

But already, the unplanned convergence of these two exhibits, created from two of the greatest archeological discoveries of the 20th century, has prompted furious advance ticket sales, spawned a level of institutional collaboration Atlanta hasn't seen since the 1996 Olympics, and set in motion a major cultural tourism campaign.

In addition to joint marketing, a combination ticket to both shows and special bus service, plans are afoot for institutions such as Zoo Atlanta and the Atlanta Botanical Garden to be involved.

Exhibits featuring Tut and the Chinese soldiers have been wildly popular in previous venues, and Atlanta is the only city in America that will be showing them simultaneously.

"This is to cultural tourism what Olympics is to sport," said Melinda Ennis-Roughton, executive director of Brand Atlanta, the public-private partnership marketing entity. "This is a huge opportunity for the city."

How huge? According to an economic impact study done of a 2007 Tut exhibit in Philadelphia, 85 percent of its 1.3 million visitors were from outside the city. The study estimated that the exhibition generated $127 million during its eight-month run.

Brand Atlanta and the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau are working to take advantage of this one-two punch — not just to draw tourists but also to raise awareness of all of Atlanta cultural offerings.

A multi-pronged campaign called "Treasures Fit for Kings" is in development. The Brand Atlanta/ACVB team has raised $1 million in cash and in-kind contributions from such sponsors as CNN, Delta, Macy's and American Express. Among the plans: TV spots in CNN's 23 airport venues and an in-flight Delta video. American Express will offer a 25 percent discount on combination tickets to its card members.

The team is also in talks with MARTA about special bus routes to connect hotels and the two exhibition sites, the High Museum of Art and the Civic Center.

Hottest tickets in town?

Ticket reservations are already strong. The High Museum reports close to 20,000 reservations for the Terracotta Warriors exhibit, which opens Nov. 16 and runs through April 19.

"This is really an unbelievable record for us," said Susan Clark, the High's director of marketing and communications, "more than double what we got for the first year of the [three-year Louvre Atlanta partnership], and we haven't done our major marketing yet."

"Tut," hosted by Emory University's Michael C. Carlos Museum, has 29,000 pre-registrations and group reservations. Bryan Harris, vice president of marketing for Arts and Exhibitions International (AEI), which is mounting the Tut exhibit, said, "We're hoping for 750,000 visitors, and we are ahead of projections."

The institutional partnerships being planned are geared to enrich the experience for the local community.

"We think Tut represents a great opportunity for us to collaborate with other institutions," says Carlos Museum director Bonnie Speed. "We are exploring all the different ways to look at Egyptian culture."

Among the collaborations planned during the run of the show, Nov. 15-May 22:

• •The Atlanta premiere of Philip Glass's "Akhnaten," an opera about the radical pharaoh co-presented by the Atlanta Opera.

• •An "Egyptomania" tour: A bus tour to the Fox Theatre, Oakland Cemetery and the High Museum led by Peter Lacovara, curator of ancient Egyptian, Nubian, and Near Eastern art, to highlight Egyptian revival art and architecture in Atlanta.

• •Botanical scavenger hunt: At the Atlanta Botanical Garden, visitors can search for the 10 existing Egyptian plants in the collection.

• •Zoo Atlanta workshops: Programming for children about animals that roamed ancient Egypt.

Economy not a factor

Rising gas prices don't seem to have daunted enthusiasts. However, AEI proactively instituted an offer of a $100 gas voucher to tour groups of 40 or more from outside a 150-mile radius. AEI is working on a similar program for area schools, many of which have declared moratoriums on field trips.