At-Bristol Science Centre's 'In the Zone' exhibition has won an award at the prestigious Event Awards 2013, run by Event Magazine.

Originally conceived as a travelling exhibition to celebrate the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games as part of the Wellcome Trust's In the Zone initiative, the exhibition took the award for 'Creative Event of the Year', in a competitive category that recognises events which have "surpassed all expectations".

The award ceremony took place on Friday 4th October at The Roundhouse in London, with In the Zone team members Dan Bird, Andy Cocco and Amanda Kerin on hand to accept the award. In the Zone beat Concerto Live, George P Johnson, RPM and Sledge to win the coveted award, which covered a wide remit of creative events.

Supported by the Wellcome Trust, the At-Bristol Exhibitions team designed and delivered the free exhibition, which toured the UK throughout the summer of 2012, bringing the excitement of the Olympic and Paralympic Games to all four UK nations. The show reached over 90,000 people at 16 community open-air events, including county agricultural shows, music festivals, and balloon and airshows between March and September 2012.

With five high-tech interactive exhibits, a live and responsive show with audience participation, and the opportunity for visitors to share data, images and video via social media, the exhibition offered an invigorating insight to the science behind people's bodies. In the Zone is championed by five-time Olympic Gold medallist Sir Steve Redgrave CBE, who formally launched the initiative in January 2012.

In the Zone has now taken up residence in At-Bristol, so visitors can experience the award-winning exhibition for themselves - visitors can see their veins under near-infra red cameras, explore forces with high-speed cameras and force plates and learn more about muscle fatigue with an uphill hand-cycle challenge! Plus, At-Bristol's unique Explore More technology means that every interaction is captured and the data and footage is ready for further exploration when you return home or to school.

Dan Bird, At-Bristol's Exhibitions Director said: "We are absolutely thrilled to have won the coveted Creative Event of the Year award; it really was an excellent project to work on, and it's fantastic that the exhibition is being rewarded for its creative elements, especially when we were up against such stiff competition. We've experienced great success in connecting with the visitor both through the exhibition itself, and with the technology which allows them to continue the experience afterwards, so we're very proud of the team and everything that we've accomplished."

Clare Matterson, Director of Medical Humanities and Engagement at the Wellcome Trust, added: "In the Zone has been a fantastic initiative. From its earliest inception, in schools and on tour, and now at At-Bristol, it has engaged so many visitors with the science of sport and the body, and we are so delighted that it has won the Creative Event of the Year award. It really is a testament to the creativity of all the people involved who have made it such a success."

The team for In the Zone also won the Attractions Team of the Year award at the Bristol Tourism and Hospitality Awards which took place in January 2013. To find out more information about At-Bristol and In the Zone visit http://www.at-bristol.org.uk   

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For further information, contact Jen Forster, PR Manager for At-Bristol - jen.forster@at-bristol.org.uk  or 0117 915 7152/07967 334152.

You can also follow At-Bristol on Twitter: @atbristol, become a fan on Facebook: www.facebook.com/atbristolfans or for a slightly unusual perspective, learn more about our sustainability through the eyes of our robotic peregrine falcon: @brianrobofalcon

Notes to Editors:

1. Press Trips:If you are interested in writing a review of At-Bristol and require press tickets, please e-mail press@at-bristol.org.uk, providing media details and proposed dates of visit
   1. At-Bristol is a leading science centre in the UK and a major player in the worldwide science centre movement with over 200,000 visitors a year, including 50,000 school visits.
   2. At-Bristol makes and develops new exhibitions for Science centres and schools worldwide to purchase and hire, and won the tender to design, develop and build the London2012-inspired touring exhibition, In the Zone, on behalf of the Wellcome Trust ahead of many major exhibit developers in the UK.
   3. At-Bristol aims to be a world-class science centre that makes a distinctive, valued and recognised contribution to science learning and public engagement with science across Europe.
   4. A registered charity, At-Bristol has hosted over four million visits since its opening in June 2000 and continually strives towards making science accessible to all.
   5. At-Bristol receives no central government funding and support from visitors, members, corporate partners and donors means it can continue to make science relevant and fun for future generations.
   6. 7.        At-Bristol has achieved a 20% reduction in energy over 24 months, which won us a West of England Carbon Challenge Carbon Champions award in 2011 and 2012, and we continue to work towards further goals across all areas of sustainability. At-Bristol is currently one of the most sustainable buildings in the country and we were recently awarded Silver in the South West Tourism Excellence Awards due to our sustainable practices, as well as having a Gold Green Tourism Award.
   7. 8.        'In the Zone' is a major UK-wide initiative from the Wellcome Trust exploring how the body works during exercise and rest that was launched to coincide with the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The initiative includes free experiment kits for every UK school that were delivered in February 2012, an interactive 'In the Zone' family exhibition that toured festivals and events around the UK, and the In the Zone Sports Science Pop-up that continues to tour festivals, fairs and events. Designed and delivered by the At-Bristol Science and Discovery Centre, the In the Zone touring exhibition is currently on display at At-Bristol.
   8. 9.        The Wellcome Trust is a global charitable foundation dedicated to achieving extraordinary improvements in human and animal health. It supports the brightest minds in biomedical research and the medical humanities. The Trust's breadth of support includes public engagement, education and the application of research to improve health. It is independent of both political and commercial interests. www.wellcome.ac.uk