FiveCurrents Produces Ceremonies and Sports Production at Rio 2007 Pan American Games

MONTEREY, CA--(Marketwire - June 19, 2007) - FiveCurrents, a new creative and production firm based in Monterey, Calif., is producing the ceremonies, sports production, victory ceremonies, and team welcome celebrations at the XV Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, July 13-29, 2007.

"On July 13, close to 100,000 people will pack Rio's Maracanã Stadium for the largest show in Brazil's 500-year history," said Scott Givens, the founder and president of FiveCurrents. Givens is serving as executive producer and director of ceremonies for Rio 2007.

Rio 2007 is positioned to be the most spectacular ceremonies in the history of the Pan American Games. The 5,500 athletes, 95,000 spectators and millions watching on the worldwide television broadcast will be entertained by a cast of 7,000 in the Opening Ceremony and 3,000 in the Closing Ceremony.

"We're using an all-Brazilian creative team and a local production staff of more than 900 to ensure that the Opening Ceremony truly reflects the energy of Brazil," Givens said. "In fact, 97 percent of the team is Brazilian."

Givens, the former creative director of the Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Winter Games, is launching FiveCurrents after spending the last several years as a senior creative executive at Disney, a consultant to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and managing director of San Francisco 2016. Other clients of the new company include the Clinton Global Initiative, the IOC, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center museum and the City Creek Olympic Park in Salt Lake City. With a mission focused on creating experiences that forge emotional connections between people and brands, FiveCurrents plans to work on a wide-ranging list of projects, from stadium spectacles and themed entertainment attractions to museum exhibits and large corporate brand experiences.

"Organizations want to build a stronger emotional connection with their consumers, audience, fans, visitors or anyone else in their world," added Givens. "This connection is the real power behind any great brand in any great industry."

For more information, please visit www.fivecurrents.com, email gthatcher@fivecurrents.com or call 831.624.0700.

Contact Information: Contact: Geoff Thatcher 831.624.0700