SEATTLE (August 9, 2007) — Hayden Panettiere, cheerleader Claire Bennet on the Emmy-nominated NBC television series “Heroes,” will make an appearance in Indianapolis on Sunday, August 19 at Gen Con Indy courtesy of Bella Sara, the horse-themed trading cards and online world for girls. Panettiere will discuss “Following Your Dreams” and sign autographs throughout the day in the Family Fun Pavilion, a new, family-themed addition to the Gen Con lineup that is also presented by Bella Sara. Gen Con will offer special $25 Family Passes that will allow a family of four to attend on Sunday from noon until the show closes at 4:00 p.m.
Attendees will find Panettiere in the Bella Sara booth, a fun and friendly place where kids can access
www.bellasara.com to activate, play with and care for virtual horses. Kids can also get exclusive Bella Sara promotional cards and free signed posters and participate in arts and crafts and storytelling activities every day of the show. The Bella Sara booth, Booth #1439, is located in the Family Fun Pavilion, a new addition to Gen Con where families can find the games that appeal most to them. In the pavilion, families can find everything from video games to board games, participate in fun activities the whole family will enjoy and make friends who play the same games.
“I am excited to come to Indianapolis and meet all the ‘Heroes’ and Bella Sara fans at the Gen Con convention,” said Panettiere.
“Hayden Panettiere has achieved so much at a young age, and the character she plays on ‘Heroes’ is a girl others can admire, which makes her a perfect fit for Bella Sara and the Family Fun Pavilion at Gen Con Indy 2007,” said Peter D. Adkison, CEO of Hidden City Games, the company behind Bella Sara’s successful debut in the United States earlier this year.
Bella Sara trading cards feature stunningly designed and imaginatively artistic imagery of horses, along with inspirational sayings that promote inner beauty, emotional strength, and self-worth, including one card that tells girls to “Be the hero in your own story.” The cards can be used in games, and also to activate and nurture virtual horses in the online world of Bella Sara at
www.bellasara.com, a child-friendly website that features horse dress-up, jumping and riding games, plus puzzles, coloring books, interactive activities and much more. Hidden City Games brought Bella Sara, already a phenomenon in Scandinavia, to the United States in March through major retailers including Blockbuster, Kmart, Target, Toys “R” Us, and Wal-Mart, as well as via regional chains and toy, hobby and equestrian shops.
Bella Sara cards recently won a slew of awards, including the “Best Products — Spring 2007” award from Dr. Toy, the “Seal of Excellence” from Creative Child magazine and “2007 Excellent Product” and “2007 Outstanding Product” designations from iParenting Media.
Gen Con, which runs from Thursday, August 16 through Sunday, August 19 at the Indiana Convention Center, is North America’s largest annual sci-fi and adventure game convention, where consumers, game manufacturers and vendors get together to experience the latest and greatest the gaming industry has to offer.
A four-day badge is $75, and a one-day badge is $45 and can be purchased onsite. Children eight and under are free with an accompanying adult. On Sunday Gen Con will offer special $25 Family Passes that allow a family of four to attend from noon until the show closes at 4:00 p.m.
For more information visit
www.gencon.com.
About Hidden City Games, LLC
Hidden City Games, LLC is a privately held company headquartered in Seattle, Washington and is the exclusive licensor of Bella Sara for worldwide distribution outside of Scandinavia. The company is headed by an experienced executive team, including founder and CEO Peter D. Adkison, who formerly founded Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Jesper Myrfors, chief creative officer and original art director for Magic: The Gathering; and Paul Peterson, HCG’s vice president of research and development, who was previously on the R&D team for Magic: The Gathering. Under Adkison’s leadership, Wizards of the Coast created an entirely new genre of games with the release of Magic: The Gathering, which was the world’s first trading card game, published in 13 languages and loved by millions of players around the world. Additionally, Adkison introduced Pokémon trading cards to North America and reinvigorated the hugely popular Dungeons & Dragons brand after acquiring it from TSR. Adkison grew Wizards into a multimillion-dollar company before selling it to Hasbro in 1999 for nearly $500 million.
About Gen Con
Gen Con, LLC produces the largest consumer fantasy, sci-fi and adventure game convention in North America. Its operations include Gen Con Indy, Star Wars Celebration IV, and licensees for European and Asia Pacific Gen Con shows. It was acquired in May of 2002 by former CEO and founder of Wizards of the Coast Peter Adkison, who solely owns the company headquartered in Seattle, Washington. The company’s mission is to create The Best Four Days in Gaming! every year for its customers. For more information visit the website at
www.gencon.com.
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Media Contact:
Jonathan Zaleski/Patricia Handschiegel
Schwartzman & Associates, Inc.
(310) 446-8310
jzaleski@schwartzmanpr.comph@schwartzmanpr.com © 2007 Hidden City Games, LLC. BELLA SARA is a trademark of conceptcard and used by Hidden City Games under license. HIDDEN CITY GAMES is a trademark of Hidden City Games, LLC, in the U.S.A. and elsewhere.
www.hiddencitygames.com
