Discovery Press Web United States

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New York [Nov. 4, 2019] ‘Tis the season for the return of Santa HQ—the spectacular holiday event presented by HGTV and Macerich that has reimagined the traditional Santa Claus visit at shopping centers across America. The hugely popular attraction will once again make spirits bright and spread festive holiday cheer at 15 sites in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Oregon and Washington, D.C. Santa HQ will be open to visitors seven days a week beginning Wednesday, Nov. 6, through Tuesday, Dec. 24 (closed Thanksgiving Day).

The ultimate holiday experience to delight adults and children alike, Santa HQ is an immersive journey featuring state-of-the-art digital technology. Santa HQ 5.0 features the Magic Mirror that virtually allows visitors to try on the Santa HQ elves’ favorite holiday outfits and an Elf ID station where kids can create a personalized Elf Academy ID card. In addition to a custom photo opportunity with Santa Claus, guests can hop on the Naughty or Nice O’Meter, explore Santa’s Observatory with Elf-Ray Vision, and enjoy a synchronized holiday light show featuring over 10,000 individual lights orchestrated to the tune of “Carol of the Bells.”

While visiting Santa HQ, guests can customize their individual experience by using augmented reality to view Santa’s Observatory in a magical way. Visitors are encouraged to download the Elf-Ray Vision app or use a provided tablet onsite to discover the enchanting world of Santa HQ in stunning 2D and 3D digital scenes.

“Home is at the heart of the holidays, which is why HGTV’s partnership with Macerich on the one-of-a-kind Santa HQ activation is a great fit for the network,” said Karen Bronzo, senior vice president, marketing, HGTV. “Our fans have made this unparalleled experience a staple of their holiday traditions. We love that Santa HQ adds even more fun, joy and wonder to the most wonderful time of the year.”   

Macerich’s high-performing properties have proven appeal for consumers in many of the country’s most attractive markets. “Top brands such as HGTV continue to choose Macerich properties as powerful, physical platforms to connect with their audiences,” said Ken Volk, executive vice president, business development, Macerich. “During the holidays and throughout the year, people in our affluent, urban and suburban markets seek out the dynamic experiences we deliver, including the breakthrough Santa HQ activation that draws families year after year for exceptional visits with Santa in a setting that only HGTV could have created.”  

Reservations for each location can be made in advance at santa-hq.com. Visitors to Santa HQ are encouraged to share their experience on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using #santahq. 

This year, Santa HQ guests will receive access to the all-new Food Network Kitchen app, the new direct-to-consumer service from Discovery. Guests can download the app for free and get a three-month free trial when they sign up for a subscription. The app offers live and on-demand cooking classes for all levels and tastes, taught by celebrity chefs and Food Network stars.

Santa HQ will be featured at the following 15 Macerich properties: 

Arizona:

Chandler Fashion Center, Chandler, opens Nov. 8

Scottsdale Fashion Square, Scottsdale, opens Nov. 14

California:

Fresno Fashion Fair, Fresno, opens Nov. 8

Los Cerritos Center, Cerritos, opens Nov. 8

Lakewood Center, Lakewood, opens Nov. 8

The Oaks, Thousand Oaks, opens Nov. 8

Vintage Faire Mall, Modesto, opens Nov. 8

Colorado:

Flatiron Crossing, Broomfield, opens Nov. 9

Connecticut:

Danbury Fair Mall, Danbury, opens Nov. 7

Illinois:

Fashion Outlets of Chicago, Rosemont, opens Nov. 7

New Jersey:

Deptford Mall, Deptford Township, opens Nov. 6

Freehold Raceway Mall, Freehold, opens Nov. 8

New York:

Queens Center, Elmhurst, opens Nov. 7

Oregon:

Washington Square, Portland, opens Nov. 8

Washington D.C. area:

Tysons Corner Center, Tysons, Va., opens Nov. 9

Santa HQ was conceived in collaboration with HGTV, Macerich and CNX, a New York-based experiential marketing agency.

ABOUT HGTV

HGTV delivers the superstar experts, fascinating families, compelling renovations and stunning transformations that make all things home fun. America’s favorite way to get entertaining, relatable and inspirational home and lifestyle content, HGTV offers: a top 10 cable network that is distributed to more than 88 million U.S. households; a website, HGTV.com, that attracts an average of 10.8 million people each month; a social footprint of 20.6 million; HGTV Magazine, a monthly publication that reaches more than one million readers and exclusive collections of home-oriented products through the HGTV HOME™ consumer products line.  Viewers can become fans of HGTV and interact with other home improvement enthusiasts through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. HGTV is owned by Discovery, Inc., a global leader in real life entertainment spanning 220 countries and territories, whose portfolio also includes Discovery Channel, Food Network, TLC, Investigation Discovery, and OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network.

ABOUT MACERICH

Macerich, an S&P 500 company, is a fully integrated self-managed and self-administered real estate investment trust, which focuses on the acquisition, leasing, management, development and redevelopment of regional malls throughout the United States. 

Macerich currently owns 51 million square feet of real estate consisting primarily of interests in 47 regional shopping centers. Macerich specializes in successful retail properties in many of the country's most attractive, densely populated markets with significant presence on the West Coast, Arizona, Chicago and the Metro New York to Washington, D.C. corridor. A recognized leader in sustainability, Macerich has earned Nareit’s prestigious "Leader in the Light" award every year from 2014-2018. For the fifth straight year in 2019, Macerich achieved the #1 GRESB ranking in the North American Retail Sector, among many other environmental accomplishments. Additional information about Macerich can be obtained from the Company's website at www.Macerich.com.

ABOUT CNX

CNX is a full-service creative agency that leverages the unparalleled influence and editorial expertise of Condé Nast through advertising, brand strategy, casting and experiential capabilities. With access to a global footprint of 1 billion consumers, CNX is uniquely positioned to offer brands Condé Nast’s creative and data resources, and to unlock one-of-a-kind opportunities for partners. Clients include Discovery Inc, Comedy Central, Google, Urban Decay, Hasbro and many others.