Nov 01, 2012 09:57 UTC Elephant Parade opens worlds first flagship "Elephant Parade House" in Chiang Mai, Thailand Elephant Parade, the world’s largest open-air exhibition, announces the opening of Elephant Parade House - its first permanent flagship venue in Chiang Mai, Asia on October 12th. The unveiling of Elephant Parade House this October gives Elephant Parade its first fixed home. In addition to providing a permanent home for many of Elephant Parade’s signature city elephants, the house will also feature a learning centre, operated by The Asian Elephant Foundation, where people can learn about elephant conservation issues. In keeping with the Elephant Parade ethos, serious issues and having fun are inseparable. Families can attend workshops to paint their own elephants and also learn about the real issues facing elephants and the work of the Asian Elephant Foundation. Mike Spits said: “Chiang Mai is the epicenter of Asian elephants in Thailand. Asian elephants played and continue to play such an enormously important role in the past, present and future of Thailand. We have created an experience that is fun, educational and artistic. Through our art studios and work with elephant hospitals, Thailand has always been the heartbeat of Elephant Parade so it’s a natural choice for the Elephant Parade House. For the millions of people that have enjoyed Elephant Parade on their doorstep, there is now an open invitation for everyone to come to Elephant Parade House and visit the elephants where they live.” Elephant Parade is the world’s largest open air art exhibition of decorated elephant statues that seeks to attract public awareness and support for Asian elephant conservation. Created by local and international artists, each elephant is a unique piece of art. Parades have been run in the following cities: Rotterdam 2007 Antwerp 2008 Amsterdam 2009 Emmen Zoo 2010 London 2010 Bergen 2010 Heerlen 2011 Copenhagen 2011 Milan 2011 Singapore 2011 Hasselt 2012 Trier-Luxembourg 2013 Dana Point, California 2013 The UK National Tour 2013-14 - a 14-month non-stop tour, visiting: London, Manchester, Gateshead, Cardiff, Glasgow, Nottingham, Norwich, Newcastle, Uxbridge, Lakeside, Stoke, Watford and Bromley. Calais 2015 Suzhou 2015 Bangkok 2015 Florianopolis 2015 Taiwan 2016 Chiang Mai 2016 Sao Paolo, Brazil 2017 Laren 2017 Shanghai 2017 London 2018 India 2018 Belo Horizonte 2018 Canoas 2018 Rio de Janeiro 2018 Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam 2018 Brazil National Tour 2019 Contacts Guy Bellamy Press Contact Managing Director, UK & International newsroom Events, Press Office, International enquiries [email protected] +44 7766775216.