FILO and FOX Sports North Team Up Again

The Minnesota State Fair was a continuation of the great partnership between FOX Sports North and FILO. For the 12 days of the “Great Minnesota Get-Together,” representatives from FILO helped by executing a photo opportunity inside the FOX Sports building and printing a copy of the picture for the customers to take home as a souvenir. The use of a mobile camera allowed the fair-goers the opportunity to choose to sit at an anchors’ desk, stand in front of a white FSN backdrop, or even pose with a special guest like Cleatus, the FOX Sports robot.

The weather was pretty cooperative this year, and that resulted in a large attendance for the State Fair. The activation went from 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm each day, to take advantage of the times with the largest crowds. The total amount of pictures printed was over 4,600, which means the average included more than a photo taken per minute. Other activities in the building included a large screen that showed FSN programming, a FILO-provided prize wheel people could spin to win a prize, a bean bag toss game, giveaways of posters and team schedules, and registering for a drawing. Everyone had a lot of fun and it was great working with the FOX Sports North crew.

FILO’s 2nd Annual MLB Roadshow

Major League Baseball International and FILO wrapped up the second year of the MLB Roadshow, which included stops in Calgary, Vancouver, and Montréal. The MLB Roadshow initiative has visited 13 countries on four continents, including Australia, China, Japan, and European countries such as Germany, France, and the United Kingdom.

This tour showcased a multitude of different games and activities for all ages. These games included a pitching cage, batting cage, sliding interactive, a MLB 2k15 “The Show” tent, a New Era Photo Booth, and a Majestic DJ Booth, to name a few. The Roadshow was fortunate to have former Toronto Blue Jay, Denis Boucher in Montreal at the Fairview Pointe Claire Mall. He was energetic and engaging with the young fans, and even gave them a couple pointers on how to become an MLB pitcher like him.

“The Roadshow gives people of all ages and abilities the opportunity to take part in various baseball activities and try out their skills,” said Chris Park, MLB Senior Vice President of Growth, Strategy & International. A writer from MLB.com, Mark Newman, also commented, “We are excited to bring the Roadshow back to Canada this summer and hope that everyone from lifelong fans to those new to the game will come out to experience this unique celebration of the sport.”

FILO’s responsibilities included venue logistics and negotiations, pre-planning for the Tour, signage production, event set-up and management and handling all trucking and transportation throughout Canada. FILO looks forward to working with Major League Baseball for a 3rd straight year of the MLB Roadshow in 2016.

FILO’s Inaugural St. Paul Oktoberfest

Guests of the 15th Annual St. Paul Oktoberfest will surely see some changes in this years’ edition. It is taking place in Rice Park on September 18th from 4:00 pm - 10:00 pm and September 19th from 10:00 am - 10:00 pm. The move from The Klub Haus on Rice Street to Rice Park was made in order to allow it to expand and grow. FILO is happy to partner with Bruce Larson, who has helped to organize the past events at The Klub Haus. With the success of GermanFest, it is a natural fit to organize another event that will celebrate German culture. However, the two events will offer many differences and it is important to embrace many of the traditions, such as bed races, that have made the St. Paul Oktoberfest as successful as it has been in the past.

It is a natural fit to have the event in a downtown St. Paul park. The more centralized location allows for more transportation options, such as taking a bus or Light Rail, besides driving to the area. The neighbors of Rice Park have all been great to work with and are happy to bring more people to the heart of the city.

One of the other major changes is to offer local brews at the event. This year, beer from Tin Whiskers Brewing Company, Insight Brewing, Indeed Brewing Company, and Bent Brewstillery will be selling their craft beer. There will be a variety of German foods, as well, and no Oktoberfest would be complete without polka. Various entertainers on the stage and TV’s near the beer garden will also be around to encourage people to make a day of it and enjoy the great fall weather.