Canvas Health and FILO Partner for 2017

FILO and Canvas Health have partnered to help manage three different special events over the summer and fall of 2017: the Annual Canvas Health Golf Classic, Stomp out Suicide 5k and the Valley Vine and Harvest Throwdown.

Canvas Health is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to bringing hope, healing and recovery to people’s lives. They achieve this by helping children, adolescents, adults and families who struggle with mental health, chemical health and domestic and sexual abuse. Canvas Health also operates Minnesota’s suicide prevention phone and text lines. FILO is so excited to be working with such a wonderful organization to put on these events that will help bring awareness and raise funds to support their cause.

The first event, the Annual Canvas Health Golf Classic, will be held on Monday, July 24^th, 2017 at the beautiful Dellwood Country Club. Golfers from around the Twin Cities will golf for a wonderful cause and enjoy an eventful evening that includes dinner, a live and silent auction, as well as the opportunity to win raffle prizes.

The second event that FILO will be helping with is the Stomp Out Suicide 5k on Saturday, August 19^th, 2017 in Wyoming, MN. Canvas Health has teamed up with Stomp Out Suicide, to carry on its mission through a wonderful 5k walk/run. The Stomp out Suicide 5k event has grown from a small community event to one that now attracts nearly 2,000 people from all around the metro.

Lastly, each fall, Canvas Health puts on the Valley Vine and Harvest Throwdown, which is a competitive food and wine event featuring local chefs. The event will be at Lake Elmo Inn Event Center on Sunday, October 8^th, 2017. The Chef’s each prepare their signature dishes for guests to experience with fine wine and then vote for their top choice. The winner of the event receives the honor of Top Chef of the Valley. Other activities like a silent and live auction will be used to help raise funds for Canvas Health.

Each of these events will raise funds that go towards supporting a wide range of services helping children, adolescents, adults and families who struggle with mental and chemical health issues, violence, and sexual abuse.

FILO’s responsibilities will consist of assisting with the pre-production phase and the execution of the event, which includes logistics, securing vendors, entertainment, assisting with sponsorship sales, being an onsite liaison and managing the setup and teardown of each event.

We are very excited about this new partnership with Canvas Health and are looking towards building a great future together!

NBA All-Star 2017

On Sunday, February 12th, FILO’s own, Kevin Weinhandl, Andrew Westphal, Brian Buron and Luke Hvidhyld headed out on their 10 day journey in the ‘Big Easy’. This NBA All-Star was unlike any other, no longer bound by the confines of a massive convention center. FILOs responsibilities and services stretched across a variety of venues including; The Mercedes-Benz Superdome, The Smoothie King Arena, The Chicory, Tulane University, and The Roosevelt Hotel. Without a traditional “NBA All-Star Jam Session,” the FILO guys were able to bounce around and help at these various locations.

Friday kicked off a huge Jr. NBA Clinic initiative sponsored by Under Armour. This event featured basketball drills with the Jr. NBA Ambassadors, skills competitions with active leaderboards, and appearances from current NBA Stars including Isaiah Thomas, Kyle Lowry, Kristpas Porzingis and Joel Embiid! The Jr. NBA clinic participants were also given the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to participate in our Jr. NBA Combine! Just like the pros do it, they were able to test height, hand size, and vertical (to name a few), and even got to take home a personal stat card as a keepsake!

The FILO team also assisted with branding around the complex of the Superdome. Every entrance to the stadium saw 10’-high kiosks, set-up by the FILO team. FILO also helped set-up court side signage this year, with one of the NBA’s vendors.

FILO’s responsibilities included: shipping assets from our Saint Paul office to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and the Smoothie King Center; transportation and delivery of those assets locally around New Orleans for a handful of events; assisting in setup and tear down in some capacity at all of the listed venues; operating both leaderboards and combine stat sheet printouts at the JR. NBA Clinic; managing NBA combine units and training ambassadors, as well as setting up technology (wifi, printer, tablet) and managing the flow of participants through the Jr. NBA event; and developing/producing signage for the Jr. NBA event.

2017 marks the 16th year FILO Productions, Inc. has worked in some capacity or another with the National Basketball Association, for NBA All-Star Weekend.

FILO’s Third Sampling Tour with Pepsi

Saturday, February 18th marked the start of another tour with Pepsi Beverages Company. This will be the third time FILO is assisting Pepsi with the marketing and introduction of their new innovative products through multi stop activations. During these tours, FILO travels to a number of different events throughout the Twin Cities to help educate consumers on the new and exciting beverages Pepsi has to offer including: Aquafina Sparkling, a low calorie flavored sparkling water; 1893 Cola, a bold spin on original cola; Mountain Dew Kickstart, a Pepsi classic mixed with juice and electrolytes to offer an energizing refreshment; and Pepsi Zero, a sugar free, no calorie version of Pepsi.

During these branding events, FILO is in charge of coordinating timelines and layouts of the stations with the onsite event staff, setting up the booth to properly utilize the space, engaging with patrons on the new products and their benefits, and offering samples to interested consumers.

FILO is proud of the solid relationship we have built with a top level, worldwide renowned organization like Pepsi, and we look forward to executing the rest of this current tour with the professionalism and success that has secured this fantastic partnership.

4th Annual TwinsFest Best Yet

Target Field played host to the 2017 Minnesota TwinsFest this past weekend. Over 60 current and former players signed autographs and played games with Twins fans from all over Twins Territory. FILO Productions, Inc. produced interactive games in the Legends Club, Metropolitan Club and the Champions Club for the Minnesota Twins, at this years TwinsFest.

Fans and Players alike competed on the main stage of the Champions Club in games like Fan Feud, Minute to Win It, Bingo, Tattletails, Password and brand new to TwinsFest this year, Lip Sync Battles. The new contest was the highlight of the weekend and included Brian Dozier lip-syncing Whitney Houston, Tori Hunter jamming out to Slick Rick’s Lodi Dodi, and even included a sensitive side of Trevor May, as he performed Colors of the Wind from Disney’s Pocahontas.

The Legends Club and Metropolitan Club were filled with interactive games like Pop-a-Shots, Human Foosball, Giant Connect 4, a Video Arcade and much more. Fans had the opportunity to not only win prizes but also compete against their favorite Minnesota Twins Players all weekend at TwinsFest.

Each year FILO creates new and unique ideas with the Minnesota Twins, as well as providing complete setup and teardown for the event. FILO also coordinates with Twins staff and Players on-site for all activities, and manages the FOX Sports North stage in the Champions Club. More than 10 interactive games in the Legends Club and Metropolitan Club are designed, produced and executed for TwinsFest, by FILO Productions, Inc.

Now that the Twins Caravan and TwinsFest have come to an end, fans from all over are getting excited for the upcoming baseball season, which kicks off in Fort Meyers, FL when spring training starts on February 24.

FILO Manages FSN MN Wild Viewing Party

On January 14th, FILO Productions took part in the FOX Sports North Minnesota Wild Viewing Party at the Guidant John Rose Minnesota Oval in Roseville. As fans skated around the outdoor rink and played some pickup hockey, they were able to catch their favorite hockey team play on the JumboTron! People in attendance were blessed with the professional mixing of tunes by the one and only, DJ Woody. His speaker system brought the house down with a fundamental fusion of todays hits and classic jams. FILO also manned the “Slap Shot Challenge” inflatable where contestants could test their skills at firing pucks through multiple targets.

The Dallas Stars played host to the Minnesota Wild in what turned out to be a very irregular hockey matchup. The Wild came out smoking hot with a four-goal advantage in the first period. With the wild resting on a comfortable lead, the Stars fired back with four goals of their own and we found ourselves a tie halfway into the third period. With 6:45 remaining in the third, Wild rising star Jason Zucker made it a 5-4 contest, which eventually sealed the victory for the Wild in regulation.

FILO’s responsibilities included: transportation of all equipment; set-up and installation of the hockey inflatable, DJ booth and A/V system; booking one of the Midwest’s finest DJ’s in Woody McBride; managing the “Slap Shot Challenge” inflatable; and strike/tear down of all equipment.

FILO Q1 Promotional Sale

As recent as 2016, FILO Productions, Inc. has implemented a new division (or department) within the FILO brand — signage and display production. While FILO has managed this aspect for many years, for many clients, only recently did FILO connect with a direct manufacturer to deliver the most cost efficient pricing on the market.

For Q1 of 2017, FILO has 7 different products that are currently on-sale, and arguably the most affordable you’ll find anywhere!

Act now, or before March 31st, 2017 on these products below, and all set-up fees will be waived! In addition, all pricing seen below is 4th-column pricing, which means quantity is irrelevant and costs are the same across the board. Order 1, 5 or 10 at the discounted pricing you see below (items are already marked down; no additional discounts apply) and receive quality products, with exceptional customer service. All items have a production lead time of 3 business days from final proof approval, and final cost estimates will be provided after initial inquiries (including shipping and/or applicable taxes).

6’ - 8’ Convertible Table Throw (Full-Dye) - 1 Table throw to cover the two most common table sizes: $265 (Any Quantity)
6’ Economy Table Throw (Full-Dye) - Full branding that includes an open back design for patrons to sit comfortably: $195 (Any Quantity)
8’ Economy Table Throw (Full-Dye) - Full branding that includes an open back design for patrons to sit comfortably: $210 (Any Quantity)
6’ Standard Table Throw (Full Dye) - Most Popular Table Throw; Covers all 4 sides of the table: $225 (Any Quantity)
8’ Standard Table Throw (Full Dye) - Most Popular Table Throw; Covers all 4 sides of the table: $235 (Any Quantity)
31.5” Promo Retractor Kit (W/ Soft Carrying Case) - Most budget friendly retractor for 1-time promotional, indoor use: $95 (Any Quantity)
33.5” Promo Retractor Kit (W/ Soft Carrying Case) - Most budget friendly retractor for 1-time promotional, indoor use: $103 (Any Quantity)

Fore more information on table throws, retractors, or other custom signage, banners and displays, please contact Andrew Westphal at andywestphal@callfilo.com or 651-295-4682.


 
 

Winter is Coming - FILO Builds G.O.T Exhibit

On Thursday, November 24th a group of 10 FILO’s gathered in Chicago to help produce the Game of Thrones: Season 6 “Behind The Scenes” Exhibit in the historic Grant Park. This event let fans of all-ages immerse themselves in the magical world by participating in multiple iconic experiences that included virtual reality “Battle Training” at Castle Black, photo opportunities with the Iron Throne, and learning all about visual effects, props, and displays!

This free-admission event was open from 12-8pm on Saturday, November 26th and 11-5pm on Sunday, November 27th. Game of Thrones “Behind the Scenes” celebrated the release of GOT: Season 6 to DVD and Blu-Ray, which features a lot of content and action not previously seen before! HBO Home Entertainment has now hosted three separate “Behind the Scenes” Events; first in New York (Nov. 18-19), then Chicago (Nov. 25-26) and most recently in Los Angeles (Dec. 10-11).

FILO’s responsibilities included booking travel, hotel accommodations, labor management, load/unloading equipment, set-up and tear-down, including Castle Black, Winterfell, North of the Wall, Vaes Dothrak, and The Workshop. FILO looks forward to working with Square Design and Rubik Marketing in the future!

FILO Organizes the Union Depot Holiday Bake Sale

FILO Productions produced our second successful Holiday Bake Sale in partnership with The Union Depot of St. Paul on Saturday, December 10th. The event hosted 20 different bakeries from around the Twin Cities; 10 giftable food vendors that included homemade salsa, jams, and maple syrup; and 10 Lowertown Pop artisans who were selling their unique wares. A special gift bag was given out to all those that attended with a collectible train cookie cutter set. The event saw 3,000 people in attendance over the course of the day, as many people got to enjoy the tasty treats as well as get a head-start on their Holiday shopping.

A Holiday stage was active throughout the event featuring special guests: Alexis Thompson of My Talk 107.1, Stacy Williams of KSTP, and Stephanie March of MPLS/St. Paul Magazine My Dish talk radio. The stage also hosted singer Eryn Tvete and six of the bakeries in attendance, demonstrating everything from Russian Tea Cakes, to chocolate bark. The Holiday Bake Sale was a "sweet treat" for everyone this year and FILO Productions is looking forward to being a part of it again next year!

FILO Joins MOA in Paying Respect to Veterans

This Veterans Day, FILO Productions teamed up with the Mall of America to put on a fantastic event: the 1st annual Veterans Day Chef's Challenge presented by Star Tribune. The premise was simple: start with eight teams (of two people), and work your way down to one final winner. There were four rounds, with each round lasting one hour. Teams had to use a different MRE (Meal-Ready-to-Eat) as part of their dish each round. Teams were comprised of one service member with cooking experience, and one professional chef from a Mall of America restaurant. The team members had never met before, so it was a unique challenge to work together, while trying to create a dish that would impress the judges and carry their team on to the next round.

In addition to the load-in and load-out of all equipment for the Challenge, FILO’s role during the competition was to support the contestants and make it as easy as possible to complete their dish each round. Whether it be restocking necessary items, removing, cleaning and replacing dishes, or letting the contestants know where they could find certain ingredients and equipment, FILO had it covered. Time moved fast during the competitions, so everyone had to work together. Between rounds, FILO would reset everything, as well as clean all equipment and make sure everything was set for the upcoming round of competition.

It was a long (but worthwhile) 16-hour day, as load-in started at 6am; competitions began around 1pm; and the champions were crowned just after 8pm.

In the end, the team representing Hard Rock Café was awarded first place.

It was truly an honor that FILO had the opportunity to execute such a fun and meaningful event, watching two complete strangers come together in an attempt to show-off their cooking skills, while paying respect to our Veterans. Everyone deemed the event quite a success, with record crowds stopping by the rotunda area to watch the competitions.

FILO looks forward to working with the Mall of America for next year’s Veterans Day cooking challenge, and many more events to come.

NBA RENS Event (#2) in NYC

On Monday, October 17th, FILO’s own Luke Hvidhyld hopped in a box truck and drove out to New York City for the New York RENS 2016 Gala event, marking FILO’s participation in the event for the 2nd consecutive year. The New York RENS is an amazing program that encourages personal development through the sport of basketball as well as in the classroom. This wonderful organization works hard to accomplish goals though their AAU teams of all ages, and through their strong mentoring program(s). The RENS Program is a great organization that is strongly rooted in the New York Basketball community and had been praised for developing young, talented, and motivated individuals.

Come Thursday, October 20th, RENS hosted their 2016 Gala in the Cipriani Building at 55 Wall Street, New York. The Gala dinner was in efforts to raise funds to continue to support the AAU athletes and the mentoring programs around New York City. Both Luke Hvidhyld and Brian Buron of FILO were on-site to provide a basketball hoop, wood-grain court, and custom-signage for the main attraction!

8 lucky tables were chosen, at random, to attempt a half-court shot for the chance at a $100,000 donation to a specific group, team, or program of their choice! Unfortunately, no contestant hit the big shot, but the event was a major success and FILO is very proud to have been a part of it!

FILO’s responsibilities included transportation of all equipment, both to New York and back to Minnesota; loading/unloading equipment on-site and in the NBA-warehouse; setup and teardown of the basketball hoop and court in the ballroom; installing custom RENS graphics; securing hotel accommodations; and coordination of the basketball portion of the event with the RENS group.

Once again, FILO is very proud to have been a part of such a wonderful event for such a wonderful cause. RENS believes that the sport of basketball can teach young adults very important life lessons, and FILO is happy to be aiding in their mission to spread their passion and enthusiasm for the game of basketball!

Happy Halloween From FILO

On October 25th, FILO had the pleasure to help with the design and management of the Annual Pearson's Candy Halloween Bash and once again, the event was a huge success. This is the 3rd consecutive year FILO has executed the one-day Halloween event, held in the yard of Pearson's Candy Headquarters.

The FREE event for families and kids, featured all the favorites from previous years with Norm the Magician, bouncy houses and customized magnet picture frames to take home.

But this year, Pearson’s wanted FILO to pump up the haunted décor to a whole new level…and that is exactly what we did! If it wasn’t the foggy, spooky cemetery equipped with a horse drawn hearse and 7-ft. tall grim reaper, or the grungy pirates and their treasure being attacked by a giant sea urchin, then the mad scientist with smoking gadgets and bubbling experiments was sure to have attendees in awe. Spectators couldn’t get enough, taking tons of pictures to post on social media or keep as mementos.

FILO also added a couple of creative activities, which were a hit, including an enormous chalk board for the kids to get artistic with a fancy Halloween drawing, and face painters who never stopped working from start to finish.

As always, a portion of the proceeds from this event went to the Ronald McDonald House and even with a bit of rainy, cold weather, this year was a record breaking year in sales.

Pearson's was over the moon with the ideas and concepts FILO dreamt up for this wonderful event. We, at FILO love the opportunity to participate in events that not only bring the community together, but also give back at the same time, and this event allows us to do just that!

FILO Provides Staff for MLB H.O.F. Tour

This September, FILO was given the opportunity to join forces with Major League Baseball and its mobile Hall of Fame Tour. For this Tour, FILO was tasked with promoting the mobile exhibit that was located at Mall of America from the 16th to the 29th of September. We promoted the exhibit using more than 20 brand ambassadors throughout the city of Bloomington and Minneapolis. Our ambassadors interacted with fans at Target field, Mall of America, T-Mobile stores, and the Minnesota Zoo IMAX in hopes of educating baseball fans about the MLB Hall of Fame Tour.

The MLB Hall of Fame Tour was comprised of five interactive trailers, each showcasing a unique part of baseball history. There was something for everyone, as each interactive trailer educated fans on something different, whether it was the history of the game or the traditions of baseball. They even brought in 45 special artifacts from Cooperstown. The Tour also showcased the first ever mobile IMAX Theater as well as a dedicated trailer to virtual reality. Virtual reality was new to the Tour this year and was instrumental in combining the nostalgic feel of baseball with new age technology that fans loved. The Tour was a great mix of old school with a new age touch. Virtual reality headsets and coupons were used (by FILO) to attract patrons in high-traffic areas, and encourage them to check out the exhibit.

Being an extension of this tremendous Tour was a wonderful experience for FILO. It was a great opportunity to showcase our ability to contribute to a high quality event/project as we continue to be a leader in the event industry. We truly look forward to the next time we get the chance to work with Major League Baseball and their fans.

FILO Produces St. Paul Oktoberfest for the Second Year

FILO Productions produced yet another quality event for the people of St. Paul and surrounding communities. Held in Rice Park, in downtown St. Paul on September 16-18, 2016, St. Paul Oktoberfest saw over 7,000 attendees over the course of the three-day weekend. Beautiful weather and typical German food, beer and entertainment helped to draw the crowds that attended our St. Paul Oktoberfest.

Ten very competitive teams pushed a bed down Washington St. hoping to secure a top-3 finish in the annual bed races. The top three teams were awarded prize money, which was donated to a charity of their choice.

Great entertainment from the main stage inspired people to get up and dance with the New Ulm Narren, and polka with Jimmy the Polka Pirate. The plaza space in Rice park was fit for patrons to kick up their heals to an accordion, or try their hand at one of the many German beer drinking games, like the beer chug from a traditional German boot....Prosit!

Did someone say yummy? How about some authentic German cuisine from The Black Forest Inn, Venus Spaetzle Haus, Burbach's European Pancakes, and who could forget… The Snitzelmeister!

Attendees did not forget to wash the food down with a frosty beer from local breweries, as Tin Whiskers, Schell's Brewery, Paulaner and many Oktoberfest beers were available on tap.

While eating, you could also enjoy games on the lawn or watch the kids play in the bouncy houses FILO provided. The St. Paul Mounted Police performed a horse demonstration on the lawn, showing both the skills of the horses as well as the riders.

And what would an Oktoberfest be without a wedding? Our Oktoberfest had two wedding parties from the Landmark Center grace our event both Friday and Saturday night.

While St. Paul Oktoberfest is a traditional Oktoberfest with plenty of beer and cheer, our family friendly event was a hit for the many that attended. We already have people asking, "When will it take place next year?" Hope to see you at our next Oktoberfest! For more information, please visit http://www.saintpauloktoberfest.org/

FILO Manages Third Annual NBA Campus Pass Tour

This year marked the third annual NBA Campus Pass Tour presented by AIR MILES. The Tour decided to shake things up a bit and hosted three separate events, each in different cities, within the span of four days! We coordinated with three universities to match up with their “Welcome Week” festivities. Our first stop was Ryerson University in downtown Toronto; then we scurried over to the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon; and for our final stop, we ended up at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg.

The Tour was filled with engaging on-court events like BUMP, Make or Miss, King of the Key, and a multitude of different games for the students to participate in. Current and former NBA Players Marcus Camby, Amir Johnson, and Antonio Davis stopped by to hang out with the fans, answer questions, and sign some autographs. We also had international comedian, Greg Coleman, hosting all three events. With his wit and charm, we were surely the hottest spot on campus!

The AIR MILES activation allowed fans to sign up for their very own AIR MILES Rewards Card. The AIR MILES’ Swipe-a-Shot basketball interactive game traveled on the Tour, giving fans the opportunity to win a variety of awesome Raptors gear. We also provided the authentic Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy on the Tour with us! We displayed the trophy so fans and students alike could come by and snap a picture.

Responsibilities for the Tour included securing vendors for trucking, staffing, labor, security/first-aid and a DJ; acting as liaison between (and with) the NBA, AIR MILES, and the three universities; creating detailed CAD-drawings; set-up, execution and strike of all 3 event sites; prizing inventory and give-a-way; warehouse management of equipment; and providing top-line and Tour recaps to improve the Tour.

FILO was thrilled to be a part of the third annual NBA Campus Pass Tour Presented by AIR MILES and is looking forward to another Tour in 2017!

FILO and Pepsi a Great Pair for Summer of 2016

Throughout the summer of 2016, FILO has partnered with PepsiCo to introduce the Twin Cities area to some new products. It all started in May of this year, as FILO was hired to execute an 8-city Tour, with five of the stops featuring Aquafina Sparkling Water. Two other locations demonstrated the PepsiCola 1893 brand, and one final stop endorsed a Dewcision 2016 event (selecting a new Mountain Dew brand).

After a very successful (initial) campaign, a second tour was created to start in July, and was scheduled for six Tour stops that featured Aquafina and PepsiCola products. FILO represented the brands and helped to get thousands of cans into the hands of consumers, promoting the products at places like Rock the Garden, Mall of America and other high traffic locations around Minnesota.

As with every FILO event, the Sparkling Spotters, the name given to the FILO brand ambassadors, made sure to arrive early to set up and prep for each event, before executing hours of engaging product sampling with the patrons of Minnesota.

The main purpose of the Tours are to increase awareness to Pepsi’s new brand, and flavored beverages. Aquafina has three new flavors of Sparkling Water, Black Cherry Dragonfruit, Lemon Lime, and Orange Grapefruit, and PepsiCola has two new flavors of their 1893 brand, Original Cola and Ginger Cola.

For the Dewcision 2016 event, Mountain Dew was looking to release a new flavor of their own: Pitch Black.

FILO’s role in the project included budget management, providing experienced brand ambassadors and a lead Event Manager, as well as delivery of the product, and working through necessary permits and applications with PepsiCo and venues. The feedback on the Tours (and new beverages) was tremendous — so tremendous, in fact, that FILO is working to find more ways to help PepsiCo, and their brand, branch out with more experiential marketing ideas and activations.

FILO is thrilled to work with such an insightful, innovative and successful partner like PepsiCo.

FILO Helps Hormel Foods Celebrate 125th Anniversary

One of the iconic companies in Minnesota, Hormel Foods, had a big anniversary this year. The company was created in 1891 and is turning 125 years old! A Birthday this big ensures that many celebrations must be held, and some feature events took place in Austin, MN for the Hometown Community Celebration.

To celebrate the anniversary, FILO helped design and produce 9 custom mini-golf holes, associated with the Hormel Food brands, for a plethora of feature events that took place at the end of July.

The Hormel Foods "Women Our Way" employee resource group organized the Pep it Up 5K Your Way race and fun run on July 23rd. The next day featured the Family Day at the Flagship Austin Plant, which gave family and friends of workers a chance to see the facility and gather for a picnic. On Thursday, July 28th, corporate and sales employees joined together for an afternoon to promote their goals for the next 125 years and to become even more inspired by the CEO and COO. And closing out the week of fun, July 29th featured the Big Birthday Bash community event, which was held in downtown Austin for employees, community members, and company partners that featured fun activities and live entertainment, such as Kat Perkins and The Band Perry.

The FILO-Hormel partnership demonstrated the full-service abilities that FILO can provide to its clients. Hormel’s innovative idea to create a mini golf hole for each of its most recognizable brands, included a combination of creative services, experiential marketing and providing a fun experience for the participants. FILO took care of all the details; everything from designing the holes, to the fabrication of them, to bringing them to each event and setting up and tearing down afterwards. It seemed to be a highlight for many that attended and just one more example of the many services and capabilities FILO has to offer as a company.

FILO Partners with Operation Warm for Inaugural Twin Cities Hero’s Haul

FILO is partnering with the firefighters of the Twin Cities for another event this fall, the Hero’s Haul Fire Truck Pull. Operation Warm is a program the firefighters’ union (IAFF- International Association of Fire Fighters) helps to support by raising money to purchase brand-new American-made winter coats for school children in areas where the need is the greatest. The St. Paul firefighters have worked with FILO at GermanFest the past three years, and the St. Paul Oktoberfest for two years, raising money for this amazing organization.

The national organization of Operation Warm is creating a fundraiser that they hope can be replicated throughout the country, to help ensure children all over are able to stay warm while playing outside and going to school. It is called the Hero’s Haul Fire Truck Pull and Operation Warm will execute a few events this fall, with the hope to expand over the next few years. The Minneapolis and St. Paul IIAF chapters are coming together to create a formidable partnership and to combine their efforts for Operation Warm. FILO has been asked to produce the event due to their expertise of the Twin Cities market, past partnership and support of Operation Warm, and for their ability to create a successful, high-quality event.

FILO will be responsible for overall event management, securing and managing all vendors and security, and will have a hand in selling sponsorships for the event. FILO’s duties also include venue negotiation, permitting, operations of the event, staffing, providing equipment, and activation execution.

The Hero’s Haul event will consist of teams of 10 people to pull a fire truck 75 feet. The date is set for October 8th at the Seven Corners parking lot on West Seventh Street in St. Paul (just across from the Xcel Energy Center). There will be food trucks, live music, photo opportunities, and much more, along with the main attraction, a competition to pull a fire truck and raise money for Operation Warm.

If you would like more information about the event, please go to http://firetruckpull.com/minneapolis/. And if you have a group of people that would like to participate, please follow the link on that webpage to sign-up.