MN Wild Opening Weekend

With the Minnesota Wild in a new division for the upcoming 2014 season, they wanted to kick the year off with a bang. Part of that bang was creating a pre-game fan festival with interactive activations for Wild fans, prior to face-off.

FILO Productions set-up a photo op. display and a customized Minnesota Wild hockey inflatable for the first two games of the 2014 season. The displays were set-up above the ticket office and on Kellogg Boulevard prior to game-time at the Xcel Energy Center. Wild fans partook in pre-game activities that included shooting at the hockey inflatable, listening to a live broadcast of KFAN, enjoying a live band, face painting, autograph signings and walking away with a FREE photo souvenir.

FILO is proud to be working with the Minnesota Wild and looks forward to more collaborative events in the future. Keep an eye out for FILO as you enter the Xcel Energy Center for Minnesota Wild home games this season.

FILO Co-Produces Hope Rocks to Benefit Faith’s Lodge

Earlier this year, FILO was engaged by Faith’s Lodge to be the production partner for the organization’s signature fundraiser, Hope Rocks, and on September 13th months of hard work paid off with an amazing event.

More than 700 people attended and over $100,000 was raised for Faith's Lodge, which provides a place where parents and families facing the serious illness or death of a child can retreat to reflect on the past, renew strength for the present, and build hope for the future (www.faithslodge.org).

Now in its sixth year, Hope Rocks was held at The Depot, Minneapolis, and featured a private BoDeans concert plus a surprise opening performance from A Firm Handshake. Sammy Brown and Reed Redmond sang their song “Clouds” as a tribute to fallen band member Zach Sobiech, who captured the world with his musical message of love before passing away on May 20 from osteosarcoma.

“It was one of the most moving experiences of my life to see so many people come together and support each other and look toward hope in times of ultimate grief,” said FILO’s Lou Bavaro, who co-produced the program with Kevin Weinhandl. “We are all proud to have been a part of it.”

The event also included a silent auction, live auction and other fundraising components that were facilitated by BidPal, an electronic registration and auction system using smartphones.

FILO’s responsibilities included: consulting with Faith’s Lodge on programming and elements; element procurement; producing and managing the audio/visual needs of the full program; producing and managing the sound for the BoDeans and A Firm Handshake; providing a total 10 FILO staffers and additional laborers for the day of event to assist with setup, registration, photo opportunity management, auction management, talent management and/or whatever was deemed necessary.

”The FILO staff was amazing. Their attention to detail and personal service were just icing on the cake,” said Faith’s Lodge Executive Director Kelly McDyre. “It was the professional job they did in the production and arrangements that wowed me and I can’t wait for the next opportunity.”

“By the way, FILO was true to form,” McDyre added. “They were the first ones at the venue that day and the last to leave.”

FILO Heads to Canada

The National Basketball Association (NBA) has launched NBA.com/playball, a new multi-faceted campaign in Canada aimed at increasing youth participation in basketball across the country. The NBA BIG Tour will visit five Canadian cities in September and October, offering BIG Talent and BIG Entertainment in local markets.

On Saturday, September 7th, the NBA BIG Tour made its debut at the West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton, Alberta, the capital of the Canadian province. While claiming the largest mall in North America, the West Edmonton Mall played host to the interactive tour which offered a variety of entertainment to mall shoppers.

Fans flooded the mall for a chance to see Patrick Beverly of the Houston Rockets and 7-time NBA Champion and NBA legend Robert Horry. They were also treated to a performance by Buckets Blakes of the world famous Harlem Globetrotters. To highlight the programming, mall-goers had a chance to take photos with the NBA Championship Larry O'Brien trophy.

FILO Productions Inc. sent two members of its team to the kickoff event, where they played an integral role in the overall operations and programming for the run of show. FILO’s job duties included: crafting detailed truck packs, arranging trucking logistics, and onsite consulting throughout set-up and strike execution.

The NBA BIG Tour runs through October 19th making stops in Calgary, AB, Vancouver, BC, Toronto, ON, and concluding in Montreal, QC.

FILO returns to the US OPEN

Director Carrie Hagen recently returned from her 11th appearance for FILO at the US OPEN in Flushing Meadows, N.Y., where she helped manage the ATP World Tour Suite for the fifth time.

The ATP formally defined as the Association of Tennis Professionals joined when a handful of the game's leading players met at the US OPEN to discuss the need for a players' association.

Carrie shared duties with longtime suite hostess Shiela Campion, and was responsible for welcoming and serving guests of both the ATP and Proskauer Rose LLP, the law firm that shares the suite.

“It is an amazing experience as I get to dress up every night and interact with some of the most interesting people from all over the world,” Hagen said. “The best part is that each year I see a lot of the same people. It is almost like my own US OPEN family.”

FILO’s engagement with the US OPEN has taken on many forms over the years from the US OPEN SmashZone to the ATP World Tour Booth to Carrie’s current responsibilities with the ATP World Tour suite.

Other responsibilities with the ATP World Tour Suite have included setting up the suite, shipping and receiving logistics and food and beverage selection.

“It’s truly an unique and special event for FILO.” Said Carrie

Christmas Comes Early For FILO

“Is it December already?” asked a patron walking down the streets of Manhattan as he saw FILO’s Andrew Westphal plugging in a few snow cannons outside of Radio City Music Hall earlier this month.

Indeed it wasn’t. It was only August…but the Rockettes and Radio City Music Hall teamed up with FILO Productions, Inc. to produce Christmas in August, a one-day promotional event with custom wrapped vehicles, more than 12,000 ice cream pops, snow cannons, Santa Claus and even two camels.

The one-day tour around New York City was to promote the 2013 Radio City Christmas Spectacular, presented by Chase. The annual show is one of the largest in New York’s history and runs November 8 through December 30. The production promises to lift spirits and create lasting memories for new audiences as well as for families that have made this cherished production a holiday tradition.

On Tuesday, August 13, FILO traveled around with a Christmas Spectacular-themed food truck and a wrapped double decker Gray Line bus, to hand out more than 12,000 “Rox Pops,” (apple-cranberry flavored ice pops created by People’s Pops, specifically for the Rockettes and the Christmas Spectacular).

The tour made stops all around the city including Radio City Music Hall, Bryant Park, Madison Square Park, Beacon Theatre, Union Square and Park Slope, Brooklyn.

At the initial stop for both vehicles, Radio City Music Hall, the Rockettes and Santa Claus unveiled a one-of-a-kind ice sculpture that was created to celebrate this year’s production and new show scene, ‘Snow’! It seemed as if every member of the New York press was there for the spectacle, resulting in national coverage.

As part of the project, FILO assisted with overall event operations, procurement of equipment for the promotion, providing and managing brand ambassadors and acting as a liaison to ensure the Christmas Spectacular-themed food truck was flawless.

The tour was an enormous success as the city of New York was covered in snow throughout that Tuesday. All 12,000 ice cream pops were handed out and the countless number of smiles and impressions made by the Rockettes, Radio City Music Hall and FILO Productions, Inc. that day will live on through Christmas.

Tickets for the production are on sale now and may be purchased through the website at http://radiocitychristmas.com/offer/partner or the Radio City Box Office. Use code PARTNER to save 25% on select tickets & performances.

2013 Tour Comes To An End

The 2013 NBA Nation Tour presented by Sprint has come to an end. The League’s mobile interactive basketball experience traveled to eight of the nation’s largest markets, had 21 event days and eclipsed a total event attendance of over 1.1 million people. The FILO road crew logged over 1,400 setup, teardown and show hours and was on the road 44 out of the 54 days during the two months of the tour. The traveling FILO crew consisted of Brian Buron, Andy Acosta, Tom Butina, Luke Hvidhyld and Dan Fosse. After FILO’s 7th year running the Tour, the crew now has a combined 18 years of NBA Nation experience.

“With the magnitude of the NBA Nation Tour, it is essential to bring a team together of experienced individuals who specialize in all aspects of mobile touring programs,” said Tour Manager Andy Acosta. “We were able to accomplish this, making the 2013 Nation Tour a success.”

Talent Coordinator Tom Butina, in regards to his summer experience said, “It was a pleasure working with the talented and dedicated NBA staff. Together we planned and executed an amazing summer tour.”

The 2013 NBA Nation Tour was a great success and FILO Productions, Inc. is already looking forward to 2014.

 

FILO Contributes Over $10,000 This Summer to Local Charities via Sponsorships, Fundraising Games, Donations and Volunteering

The FILO crew has been busy at fundraising events and on golf courses this summer having fun and, more importantly, contributing over $10,000 to local charities. For the third straight year FILO sponsored The Sanneh Foundation’s Golf 4 Goals event; Paul Molitor Golf Classic for Friends of St. Paul Baseball; and the Face Off Classic benefiting Friends of St. Paul Hockey. On top of direct donations, FILO also operated its famous Golf Plinko game to raise an additional $350 on average.

“Being a team player is one of the core values at FILO and that extends to our community,” said President Kevin Weinhandl. “Giving back is part of who we are and we have fun doing it!”

FILO also helped out with the 30-Days Foundation’s A Stroke of Luck Golf Tournament and Get Your Cape On fundraising events; the Memorial Golf Tournament and Wine Tasting fundraisers for Todd Western Charitable Organization; and the 11th Annual Leo Lewis Celebrity Golf Classic.