Philly Heavy Sundays at The Fillmore and Union Transfer


 

  • Co-Produced 3 ‘Philly Heavy’ Eagles Gamewatches with Mosaic
  • Venues: The Fillmore & Union Transfer
  • Years: 2016
  • Avg Attendance : 1.5k
  • Fun Fact: The games may have been televised but each event had a live DJ, live keg painting, live music, and live t-shirt printing

 

Combine football fandom, the region’s hottest performers and spirited blasts of confetti cannons and Sundays can get pretty heavy in Philadelphia.

ADVENT partnered with Mosaic, a national brand activation specialist, in 2016 to animate the vision of the perfect Sunday football viewing party with Budweiser “Heavy.”

Philly Heavy Sundays transformed two unique Philadelphia venues – The Fillmore -Philly and Union Transfer – into the city’s largest living rooms fit for the most devoted Eagles fans looking to share a game-day experience with hundreds of others who bleed Eagles’ green.

Eagles fans lounged on plush couches to watch the game-day action on a giant screen. Fans danced between plays to music during commercial breaks, confetti rained down for touchdown celebrations, and special halftime concerts kept the party rocking and Budweiser flowing when the game paused.

By the end of the games, hundreds of fans headed home with confetti in their hair and fistfuls of giveaways.

Mosaic – a global marketing firm constructing experiences to connect corporations with consumers – devised the framework of the Heavy Sunday model.

But for the full Philadelphia flavor, Mosaic relied on ADVENT to paint the events green in a way that is in tune to Philadelphians’ passion for the Eagles.

Together, the firms transformed intimate concert halls into comfortable and cool viewing parties that spoke to the city’s edginess and blending of art, music and sports.

The Fillmore housed the first two Philly Heavy Sundays. The 25,000-square-foot live music club on the edge Fishtown, a section of Philadelphia growing in its appreciation for arts and nostalgia, honors the Fillmore franchise’s history of hosting events that break through the norm.

Union Transfer – once a luggage transfer station for the Reading Railroad built in 1889 – is an unlikely setting for the Eagles to fly. But chandeliers, high ceilings and stained glass make the venue all the more interesting. Just 18 months after opening in 2011, it was listed among Rolling Stone Magazine’s top 20 venues in America and rated one of the hottest on the U.S. East Coast by BBC.

The first Philly Heavy Sunday drew more than 500 people to The Fillmore. By the final Philly Heavy Sunday at Union Transfer, the event was the only place to be in the city when the Eagles were out of town. The line to get into Union Transfer stretched down Spring Garden Street with more than 400 people estimated before doors opened. The historic venue was at capacity, drawing more than 1,000 people by the start of the game.

Mosaic trusted in ADVENT’s connections to the region’s most talented and well-connected acts from musicians to artists.

ADVENT called on revered Philly abstract artist and clothing designer Alloyius Mcilwaine of Cultures Clothing to paint a wall of kegs to be on display at each of the three Philly Heavy Sunday events.

ADVENT also brought in one of Philadelphia’s most renowned master turntablists DJ Aktive to energize Philly Heavy Sundays before game time and to keep energy high when game play paused for commercials. The highly regarded DJ is an ADVENT favorite, a professional with a fan following transcending the city’s borders.

DJ Aktive is beloved locally, but achieved global status touring worldwide with A-list acts.  The Philly native has been the official tour DJ for Janet Jackson, Kanye West, Common, Jennifer Hudson and Puff Daddy’s Bad Boy Reunion Tour.

DJ Aktive worked to bring the hype, emceeing the game, and pushing the excitement when confetti cannons fired into the crowd every time the Eagles scored.

In addition to continuous musical entertainment at every game-play break, ADVENT orchestrated the confetti shooters by J. Werner Production and a private halftime show featuring Philly-based rockers Vacationer. The four-piece electronic pop band is led by Kenny Vasoli, former lead singer and bassist of pop punk band The Starting Line.

Alloyius Mcilwaine, DJ Aktive and Vacationer are part of ADVENT’s arsenal of high-caliber, performers with built-in followings.

In advance of the first Philly Heavy Sunday at The Fillmore, ADVENT launched campaigns sending more than 25 promoters to college campuses throughout the city. Promoters were on campus at Temple University, Saint Joseph’s University, Drexel University and Villanova.

The ADVENT team promoted the three-Sunday events to students 21 and older, promising free entry, tons of giveaways and unique ways to show their city pride, like live t-shirt printing personalized with their city neighborhood and the Philly Heavy logos.

Budweiser remained the star of the viewing party with Bud Heavy being the only beer on sale at the venues’ bars.

Cable-Tec Expo Evening at XFINITY Live!


 

  • Produced private event for convention client
  • Venue: XFINITY Live!
  • Years: 2016
  • Attendance: 2k
  • Fun Fact: Entertaining people from across the United States, ADVENT packed this convention’s culminating event with Philadelphia staples, introducing attendees to our Philadelphia Mummers, Geno’s Cheesesteaks, Philly Soft Pretzels and more!

 

When professionals on the cutting edge of cable and telecommunications descended on the City of Brotherly Love, ADVENT showed them how Philadelphians have a night out. The Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) called in ADVENT to orchestrate four events for their week long Cable-Tec Expo held in Philadelphia in September 2016. SCTE is a non-profit professional association based in Exton, PA that supports the advancement of technology, standards and workforce education related to television, radio and the internet.

Among the events ADVENT produced were two exclusive receptions for the conference’s most elite attendees (see more), with the final act of the conference being Expo Evening – a high-energy night out before conference attendees headed back to their corners of the country. XFINITY Live!, a mega entertainment complex surrounded by South Philadelphia’s sports arenas, was a natural choice to house Expo Evening, a party for the predominantly male expo attendees.

ADVENT arranged for a completely private party taking over the NBC Sports Arena in the center of the complex and all four major establishments inside of XFINITY Live!.  Featuring a different Philadelphia experience in each of the restaurant and bar venues, ADVENT was able to give the out-of-town guests a crash course in Philly’s favorite foods, professional sports teams and history.

The ADVENT team coordinated luxury ground travel through Kushner & Associates for all 2,000+ people invited to XFINITY Live!.  Transportation picked up SCTE members at Center City hotels about 7 miles from the South Philadelphia venue, and drove them safely back to their accommodations when Expo Evening ended.

At the doors of XFINITY Live! SCTE members were serenaded by a sound unique to the city – the Philadelphia Mummers String Bands. A pillar of Philadelphia, the sequin-encrusted Mummers string bands are part of a century-old tradition performing in the nation’s oldest folk parade – the Mummers New Years Day Parade.

Woodland String Band performed at the sprawling entertainment complex’s outdoor stage, as well as inside the NBC Sports Arena.  Additionally, cover band Stellar Mojo kept the crowd on their feet on the Victory Beer Hall stage.

Expo Evening guests were immersed in the quintessential Philadelphia experience, from the iconic Geno’s Steaks to neighborhood favorites like Chickie’s and Pete’s cheese fries, Tastykakes, Italian water ice and Philadelphia soft pretzels.

SCTE members could hop from restaurant to restaurant with access to a full open bar, finding a new experience in every corner of the facility.

Broad Street Bullies, a pub named for the brawling 1972 Philadelphia Flyers lineup, gave out-of-town visitors a lesson in Philly sports. The pub, known for its burgers, encouraged guests to get competitive at its foosball tables and arcade games.

1100 Social, known for its harmony of Asian and Mexican cuisine, converted its sleek, modern restaurant and outdoor bar into a high-rolling casino. The scene was a nod to Sugarhouse Casino on the city’s riverfront.  With slot machines, poker, black jack, craps, and roulette tables manned by live dealers, there was no shortage of high energy.

PBR Philly wrangled the raucous side of Philadelphia, specializing in the three Bs – belt buckles, mechanical bull rides and brisket.  Pulled pork sliders and brisket were also fittingly on the menu.

ADVENT heard from many in attendance that the 2016 Expo Evening was their favorite among all the cities they’d attended.  When asked to entertain thousands in Philadelphia, ADVENT delivers!

Cable-Tec Chairman’s Reception at The Union League


 

  • Produced private event for convention client
  • Venue: The Union League – Philadelphia
  • Years: 2016
  • Attendance: 300
  • Fun Fact: ADVENT enlisted the likes of Benjamin Franklin and Betsy Ross to talk and walk with VIPs from the venue to our next event at the Kimmel Center.

 

During 2016’s Cable-Tec Expo at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, ADVENT was put to task to produce a string of external events for the members of the Society of Cable and Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE), a non-profit professional association working to support the advancement of technology, standards and workforce education related to television, radio and the internet.  The organization, with its global arm the International Society of Broadband Experts, has more than 25,000 members. The Cable-Tec Expo fostered a forum where over 10,000 of the society’s most innovative members could swap ideas and support digital exploration. SCTE trusted ADVENT to orchestrate four events in conjunction with the week long expo in September 2016.  These events would range in size between dinners for 20 to 75, cocktail receptions and ‘Expo Evening’, entertaining over 2,000 attendees.  

The Chairman’s Reception hosted just 250 of the most distinguished SCTE members in The Union League Ballroom, a historic venue only blocks from Philadelphia City Hall on Broad Street. VIPs were availed access to the private, members-only club founded in 1862 as a patriotic society, supporting the Union and President Lincoln during the Civil War. The club’s members remain limited to highly-respected leaders in business, government, law and technology in the region. ADVENT secured the Union League as a fitting location to host SCTE’s prominent members leading the telecommunications industry.  

ADVENT supported SCTE in setting up the program, ensuring a podium, microphone and projector were available and working flawlessly for SCTE’s speakers and awards program.  A violinist duo underscored the deluxe cuisine including a seafood spread of jumbo shrimp, crab cakes and tuna tartar.  Following the reception at the Union League, ADVENT guided chief technical officers and their guests to an intimate after-party at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts.

ADVENT delivered on SCTE’s request for two events within walking distance of one another, with both locations fostering the feel of exclusivity for the professional association’s most influential members.

The Kimmel Center is home to Philadelphia’s most talented musicians and performers. Its resident companies include the Philadelphia Orchestra, Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra, Opera Philadelphia, Curtis Institute of Music and the Philly Pops.

ADVENT recruited Philadelphia’s most knowledgeable residents – Benjamin Franklin and Betsy Ross – to guide 75 invited guests just three blocks from The Union League to the Kimmel Center’s Hamilton Garden, a 150-foot high glass-enclosed rooftop ballroom overlooking Broad Street – the city’s Avenue of the Arts. The glass dome, accentuated by visually-stunning LED lighting, creates a dreamy elegance. A DJ played subdued classical music, in line with the tradition of classical music performed on stages in the performing arts center. ADVENT selected a menu as elegant as the soiree, including flat iron steak, short ribs and salmon.

Among the events ADVENT produced for the CableTec Expo was Expo Evening, a high-energy night out of Philly-centric traditions at the mega-entertainment complex XFINITY Live!.  Expo Evening capped off the conference for over 2,000 attendees who attended in Philadelphia.  

Check out the Xfinity Live expo evening event here.

Mummers Mardi Gras Parade in Manayunk


 

  • Conceptualized & Produced Parade
  • Venue: Main Street Manayunk
  • Years: 2014 – 2018
  • Avg Attendance: 15k
  • Fun Fact: The event has raised $75k for the Philadelphia Mummers String Band Association and given some Manayunk businesses their best day ever!

 
The Philadelphia Mummers Mardi Gras Parade in Manayunk has all the feathers and fanfare of The Mummers Parade New Year’s Day without the early wake-up call and parade route barricades.

Since 2014, ADVENT has removed the barriers keeping you from strutting alongside your favorite string bands during and after the Main Street Manayunk parade.

Mummers Mardi Gras was born in the Northern Liberties section of Philadelphia in 2014 as a 21 and over festival at The Schmidt’s Commons. The inaugural event featured four string bands, vendors and cover band Split Decision playing throughout the day.

The festival was a hit, celebrating one of the city’s oldest folk traditions. But the adults-only event missed one vital component – families.

For more than 116 years, the Mummers tradition has carried on with support of families and Philadelphia neighborhoods. Children grew up watching their parents perform, wanting to fill their shoes. The survival of Philadelphia’s heritage is paramount to ADVENT.

ADVENT reinvented the festival in 2015 with a family-friendly focus in mind.  Mummers Mardi Gras was relocated to Main Street in Manayunk, allowing for more string bands to participate, and opened the festival to Mummers fans of all ages.

Working with the Manayunk Development Corporation and Philadelphia Mummers String Band Association, ADVENT built an annual February parade and after party that is quickly becoming as beloved as the century-old New Year’s Day Mummers Parade on Broad Street in Center City Philadelphia.

The party starts on Main Street with a two-hour parade spanning just eight, easy-to-walk blocks in Manayunk. The march between Carson Street and Shurs Lane offers spectators an intimate romp with plumed captains and the Philadelphia area’s talented sequined musicians.

Bands play the entirety of the parade route, but perform special serenades at three performance locations along the way. The second stop – at Cotton Street – is the Performance Promenade and the main viewing area where bands are announced to crowds lining the street.

The party continues after the parade as Manayunk establishments become mummers string bands’ satellite clubhouses, bringing Second Street to Main Street.  Each of the 16 bands is paired with a restaurant where marching Mummers can join their families for a pint and a meal after the half-mile Main Street strut.

Bands put on special, intimate performances inside their temporary clubhouses, encouraging fans to strut their hardest right along with them. Past “clubhouses” have included Mad River Bar & Grille, Manayunk Brewing Company, Bourbon Blue, J.D. McGillicuddy’s, Craft and Castle Roxx.

The growing event drew over 5,000 attendees in 2015 and more than 15,000 people in 2016 and 2017.  The increased foot traffic is a boon for Main Street businesses, happy to support the Mummers and their families.  

The festival is a labor of love for ADVENT staff, working for months to organize the parade and raise funds to support the string bands financially.

Philadelphia Mummers string bands raise money all year long to fund the costuming and props for a single, four-minute performance in front of the judges at Philadelphia City Hall on New Year’s Day. Performances cost bands tens of thousands of dollars, and hundreds of hours of rehearsal and building props by hand.

Mummers Mardi Gras’ first year in Manayunk, ADVENT committed $16,000 to the string bands, insuring each of the 16 bands performing in the parade down Main Street would receive $1,000 to support the growing expense to put on New Year’s Day shows.

Over four years, Mummers Mardi Gras has raised more than $75,000 for string bands and the Philadelphia Mummers String Band Association.  Funds are raised through sponsorships, local business donations, and the Bucket Brigade, a team of volunteers marching alongside Mummers during the parade. The brigade, carrying buckets, collects donations in exchange for Mardi Gras beads.

From a couple dimes to a couple dollars, parade-goers dropping donations into the buckets make a major contribution to funds raised to support Mummers. Each year, the Bucket Brigade is responsible for collecting several thousand dollars.

The Greater Philadelphia Traditions Fund, established by Congressman Bob Brady in 2009, is a non-profit organization supporting 10 “ethnic” parades in Philadelphia, including the Mummers, Greek, Gay Pride and St. Patrick’s Day festivals.  Brady marched in the first Philadelphia Mummers Mardi Gras Parade in 2015, serving as one of the parade’s grand marshals.  Through Traditions Fund donations, Brady continues to support the Mummers Mardi Gras in Manayunk annually.

The 2018 Philadelphia Mummers Mardi Gras Parade in Manayunk will be held Sunday, February 25th. The parade will be held between 1 and 3 p.m..  After parties will be held at restaurants throughout Manayunk immediately after the parade.

At the upcoming event, Mad River Manayunk will be the official Mummers Headquarters with a 3,000 square foot heated tent and stage in their parking lot.  A food tent sponsored by Corropolese Bakery will unveil a special tomato pie topping for the 2018 event – grated cheese shaped like the Philadelphia Mummers Mardi Gras logo.  

For more information, please visit www.MummersMardiGras.com