Philadelphia is home to some of the most innovative minds in the world – dreamers and doers from all walks of life dedicated to disrupting the status quo and impacting change. So when the creators of the B. PHL Innovation Festival came up with the idea to highlight innovation throughout the region, we jumped at the opportunity to pitch in.

We supported B. PHL and Independence Blue Cross (Independence) – the leading event sponsor – in the Festival’s launch in 2019, which featured more than 200 events and 400 speakers at 20+ locations. Content focused on innovation across education, healthcare, technology, the arts and more – sparking dialogue and driving impact. The shift to a virtual format in 2020 attracted a global audience and convened some of the biggest and brightest visionaries during a time when this strategic and thoughtful content was needed most. 2021 brought its own unique circumstances and B. PHL presented the best of both worlds with a hybrid (in-person and virtual) approach to meet speakers’ and attendees’ health and safety preferences.

One constant over the last three years: Team Brian worked with client partners to secure strategic media opportunities to build awareness for the Festival, while planning poignant and timely discussions to draw a crowd.

In 2021, the client team knew we needed headlining speakers with a wow factor that would make a hybrid event shine amid a world of virtual fatigue. We helped them secure several of B. PHL’s featured speakers including Philadelphia’s own Wendell Holland, Host of HGTV’s Hot Mess House and winner of Survivor: Ghost Island; Ken Frazier, Executive Chairman of the Board at Merck; Jami McKeon, Chair of Morgan Lewis; Jay Wright, Head Coach of the Villanova Men’s Basketball Team; Brad Ingelsby, screenwriter who wrote and produced Mare of Easttown; and many more. Our role didn’t stop at securing talent; we also curated panel discussions on critical topics including female leadership in professional sports; preventing the next pandemic; civility in politics; and reducing recidivism through an equitable workforce.

In addition to curating compelling content, we worked with client partners at B. PHL and Independence to execute an earned media strategy that blanketed the regional market and put the Festival in the spotlight. Through key B. PHL updates and speaker announcements, we secured coverage in outlets such as The Philadelphia Business Journal, The Philadelphia Tribune, City & State PA, iHeartRadio, 6ABC, The Philadelphia Citizen and more.

B. PHL may be three years young, but the Festival has delivered can’t-miss content since its launch. Brian Communications secured several of B. PHL’s featured speakers in 2019 including Musician, Author and Innovator Questlove; Stephen Schwarzman, Chairman, CEO and Co-founder of Blackstone, a leading investment firm with $545 billion assets under management; and friend-of-the-agency Josh Kopelman, serial entrepreneur and Founder of First Round Capital, who took a leap and was an early investor in companies like Uber, Blue Apron and Warby Parker. In 2020, we planned sessions focused on diversity in the C-suite and board room; employee mental health; wrongful conviction; a virtual tour of Penn Museum; and a session on self-care.

Since its inception, B. PHL has grown from a regional, citywide event to a hybrid attraction drawing a global audience. The takeaway from the first three years has been clear: Move over Silicon Valley, Austin and Boston – Philly is the new hub for big ideas, imaginative vision, and disruptive thought leadership.