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Many months ago, when the world looked a lot different, WM Events was engaged to put together a live event and parade to welcome 15,000 attendees. But during the era of COVID-19, this mass, outdoor event had to be redesigned with safety in mind. The annual Light the Station event at Atlantic Station would be both live and televised in 2020, and it needed to make an impact for on-site viewers and those tuning in at home.
A second directive was that we incorporate a diverse range of community groups and holiday characters in the parade. This year, it had a mid-century holiday theme, so we needed to give a nod to 20th-century expressions and style. With the classic song “I Love a Parade” stuck in our heads for weeks, we strategized how to best bring all of the elements together and make it worthy of television. We felt like we were following in the tradition of the greatest of televised parades – the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade – and we wanted to live up to the example it had set.
After coordinating with the crew from 11Alive to produce skits and determine which shots would be used in the broadcast, as well as choosing and organizing hundreds of parade participants, we were ready. The event began with an outdoor celebration, where we were joined by visiting reindeer, holiday carolers and Santa himself. With their help, the festival atmosphere got off to a great start – as you can see!
