To Philadelphia, From Philadelphia

We may travel the world for our clients, but our home is in Philadelphia. The Story Factory, our production house, is within city limits and has been the perfect space to support events happening within our city. The focus of the Semiquincential is centered around Philadelphia, and our team of creative strategists is utilizing our services and skills to make the most of it.

Whether you’re based in Philadelphia, or traveling in for an event, we’ve got enough creative services in-house to be your go-to creative crew both now and in the future. Let us know how you could benefit from our team!

There are so many reasons to work with Helm, and this year we are highlighting 26 of our favorites!

Here are two that we’d like to highlight this month!

19. Within city limits 

We know Philly because we’re in Philly. We’re not in a surrounding area or outside of it and claim to be in it. We’re the real deal. Our team is familiar with public transport, we know our local favorite places to eat and grab coffees, we support local businesses, and we’re in tune with the place we call home. Store items for events, print, ship, dream, meet, create, record, and move through your next chapter in Philly with us. We’re even a certified LBE as a local business entity. Whatever you need, we’re here to help and the possibilities are endless.

7. Boutique builds 

Think you can’t sell merch? With us, you can. Our clients have online shops and pop up shops on site. We offer a hybrid of in-person and online shopping or merchandise capabilities and aren’t afraid to start from scratch, including sourcing, designing, and printing, along with building the site reporting and even staffing on site, as and where needed. So have you thought about custom merch for your event or activation this year? Allow people to remember your brand for years to come!

Philadelphia Ballet is one of our clients who we have had the honor of experiencing immense growth alongside. We first launched the merchandise boutique during their Nutcracker shows at the Academy of Music in 2023. Since then, we’ve added a variety of services and event support, growing with them as they continue to thrive. We are so thankful to work with their incredible team. As we continue to celebrate ten years at Helm, here’s a glimpse of one of our beloved, and graceful, clients.

Philadelphia Ballet: Moved by Ballet

Cellos reverberating throughout the Academy of Music. The elegance of a flute. The resonance of a violin. The ring of French horns. Excitement is tangible throughout the space as we hear the orchestra practicing and warming up for what will be another magical evening with Philadelphia Ballet. 

It’s the shuffle of dancers’ feet as they move throughout the backstage area or the dull tapping of pointe shoes greeting the stage. As we set up for another performance, encountering guests and greeting others in the lobby of what will become dozens of shows for George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, we take a deep breath and recognize the gratitude that we have for supporting such a prestigious organization. 

Over the course of a season, we’ll work through dozens of shows. The sight of families laughing and connecting, or a little girl wearing a dress with tulle or a crown, or even young dancers showing up to learn and be inspired, will stay with us always. Every hoodie, nutcracker, ornament, or any other item sold are tangible expressions of memories made. Patrons who attend can literally say they got the T-shirt. And we’ve helped to provide this experience. 

Even though our work has started months ago, sourcing the highest-quality items, designing the hand-drawn illustrations for some of the merchandise items, or strategically planning the larger-than-life display, it’s the magic of the season, the changing of each ballet, and the connection of couples and families that keeps us feeling like each performance is the first one and the irreplaceable one. 

Philadelphia Ballet enabled us to move into a boutique space in a way we never had before. And, over time, we found that the website and inventory, shipping and storing  items from our production house at The Story Factory, partnering with local businesses like Elixr for a especially holiday drink, and showing up in the shifting weather and seasons, has grown our team and our capacity to see art in a new way. 

Some of our own team have a dance background, and the way that they inform the decisions and keep their own dreams moving forward through connecting to the ones they had as kids, proves to us that creativity in any form, in connection with others, is what lasts in our lives. Being on the journey with them has been fulfilling as we’ve built towards their new studio and all that it will add to the arts community within Philadelphia and our city as a whole. Breaking new ground also means developing new ground and whether through audiovisual, photography, or videography, this journey is one worth documenting. 

To find out more about Philadelphia Ballet, visit: philadelphiaballet.org 

Helm is full of creative services. Your whole story. All in-house.

Campaign Development

You can’t have a great campaign without a great idea. We believe in not just storytelling, but good storytelling. Our team of creative strategists can ideate on the words and activations you need to move humans and cultivate human connections.

To make 2026 your creative best, or, to hire our team of creative strategists to support your impact and goals, reach out to us. We’ll answer with a real human response.