Innovation festival B. PHL goes virtual, welcomes M. Night Shyamalan

Registration for the event is free

The 2020 B. PHL innovation fest has added M. Night Shyamalan to its list of guest speakers. The movie director and writer who grew up in the Philadelphia area, joins a lineup of speakers that already included Pitbull, Issa Rae and Nick Offerman.
Courtesy of/B.PHL

Philadelphia's first city-wide innovation festival, B. PHL, returns Tuesday, Sept. 15, through Thursday, Sept. 17.

This year's three-day event will be a virtual celebration of inspiration, connection and innovation, and will highlight COVID-19 recovery efforts to kickstart the economy.

Tickets are free, with an option to donate to the PHL COVID-19 Fund. You can register online for full access to the 2020 B. PHL festival.


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Speakers include actress Issa Rae of "Insecure," actor Nick Offerman of "Parks & Recreation" and Grammy-winning artist Pitbull.

Filmmaker and philanthropist M. Night Shyamalan, who grew up on the Main Line and still lives in the area, recently was added to the lineup. Shyamalan will join B. PHL executive director Michelle Histand in a conversation focused on the M. Night Shyamalan Foundation, which works to eliminate barriers created by poverty and social injustice.

The discussion is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 17.

More information on the talks, workshops and curated experiences being offered during this year's free event is available on the B. PHL website. Most of the festival is virtual, but there are a few in-person events.

In its first year, B. PHL attracted more than 5,000 registrants, enabling connections and collaborations across industries. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 B. PHL innovation fest will feature purpose-driven virtual content designed to give back and connect businesses and the community with resources to aid in recovery efforts.


2020 B. PHL Innovation Festival

Tuesday, Sept. 15, through Thursday, Sept. 17
Free registration
Virtual event


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