Upfront Week officially started this morning with NBC's presentation at the Hilton New York, but cable television executives have been courting advertisers and media buyers for the better part of the last two months at concerts, private dinners, and stage presentations. The resurgent economy has reintroduced the elaborate upfront. So before the networks take the spotlight this week, here's a look at what their cable cousins A&E, Bravo, Oxygen, Syfy, and TruTV put together for the 2010 upfront season.
Oxygen's upfront at Jazz at Lincoln Center
Photo: David Goldman/Oxygen Media
For the Oxygen Media upfront on April 6, producer Event Energizers turned Jazz at Lincoln Center's Allen Room into an elaborate forum for oversize 3D objects, custom vignettes, and casual seating.
Photo: David Goldman/Oxygen Medi
Next to the podium where Oxygen executives delivered their presentation, producers placed a 12- by-8-foot wedding cake as an homage to the network's bridal programming.
Photo: David Goldman/Oxygen Medi
A&E hosted its upfront at the IAC Building, where the network showcase ta live performance by John Legend and The Roots on the venue's enormous video wall.
Photo: Luis Marin/AETN
A&E's internal events team worked with John Casey of i.e. Design Events Inc. to come up with the decor for the May 5 event.
Photo: Luis Marin/AETN
SyFy took advantage of a sponsorship deal with the Museum of Modern Art's Tim Burton exhibition by hosting 660 clients and media buyers for a presentation in the museum's Titus Theater and a cocktail reception in the atrium.
Photo: Marcela Riomalo
Working with LeadDog Marketing Group, Digital Air, and Robbins Tesar, SyFy created a 180-degree photo booth that snapped images of guests bouncing on a trampoline with more than 90 cameras.
Photo: Gaspar Guerra
For its upfront at Skylight, Bravo created interactive environments to highlight its series, including a bar of sweets from Creative Edge for Top Chef: Just Desserts.
Photo: Courtesy of NBC Universal
In another area at the Bravo upfront, playing off the network's pop culture programming, guests ate pizza off of a foosball table bar.
Photo: Courtesy of NBC Universal
At the TruTV upfront, a first solo outing for the Turner-owned network, two walls of LED panels on each side of the stage opened up at the end of the evening for a performance by Kid Rock.
Photo: Jeremy Freeman
