Hallmark Pushes Further Into Experiential With Live Tour

Hallmark star Nikki DeLoach Hallmark

Hallmark is taking its show on the road.

The cable TV brand and holiday stalwart is launching a multi-city tour called Hallmark Stars Live with some of the recurring stars of its films and shows. Attendees will get a peek behind-the-scenes of what goes into making a Hallmark movie, A&A opportunities and games for an unscripted experience.

Nikki DeLoach (A Grand Ole Opry Christmas) will host the tour, with a number of other movie stalwarts set to participate, including Andrew Walker (She’s Making a List), Ashley Williams (An Alpine Holiday), Jonathan Bennett (A Keller Family Christmas), Kimberley Sustad (Merry Christmas, Ted Cooper!), Paul Campbell (Three Wisest Men), and Tamera Mowry-Housley (Tidings for the Season).

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The tour will run July 22-Aug. 2, through the northeast and midwest, with stops in New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois and Nebraska.

Gershiwn Entertainment is producing the event with Hallmark, and it is being sponsored by Michael’s, the crafting and art retailer.

“At Hallmark, we’re always exploring new ways to connect with fans and bring our brand to life, so we’re thrilled to introduce Hallmark Stars Live as our newest immersive experience,” said Lindsey Roy, senior VP of branded experiences at Hallmark. “For everyone who’s asked us to bring the Hallmark joy they love a little closer to home, this tour is for you.”

Hallmark has been pushing further into experiential entertainment in recent years. The company has now hosted multiple themed cruises, and now has an annual Christmas event near its Kansas City headquarters. It has also hosted one-off fan conventions. The live tour simply takes that to the next logical level, filling in a window outside the holiday season.

“I think there’s a component here where we have this great family of actors and talent that we use over and over again in our movies, and we’ve heard from our consumers, we’ve heard from the audience, they would love to experience the movies in real life,” Hallmark chief brand officer Darren Abbott told THR late last year. “That’s where the genesis of most of this came from, and I think we’re really just getting started in this space.”