Craig S. Kaplan

Craig S. Kaplan
Craig S. Kaplan.jpg Craig S. Kaplan.jpg
Born	1962-07-30
💼 Occupation	Marketing & Promotions executive
👶 Children	two
🌐 Website	hashtagmultimedia.com

Craig S. Kaplan is a Philadelphia-area marketing and promotions executive who has been in the industry since the late 1980s. His father, Shelly Kaplan, was one of the original partners of Electric Factory Concerts (later Live Nation Entertainment) and the Atlantic City Pop Festival. Kaplan specializes in creating unique, creative content, utilizing both digital and traditional media, for his clients. Throughout his career, Kaplan has generated more than $115 million in sponsorship, partnership, and commercial revenue while also helping non-profit organizations secure more than $16 million in charitable partnerships and fundraising support. His work has consistently focused on identifying emerging opportunities, building scalable commercial platforms, negotiating complex partnerships, and translating audience passion into sustainable business growth.

Career

• VP of Marketing and Special Events at Big Brothers Big Sisters Independence (BBBSI), January 2025 – November 2025.

• Kaplan has been President of Hashtag Multimedia, where he currently works, since January 2012.

• Kaplan was President of MilkBoy Communications from December 2009 – December 2011.
• Kaplan was president at All Star Promotion from January 1995 – December 2009; in the early 2000s, he also managed West Philadelphia rap pioneer Schoolly D.

• Kaplan was an advertising sales manager at Comcast Cable Vision from January 1993 - December 1994.

• Kaplan was an account manager at Comcast Cable Vision from September 1988 - December 1992, where he worked on projects with MTV and VH1.

History

Professional Athletes Representation

Kaplan has represented professional athletes across multiple sports over the course of a 30-year career, securing endorsements, media deals, broadcast contracts, and commercial opportunities across the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and boxing. His clients have included Pro Football Hall of Famer Brian Dawkins, NHL Hall of Famer Paul Coffey, and Olympic Gold Medalist Carl Lewis.

Philadelphia Eagles

Kaplan has worked with hundreds of Philadelphia Eagles players throughout his career, securing endorsements, appearances, broadcast deals, and promotional engagements. His Eagles clients have included Andy Harmon, Brian Dawkins (Pro Football Hall of Fame), Charlie Garner, David Akers (Eagles Hall of Fame), Hank Fraley, Herschel Walker, Irving Fryar, Jason Kelce, Jon Ritchie, Jon Runyan (Eagles Hall of Fame), Keith Byars, Lito Sheppard, Omar Gaither, Rodney Peete, Seth Joyner (Eagles Hall of Fame), Sheldon Brown, Victor Bailey, Vince Papale, William Fuller, and William Thomas.

Irving Fryar

Kaplan's work with Irving Fryar encompassed endorsements, media, film, and publishing. Kaplan secured endorsement deals for Fryar with Visa and Chrysler, negotiated Fryar's role in Oliver Stone's 2000 film Any Given Sunday, and negotiated the contract and Associate Producer credit for Fryar on Comcast SportsNet's inaugural sports talk show, Angelo and Irving. Kaplan secured Fryar's radio show on WIP and negotiated a deal designating the Irving Fryar Foundation as the beneficiary of the station's annual radiothon. Kaplan also negotiated Fryar's book deal and conceived the title Sunday is My Day.

Jon Runyan

Kaplan served as manager for Eagles Hall of Fame offensive lineman Jon Runyan throughout his entire nine-year career with the Philadelphia Eagles beginning in 2000. Kaplan secured major endorsements for Runyan with McDonald's and Ford Motors, negotiated all of Runyan's radio and television show contracts, and sold Runyan's Rockin' With Runyan radio show to Y100 in 2004, also securing a retail deal to sell Rockin' With Runyan merchandise at Modell's Sporting Goods stores. Kaplan helped create Runyan's Reserve Beer in partnership with Iron Hill Brewery in Media, Pennsylvania, with a portion of each sale donated to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Kaplan also served as Event Chairman of Runyan's charity golf event, Score for the Cure, which raised over half a million dollars across its first five years, and secured Runyan as a contributor to Daily News Live. He also secured Runyan's TV deals with CN8, FOX 29, and Comcast SportsNet.

Seth Joyner

Kaplan has maintained a professional relationship with Eagles Hall of Fame linebacker Seth Joyner spanning more than 30 years. Kaplan secured multiple endorsement deals for Joyner including Starter Inc., Jeep, Acura, and a financial planning company, in addition to numerous appearances and promotional engagements throughout their association.

David Akers

Kaplan secured a major endorsement for David Akers in 2003 with Doneckers and has worked with the former Eagles kicker for more than 25 years, securing dozens of appearances and promotional engagements over the course of their relationship, including work as recently as 2023.

Jason Kelce

In 2018, Kaplan secured Eagles center Jason Kelce as host of a charity event held at Ardmore Music Hall in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia Phillies

Kaplan has worked with numerous Philadelphia Phillies players over the course of his career, securing appearances and promotional deals for Carlos Ruiz, Garry Maddox, Greg Luzinski, Hunter Pence, Jimmy Rollins, Lenny Dykstra, Mitch Williams, and Ryan Madson.

Hunter Pence

In 2012, Kaplan secured outfielder Hunter Pence as celebrity spokesperson for Liscio's Bakery and produced the resulting commercial, "Liscio's: 'Let's Go Eat!'" — which received widespread media attention, with Philadelphia Magazine calling it "the greatest commercial in TV history." Kaplan also secured a Davis Acura endorsement for Pence and created a bi-weekly web series titled Liscio's Bakery: Weekly Bites, distributed on YouTube.

Philadelphia Flyers

Kaplan secured a Koho endorsement deal for Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Jani Niinimaa.

Additional Clients

Kaplan's athlete representation has extended across multiple sports. He secured endorsements for Olympic Gold Medalist and World Champion boxer Meldrick Taylor. He secured a Modell's Sporting Goods endorsement for IBF Cruiserweight World Champion boxer Steve Cunningham for his fight against future Heavyweight champion Tyson Fury at Madison Square Garden.

Chefs

From 2010 to 2015, Kaplan redesigned the Vetri Family restaurant websites consolidating five websites and four restaurants into a centralized digital platform that increased traffic to the Vetri Foundation site by 950% and grew the consumer database by more than 10,000 while simultaneously securing corporate sponsors for Vetri's annual Great Chefs Event. The event raised over $2.5 million for Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation across those years, including $1.1 million in a single year, and was a contributing factor in URBN's acquisition of the Vetri restaurant group for over $10 million. Kaplan also booked the musical guests for the VIP After Party, including Questlove for three consecutive years, Biz Markie, and Schoolly D, and produced and shot the promotional video for the event each of those years.

A collaboration with James Beard Award-winning chef Marc Vetri included a promotional video, "Sounds Good, Tastes Good," shot at New York City's only four-star Italian restaurant, Del Posto. Performing alongside Vetri were Grammy-nominated musician Phil Roy, Joe Bastianich (Master Chef co-host), Tom Colicchio (Colicchio & Sons, Top Chef), and John Pizzarelli. Kaplan and his firm designed, and now maintain, the Vetri Family website; Kaplan also has shot dozens of videos promoting the Vetri Family of Restaurants and the Vetri Foundation for Children.

Charity

Kaplan has secured celebrity spokespersons and/or corporate sponsors for charity events diverse as The Tiger Woods Foundation celebrity Pro-Am, The Great Chef Event, Bowl with the Birds, the LPGA ShopRite Classic, Jon Runyan’s Score for the Cure, and the Jimmy Rollins Family Foundation’s events One Night in Harlem, Havana Nights and A Night in Paris. More recently, Kaplan has worked with Big Brothers Big Sisters Independence.

Kaplan secured corporate sponsors from 2009-2012 for MANNA’s event, "Shut Up and Dance." Kaplan also produced a promotional video for MANNA’s 20th anniversary "Shut Up and Dance," as well as a promotional video about the benefits of MANNA.

Kaplan produced the 2012 Philabundance Public Service Announcement TV-spot, "Hunger Doesn’t Take a Vacation." Kaplan secured Hunter Pence as the Philabundance spokesperson and Liscio’s Bakery as their corporate sponsor; Kaplan went on to use Pence in a billboard campaign he created for Philabundance, underwritten by Liscio’s Bakery.

Kaplan began working with the Variety (Children’s Charity) in 1998 when he secured their first celebrity spokesperson, Irving Fryar; he went on to secure Jon Runyan as a celebrity spokesperson in 2000. He has since contracted celebrity bartenders and various celebrity spokespersons for the Variety (Children’s Charity). In November 2009, Kaplan helped create the Celebrity Bowling Classic; the evening was hosted by Ryan Madson and Brent Celek and raised five figures for the charity.

In 2001, Kaplan ran the Allen Iverson Summer Classic Celebrity Softball Game, securing corporate sponsors and celebrity talent for the event.

Kaplan secured celebrity guests to attend the Camden Aquarium’s grand opening gala in 1992.

Kaplan secured a major donor to fund the creation of a new treatment room for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). Kaplan has also brought six different athletes into CHOP to in bring gifts, and talk to the children. In 2008, Kaplan also orchestrated an event with Liscio’s Bakery where people could take a picture with the World Series trophy for donations to CHOP.

Kaplan was the Director of Marketing for the Irving Fryar Foundation from 1997-1999. During his time there he ran the charity golf event which raised six figures for the organization. He also orchestrated three cigar dinner fundraisers which raised a total of five figures for the organization.

Kaplan was also the Director of Marketing for the Jerome Brown Foundation. Kaplan was event coordinator for all fundraising dinners hosted by the charity; he also secured celebrities to attend the events. Kaplan helped the charity raise $200,000 during his time with them.

Kaplan produced a Public Service Announcement campaign for S.C.A.N. (Stop Child Abuse Now). Kaplan also secured corporate sponsorship and celebrity spokesperson, Irving Fryar, for S.C.A.N.

Charity Events

Kaplan has secured celebrity spokespersons and/or corporate sponsors for charity events such as the Great Chef Event, Bowl with the Birds, the LPGA ShopRite Classic, Runyan’s Score for the Cure, and the Jimmy Rollins Family Foundations’ events One Night in Harlem, Havana Nights, and A Night in Paris.

Kaplan has worked with the Great Chefs Event for the past five years. In addition to promoting, coordinating, and securing corporate sponsors and celebrity spokespersons, Kaplan has produced promotional video’s covering the event the past two years. In 2012 the Great Chefs Event raised one million dollars, and in 2013 the event raised $1.1 million.

Kaplan co-produced Bowl with the Birds, securing the event's title sponsors and selecting the non-profits that would benefit; beneficiaries have included the Jeremiah Trotter Foundation, the Brian Mitchell Foundation, The Prostate Cancer Foundation, the Alzheimer's Association, and Variety (Children's Charity).

Kaplan was responsible for raising over $500,000 in his five years as Event Chairman of Jon Runyan’s Score for the Cure as event chairman. Kaplan secured benefactors for the event such as the Prostate Cancer Foundation, the Cancer Institute of New Jersey, and the Kimmel Cancer Center.

2020s

Love From Philly (2020)

When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down Philadelphia's concert venues in March 2020, Kaplan partnered with attorney and music-industry veteran Andy Hurwitz, Will Horrocks, and Joe Esposito to produce Love From Philly, billed as the world's first three-day virtual music festival. Held May 1–3, 2020, and streamed live via Nugs.net, the free festival featured more than 80 Philadelphia-area artists performing across three themed days, headlined by the War on Drugs, Freeway, and John Oates, with corporate sponsorship from AAA and W Philadelphia. Kaplan served as one of four Co-Executive Producers, alongside Hurwitz (Executive Director and founder of 30AMP), Horrocks, and Esposito. The festival raised more than $78,000, with proceeds benefiting 30AMP Circuit's grants for Philadelphia musicians, entertainment professionals, and venues, including workers from World Cafe Live, Ardmore Music Hall, and MilkBoy.

Littles to Legends

While serving as VP of Marketing and Special Events at Big Brothers Big Sisters Independence (BBBSI) in 2025, Kaplan created and produced Littles to Legends, a series of 110 short videos commemorating the organization's 110th anniversary and capturing the voices of its Bigs, Littles, alumni, and community champions. The series premiered alongside a 10 minute short-form documentary at the organization's anniversary celebration at the Kimmel Center in November 2025.

Soul Sista (Re-Imagined)

Kaplan co-produced Soul Sista (Re-Imagined), a multimedia reinterpretation of Bilal's 2001 single "Soul Sista" created with artist Zeek Burse for the nonprofit Black Music City, pairing a new music video with a coffee-table book of portraits of women of color shot at Philadelphia locations. Kaplan is credited as a producer in the book's acknowledgments, where Burse describes him as "my exceptional manager."

References

This article "Craig Kaplan" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Craig Kaplan. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.

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