Agency

2021 Impact Report

February 10, 2022

2021 in REVIEW

Authored by REC Philly's

Co-Founder & CEO Dave Silver

For me personally, 2022 marks the 10th year of being dedicated to this mission of empowering creators to do more of what they love. It started in a basement in 2012 in North Philadelphia, and here we are today in 2022 in this beautiful, state-of-the-art Creative Facility in Center City. Since day 1 it was about creating a platform for artists to have a chance, to have an opportunity, to see any light at the end of a very complex & challenging tunnel -to make a living doing what they are so passionate & talented at.

A workshop on owning you own masters as a musician

10 years of booking shows, negotiating with brands & businesses to create gigs for artists, 10 years of capturing content & making memories, 10 years of building community.

February 1, 2022 also marks the first full year of REC being open continuously at our 9th & Market Location. Sure, we’ve been working at it for 10 years. And yes, 9th & Market location has been open since December 2019 - but due to COVID, this is the first time we’ve been open for 1 year straight. After all this time, we are still just babies in our effort to fulfill this mission. We are still just getting started.

Now I get to reflect on the full first year of REC being open in the Fashion District. We get to reflect on the impact that was made in 2021. As someone who is at REC 6 days & probably 70 hours a week, I get to see the impact first hand. The creators coming in & out of studios. Brands booking Creators for gigs that will help them pay next month’s rent. Connections being made in real time that will last a lifetime. But for people who are not me, you might not realize what is happening on a daily basis on the 2nd floor at 9th & Market above Burlington Coat Factory.

What most people don’t see are the 8 hour studio sessions in Studio B where magic was just made. Or the Zoom call between the 5 newest REC members that Urban Outfitters sponsored for the year & Urban’s head of Creative. Or the office hours session in the Live Room about building your credit score with WSFS Bank. Or the room filled with 100+ creators on a Friday night listening to a creator talk about distributing your music the right way, led by a grammy nominated production team.

We live & breathe impact for this creative community every single day, 7 days a week - 365 days a year. We’ve been on that same grind for the last 10 years — and 2021 was our most successful year to date. And again, we are just getting started.

I wanted to take this time to thank all of the Creators who put everything into their art. Who trust REC to be a vehicle for them to live out their passions. Who put their heart & soul into creating in our space - and sharing it to the world. I want to thank our brand partners who believe in REC’s mission of empowering creators, and understand the significance of investing in artists & what that does to strengthen our community & local economy. And lastly, I need to thank everyone on my REC team for their unwavering commitment to serve Creators - putting them first with every decision - working tirelessly to create the next connection or opportunity for our Members. None of this impact happens without any of y’all, and I’m proud to witness it every day.

With that said, REC’s 2021 Impact Report. We are just getting started.