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As the city of Philadelphia’s 2026 Director, Michael Newmuis is tasked to help the city prepare for a trifecta of major events that will bring more than 500,000 visitors.
That includes the FIFA World Cup soccer games, the Major League Baseball All-Star Game and the 250th birthday of America – all happening in July 2026.
Newmuis was tapped by Mayor Cherelle Parker to the role after a career in tourism and community investment roles. In the past few weeks, he’s met with more than 70 stakeholders to understand the scope of what lies ahead in the next two years.
“We’re going to have something really exceptional,” Newmuis said. “This is perhaps the greatest opportunity in modern history to position Philadelphia on a national, if not a global stage.”
He was previously the head of impact at FS Investments, a global asset manager and executive director of the FS Foundation. He also served in executive roles at Visit Philadelphia.
He’s already helped execute major events like the 2015 World Meeting of Families which included Pope Francis’ first U.S. visit, the 2016 Democratic National Convention and the 2017 NFL Draft in Philadelphia.
There are plans to use the events as a tool to attract investment from new businesses but also to make sure the economic impact is inclusive for small and minority owned businesses – not just a cluster in Center City.
“There’s going to be a lot of [event] activations across neighborhoods in Philadelphia,” he said.
For example, some World Cup fans might be more interested in tailgating their favorite teams and celebrating in neighborhood restaurants and bars.
“Especially for the FIFA World Cup, it [fans] might be a bit more blue collar. These are individuals who saved up a lot of their money to come and experience the game. These are individuals that are going to want to celebrate even if they don’t have a ticket,” he said.
And the games might not end until late in the evening.
“How do you ensure that even if a game is ending at one in the morning that there’s opportunities for fans to safely celebrate even after the final call is made,” he said.
And it’s not just about sports but includes arts, culture and history. It’s about striking a balance between investments for visitors and residents, he said.