Meet Me At The Movies
Don’t you just love the movies? Especially Drive-in Movies? Not much of the movies is happening these days, but every time we think of them we get all warm and fuzzy. AM I RIGHT????
2020 has brought a lot of things. For most it has turned their worlds upside down. There is a lot of crazy happening, but here is what I have seen as one positive outcome this year…
The creativity from every business and person needing to PIVOT.
You saw:
Hearts in windows
Drive-by Birthdays
Zoom meetings get creative
Zoom calls with virtual games
Virtual parties take on a whole new level
Restaurants pivot in creative ways to survive
People Howling at 8pm
Graduation Parades
AND SO MANY OTHER THINGS!!!
With all this above being said, I have one thing to say….
PIVOTING IS CRUCIAL
Businesses and people that are willing to look outside of the normal event and pivot will not only have a stronger hand in surviving this pandemic, but will also be leaders.
Here is a way we pivoted one of my clients summer events.
Every year she has an amazing themed summer party for her realtor clients. 60-100 people gathered in one place, as she thanked them for their business.
Well enter Covid-19 and we needed to pivot….
We decided to do a SOCIAL DISTANCED DRIVE-IN MOVIE.
YEP…. Still creating community, in the same place, but being sensitive to the times, made my client lead well during this unprecedented time.
Just because things are upside down, doesn’t mean your business has to suffer from it. Those that are thriving right now, realized they needed to pivot and they needed to pivot quickly.
Thinking outside the box is how you get some of the most creative ideas!
“Melissa did a fabulous job planning our summer party at our home. The best part…we could actually talk with our guests and we weren’t cleaning up for days after the party.”
LaDawn Sperling Coldwell Banker Realtor
Ways to make a Social Distance Drive In Movie works:
Finding the right space
We had to look for a parking lot that wouldn’t be a great location for a screen, not too close to a movie theater for licensing purposes and enough parking spaces to social distance park cars.
Getting the right equipment
Making sure you have the right equipment is KEY. The right size screen, the right projector to project a clear image with great quality. We also had to think through how attendees were going to hear the movie. We chose to use an amazing company that provided all these pieces including high quality FM transmitters so people could hear it in their cars.
Licensing
This piece is SOOOOOOOOOOOO Important and essential. It can also be a headache if you don’t know where to look or what to get. But that’s where I’ve got you covered! Each movie needs a license in order to show in a public setting, meaning not in your back yard.
Social Distancing Requirements
I know this is something they never taught in the event world, but just like all of you I had to PIVOT.
Following the Colorado State Social Distancing guidelines and CDC requirements was something we needed to careful think through in order to make people feel safe enjoying the event and keep my client protected for the event.
How people heard about it, what they needed to know, and what to expect were important messaging that we needed to cover in our event messaging.
Removing obstacles and addressing any aspect of this event that could stress or deter people, was important for us to get in front of and lead the way.
Before the movie activities
Even this looks a bit different then the normal the way we remember Drive-In Movies. Where people could roam freely around, group games including limbo and an open concessions where everyone could gather and enjoy food.
We chose to do movie trivia on the screen before it started and did prepackaged popcorn that cars could have if they wanted.
Thinking through the experience for your attendees is what I excel at. Leaving you looking like the Rock Star while I do all the work!
Well I hope this helped to shine a light on another way for you to show your clients. I know I am having a BLAST sorting out this new world and bringing the best experiences for people in a new way.