The Wall Street Journal

Sequence produced the finale drive-in event for The Wall Street Journal’s annual Future of Everything Festival. Although the festival was almost entirely hosted virtually, the finale portion was in-person at The Skyline Drive-In Theater in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. The main goals of the event were to create a safe, fun environment, despite the ongoing pandemic, and to highlight the festival’s messaging throughout.

Safety was certainly a priority, and ensuring the event was following consistently changing guidelines was no easy feat. To be as proactive as possible, all guests were asked a series of questions in a health screening prior to event day. Meanwhile, all staff and vendors were required to provide proof of vaccine pre-event, and if not vaccinated, they were administered a rapid Covid test immediately upon arrival. Masks were distributed to guests and stickers were placed on the floor near the restroom to enforce social distancing. Adequate space was left in between all vehicles, and our team also set up hand sanitizing stations throughout the space (all 50,000 sq feet of it!). Finally, we hired Covid Compliance Officers to enforce all rules and regulations during setup, event time, and strike.

In lieu of traditional movie theater concessions, our team (decked out in WSJ attire) greeted each car with a welcome basket. Each basket was filled with branded swag and movie snacks—like popcorn and candy! Hand wipes were also provided to all guests to provide a safe and enjoyable experience while in their cars watching the movie screening (and of course to help with the aftermath of popcorn hands).

A DJ greeted the crowd upon arrival and tunes could be heard through the FM station of the cars (just like the movie’s audio). Guests were able to tweet song requests to the DJ via a hashtag on Twitter, and interactive trivia projected on the movie screen allowing attendees to play on their phones to win prizes. Guests were also privy to an exclusive pre-show interview between cast members before launching into the Oscar-nominated feature. The entire experience was nestled on the water with the Manhattan skyline as our natural backdrop. We were proud to accomplish our goal of keeping guests entertained while in their cars, without compromising the communal elements of the experience.