How Verizon technology solutions delivered an Indy 500 virtual experience for Penske

When shutdowns threatened to upend racing’s largest annual event, Penske Corporation had to find a way to connect fans to the action and to engage partners. In particular, how could it continue the tradition of letting fans meet the drivers competing in the Indianapolis 500? Penske turned to its long-time partner Verizon to develop its first-ever Indy 500 virtual event. Using BlueJeans Events, Penske delivered a great show to more than 25,000 fans and connected with hundreds of partners.

Objective

• With the pandemic shutting down events and gatherings, Penske needed to deliver fan experiences and engage partners in new ways.

Solutions

• The transportation services group worked with Verizon to turn its Indy 500 events virtual, implementing BlueJeans Events to hold the drivers’ meeting and a partnership event.
• To support collaboration across different functions, Penske also rolled out the video conferencing platform BlueJeans Meetings.

Results

• Penske delivered best-in-class entertainment experiences to more than 25,000 fans who saw all the 33 drivers of the Indy 500 virtually.
• In place of its annual partnership summit, Penske hosted a three-hour virtual conference for 300 partners.
• Within Penske, employees were able to collaborate cross-functionally, successfully mapping out a virtual events strategy. 

Download the full case study >