This year's epicenter of fun took place during iHeartMedia’s KIIS FM Wango Tango by AT&T concert on June 2. The musical event showcased famous singers and on-air talent and allowed CEA to shake things up a little by educating the audience about earthquake preparedness.
CEA's “Activation Area”, located at “The Village” at Banc of California Stadium, was set up for concert goers of all ages to learn about how to survive and recover from an earthquake. Many were eager to visit the shake trailer and experience what a magnitude 9.5 quake would feel like. After the harsh shake up, it was only natural for many of them to visit the next booth to learn what to do when the next quake strikes: Drop, cover and hold on. Participants took cover under a table and snapped a photo to share on social media to spread the word about earthquake safety.
An iHeartMedia team also provided virtual reality technology to transport participants to the interior of a home, and little did they know that an earthquake would take place in a matter of seconds. That was the moment when they had to prove they knew how to react. Many, remembered to drop, cover and hold on.
In addition to that experience, concert-goers were encouraged to visit a different tent and brainstorm with a group about steps they could take to prepare for the next damaging earthquake such as purchasing earthquake insurance to help them recover financially and reduce their risk of loss. The purpose of "each experience" was to expose the crowd to potential disaster situations and help them apply their knowledge at home.
CEA's messaging was featured everywhere throughout the concert venue, on posters and TV monitors. Our “It could Happen Today” campaign ads were shown on large monitors and heard by thousands of people after every main performance, all evening long. But, this great event could not have been complete without a major highlight, CEA's check presentation to the American Red Cross for $175,978 raised through the annual Get Prepared California! Auction. In the past seven years, the auction has raised more than $1.2 million for disaster-preparedness and relief efforts in California. Learn more about the auction and how CEA and the American Red Cross joined forces through CEA's press release.