Queer City: A CNN Experience
A Pride Pop Up Museum Honoring LGBTQ+ History in New York City
Sponsors: Procter & Gamble (P&G), BMW of North America
Project Overview
In 2019, as New York City hosted WorldPride to mark the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising—one of the most pivotal moments in LGBTQ+ history—CNN partnered with P&G and BMW to produce Queer City: A CNN Experience, a pop‑up museum and multimedia exhibit that celebrated the lived experiences, struggles, and achievements of the queer community in New York City. The activation was designed to go far beyond symbolic Pride messaging—inviting the public to step through decades of LGBTQ+ cultural history in a deeply personal, educational, and immersive way.
Our Role
As the experiential event production partner, we delivered full‑scale conceptualization, planning, execution, and operational support for Queer City and transformed a 5,000‑square‑foot space into a public museum experience.
Strategic Experience Design
- Collaborated closely with CNN and creative partners to translate the narrative of queer history into an engaging spatial journey
- Designed thematic zones organized by decade—from the 1940s to today—each with curated displays of 300 artifacts, imagery, and storytelling elements that connected visitors emotionally to the community’s evolution and resilience
Fabrication & Installation
- Built custom exhibit structures and immersive zones that balanced museum-quality presentation with the accessibility of a temporary activation
- Engineered spaces for artifact display, audiovisual content, photo-ops, and video viewing lounges, including a dedicated screening room for Out of the Shadows, a documentary exploring LGBTQ+ workplace rights directed by Courageous Studios with P&G support
On-Site Production & Operations
- Managed full logistics—load-in/load-out, rigging, safety compliance, crowd flow, and staffing—to support thousands of visitors during a high-traffic WorldPride weekend
- Integrated branded touchpoints for sponsors (e.g., a BMW photo booth and P&G screening room) that offered interactive engagement and extended the narrative of allyship and inclusion
- Function as an open-to-the-public installation tied to a global Pride celebration with massive foot traffic and media attention
The Takeaway
Queer City: A CNN Experience exemplifies how experiential production can do more than entertain—it can educate, inspire, and resonate across culture and identity. By marrying thoughtful design, meticulous execution, and deep respect for narrative, we helped bring a historic story of resistance and progress to life in a way that honored both community heritage and brand purpose.
We don’t just produce events.
We create immersive cultural experiences that connect people, history, and brand in powerful and lasting ways.
