This past weekend, we welcomed Rivian, maker of highly-coveted “adventure vehicles” to Garage B and the Charles River Speedway. For the New England stop on their “Rivian on the Road” tour, the brand was looking for a venue that would allow their deep customer and fan base an opportunity to connect directly with the electric vehicles.
Rivian needed a venue that allowed a multi-day booking and that could easily accommodate the potentially tricky load-in for showcasing large vehicles. Garage B and the Charles River Speedway fit their needs perfectly, and also allowed Rivian to accomplish a full site takeover.
In Garage B, the team parked two cars inside and built out their Gear Shop. This space created a quiet, focused environment where potential customers could ask questions, sign up for test drives, and learn more about the technical details. Rivian also parked two vehicles in the Speedway’s well-trafficked upper courtyard, a space surrounded by small-format food and beverage businesses that attracts a strong weekend and evening crowd. This allowed for more casual interaction with the cars, allowing for organic discovery and introducing the brand to a new audience.
Garage B and the Speedway also proved to be an excellent location for test drives. Rivian parked their vehicles on site, allowing hundreds of potential customers to test drive the cars or take ride-alongs. Taking full advantage of Garage B’s location on Soldiers Field Road, the drivers had the unique opportunity to pull right out of the site and follow an attractive loop that gave a driving experience with very few interruptions or city traffic. A very rare find in Boston – and a fun callback to the former location of the original Charles River Speedway, a historic racetrack located where Soldiers Field Road is today (and the source of our name!)
The Rivian team also capitalized on the location by taking full advantage of the Speedway’s food and beverage offerings. Rivian fans and staff members made Rite tea & espresso their go-to daytime drinks location, and after touring the vehicles, guests kicked back and relaxed with beer in the Notch biergarten or a glass of wine on the patio. Even on the last day, which proved to be a rainy and humid summer day, there was no slow-down in Rivian fans and potential customers coming out to see and test drive the vehicles.
