How a Parking Lot Brought Us Together

The Parking Lot Event That Brought Us Back Together

This story is one I carry with me personally, as Shelley, because it reminds me why I do this work. At The Shelley Experience, every event we create is rooted in the belief that connection matters, even when the world makes it difficult.

A Moment I’ll Never Forget

There are moments in life and business that stay with you forever. For me, one of those moments happened in the middle of the COVID pandemic, when the world felt upside down and the thing we craved most, connection, felt out of reach.
People were scared, unsure of what tomorrow would bring. We were isolated, talking only through phone calls and video screens, trying to replace face-to-face conversations with tiny digital boxes. It wasn’t enough. We missed each other.

Asking the Big Question: How Can We Get Together?

When restrictions began to loosen just a little, the women’s group I’d been a part of for nearly 10 years decided it was time to reconnect in some way. I joined the planning committee, and together we asked the question: how could we safely bring our community together again?
We brainstormed, collaborated, and shared ideas. I had organized creative events before, personal gatherings, family celebrations, recovery group meetings, and I knew that with the right mix of creativity and heart, we could find a way to make it work.

From In-Person Gatherings to Something New

Before COVID, our group met in person. We hugged when we walked in, shared meals, and thrived on the energy of being in the same room together. But now things had changed.
We needed a space where we could see each other while still staying safe. That’s when we partnered with a church on the east side of Madison with a large parking lot. It wasn’t the usual event space, but it gave us room to create something brand new.

The Day of the Event

The day finally arrived. We were masked, cautious, and still nervous about gathering, but we were also excited. What made it even more meaningful was the way we rallied around one of our own. A local caterer, a member of our group, had just opened her business shortly before the pandemic hit. Almost overnight, everything she had built was put at risk.
She didn’t have an online ordering system in place, so we stepped in to help. We took every order by hand, double-checking to make sure each woman got exactly what she requested. It was new for all of us, but we were determined to make it work. On the day of the event, she delivered beautifully prepared lunches, carefully boxed and ready to hand out.
Cars lined up down the street to pick them up. Watching them pull in one after another gave me goosebumps. It wasn’t just about food. It was about lifting up a small business owner when she needed it most, about finding creative ways to adapt, and about giving our group something we were all starving for, not just a meal, but connection.

Stations of Connection

We set up stations throughout the parking lot, just like booths at a business expo, only this time, instead of walking the aisles with a tote bag on your shoulder, everyone drove from booth to booth in their cars. Imagine easing your car forward, stopping at each station, and being greeted by the smiling eyes of a business owner behind her mask.
Each woman stood at her station with gloves on and sterilized swag bags ready. Instead of handshakes or hugs, there were careful gestures, muffled words through masks, and the universal language of eye contact that somehow felt more powerful in that moment than ever before.
At one booth, a massage therapist who could no longer offer hands-on demonstrations shared self-care tips and placed a small wellness kit into each car. At another, a yoga instructor spoke through the window about the importance of breathing and movement, handing out cards for short video practices people could try at home.
A meditation coach encouraged mindfulness on the go, while insurance agents, realtors, and marketing professionals found creative ways to share their services with quick pitches and resource sheets tucked into swag bags. Each stop was different, a mix of practical tools, encouragement, and the spark of human connection we had all been missing.
It was unusual, it was cautious, and it was unlike anything we’d done before. But it worked. Cars moved slowly through the lot, each one pausing just long enough for a short conversation, a laugh, or a thoughtful exchange. Even though we were separated by masks and rolled-up windows, the feeling of connection was undeniable.

Coming Together, Apart

Once everyone picked up their lunches and made their way through the stations, cars slowly pulled into the lot and parked in neat rows, all facing the front where a small group of speakers stood, spaced out, masked, and ready to share. There were three of them that day, each taking a turn to talk about their business, their story, and the lessons they were carrying through the pandemic.
What made it extraordinary was the way we connected. We were used to seeing each other on Zoom by then, in little boxes from the safety of our homes, but this was different. People weren’t really holding hybrid events yet. Most of us hadn’t experienced sitting in our cars, side by side, while tuning in to the same Zoom call on our phones.
Some dialed in by audio, others opened the video feed. Everyone went on mute so the speakers could be heard, but the collective silence was anything but empty. From inside our cars we could see each other, hear the same words, and feel the same energy ripple through the lot.
It was in-person and not in-person all at once. Strange, yes, but also deeply moving. We unwrapped our boxed lunches, waved to one another through windshields, and listened as women shared their voices with a group that had been starved for connection. For a moment, it felt like we had found a piece of the world we had lost, and it gave us hope that community could survive, even in the most unusual circumstances.

Why It Mattered

It wasn’t the kind of event we were used to, but it was exactly what we needed. In a time when the world told us to stay apart, we proved to ourselves that community could still exist, even from behind masks and windshields.
What we created was more than just a parking lot gathering. It was a lifeline. It was a reminder that even when circumstances force us to reinvent everything we thought we knew, connection is still possible. We laughed through car windows, shared meals six feet apart, and listened to stories carried over phone lines and Zoom screens. It wasn’t perfect, but it was real, and it mattered.
For me, it was proof that even in the hardest times, collaboration and creativity can light the way forward. And sometimes, it’s in those unlikely, makeshift spaces, a church parking lot, a swag bag passed through a cracked window, a speaker’s voice carried through a phone, that the most unforgettable memories are born. These moments of resilience stay with us, reminding us that human connection will always find a way.

Written By: Shelley Iverson