STEAMfest Needs You!
Sponsoring a booth allows your organization to participate directly in giving youth and families in the community an opportunity to Imagine, Discover, and Explore! Booths can be sponsored by families and students, schools, local colleges and universities, museums and science centers, clubs and professional organizations, and businesses.
*** Nonprofit organizations are invited to sponsor an activity booth free of charge. ***
As a sponsor, you will develop a concept and staff the booth at STEAMfest. Benefits of sponsoring a booth include:
- Opportunity to contribute to the STEAMfest mission and help youth in the community to Imagine, Discover, and Explore.
- Listing on the event website, promotional materials, social media, and program. In the past, STEAMfest has received significant social media attention and press coverage. Our sponsors have the opportunity to share in that coverage.
- Signed Letter Of Appreciation, suitable for framing, from Woodlawn School. Additionally, after the event, we will provide a gallery of photos and videos that may include your booth. This gallery is a great way to share the event with your community.
- Positive exposure of your mission, brand, product, or service to hundreds of qualified local residents with a demonstrated interest.
What is an activity booth?
STEAMfest is not a “science fair”, but interactive hands-on learning. A STEAMfest activity booth is an “experience” that encourages visitors to Imagine, Discover, or Explore some aspect of STEAM. Booths should be fun and interactive. Visitors mix, make, design, test, touch, create, see, smell, and hear all while having fun.
STEAMfest activities are easy to develop because they leverage your existing passion, expertise, and resources.
STEAMfest 2024
*** Registration Now Open ***
Date:
Sunday, April 6, 2025
Location:
Registration Deadline:
February 1, 2025
Cost:
Booth Sponsor Signup
Display
A booth might display interesting information and objects relating to a topic.
- A collection of geology samples.
- Microscope and slides.
- Biological sample jars.
Demonstration
A booth might include a presenter providing a demonstration of an activity, concept, or device.
- Show students how to perform a chemical experiment.
- Demonstrate a Van de Graaff generator, Archimedes screw, cloud chamber, etc.
- View sun via solar telescope.
Activities
A booth might include an activity that the students can participate in.
- Experiments with magnets.
- Build a simple electrical circuit or construct a neuron.
- Hands on chemistry experiments in ziploc bags.
- A visual arts and craft like making paper, stamp block printing, etc.
Activity booths draw attention when visitors are allowed to mix, construct, or play often times with exciting outcomes.
Booth Examples
Here are a few of the over 100 booths and their sponsoring organization that have been created for STEAMfest in the past.
- Solar Home Demo – Davidson College Sustainability and Environmental Studies
- Butterfly Activity – Davidson Land Conservancy
- Bird Buffet – NC Wildlife Commission
- Build Your Own Neuron – Davidson Neuroscience Club
- Virtual Reality – Davidson College FICSIT
- Reptile Zoo – Davidson College Herpetology Lab – Live snakes, turtles and lizards.
- Fossils, Insects, Geology – Discovery Place – Touchable mini-museum.
- Amateur Radio – American Radio Relay League – Working amateur radio station.
- Adventures In Slime! – Davidson College Chemistry Department – Hands on chemistry experiment.
- Water in Ancient Egypt: The Archimedes Screw – Iredell Museums – Working water screw.
- Juice from Juice – UNCC – Associate of Nanoscience Graduate Students
- Engineering Technology – CPCC Engineering Technology – Robotic arms and more.
- Ziploc Chemistry – Woodlawn STEAM program – Endothermic and exothermic reactions in a bag.
Booth Guidelines
Booth sponsors will be expected to provide the content for the booth, including items for display, demonstrations, and activities. We do not expect professionally built trade show quality booths. Engaging and inspiring content is the critical element.
Booth sponsors are welcome to use the booth as an opportunity to promote their mission, brand, services, and products, as long as such promotion complement the educational nature of the event. Activity booths are not allowed to sell products or services directly at the event.
Visitors should be able to complete the activity at the booth in 5 minutes or less on average. We want to encourage visitors to see many booths and we want many visitor to experience your booth.
If possible, booths should appeal to a range of ages. This may not be possible on all topics, but ideally we’d like both the kindergartener and the high school student to get something out of the experience. It’s ok if you have two or three different levels of activity in order to support different age ranges. However, don’t be discouraged if your content is most appropriate for a specific age range. We will have a wide range of guests of all ages and interest.
Both indoor and outdoor booth locations are available including some covered outdoor locations. Due to the potential for inclement weather, please plan accordingly for outdoor booths.
For each booth, STEAMfest will provide:
- A 6′ table with a tablecloth, skirt, and two folding chairs.
- A sign with booth number, title, and sponsor name matching the event theme.
- An electrical outlet (if requested).
- Wi-Fi Internet access.
We have a limited number of screens, overhead and computer projection units, white boards, and art easels. Please let us know if you need these or similar equipment. Additional tables and expanded space are available upon request.
We also have a large fenced soccer field and track that available for activities like model rockets or drone flights.
We have adult and student volunteers who will be assisting at with the event. If you need assistance staffing your booth or if you want to have the booth staffed entirely by our volunteers, then this can be arranged.
We have limited budget for this event, but if your booth requires expendable supplies for demonstrations or activities, then we may be able to assist. Please discuss with us in advance.
Safety is extremely important. Each booth concept will be reviewed by our safety committee in advance. Additional safety checks will take place before the event opens. Examples of safety concerns include:
- Children should not be given knives or sharp objects.
- Avoid corrosive or flammable liquids. If such items are needed for your booth, please notify us in advance so that we can discuss a safety plan.
- Avoid passing out pointy sticks or other objects that could present a risk after leaving the booth.