We love when we get to put our event planning skills to work for Charlotte’s nonprofits, so when Digi-Bridge reached out to get some help planning their big fundraising event called Bots & Brews, we jumped at the opportunity!
Digi-Bridge is a local nonprofit focused on providing Charlotte K-8 students with access to STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) programming outside of school. Teachers have more and more put on their plates each year, and the time being devoted to science and math subjects is decreasing as time goes on, even though these skills are imperative for the future.
To combat this issue, Digi-Bridge creates and supports programming that students can participate in after school or on the weekends. Through Digi-Bridge, students learn how to code, problem solve, think critically, work as a team and so much more. They also get access to technology they might not get in school, like 3D printers, advanced Lego kits and others.
Digi-Bridge had hosted a version of Bots & Brews during the height of Charlotte’s stay-at-home order in 2020, but wanted to do it again in an even bigger way this year.
They planned an event which had 10 teams of folks of all ages competing in a robotics competition designed by some students active in Digi-Bridge’s programming. These same students served as referees and judges the day of the competition.
In addition to the competition, they wanted to host activities for all ages to participate in that were STEAM related, such as slime making, simple coding, a VR station and more.
With all of this information in hand, J. Leigh Events worked with Digi-Bridge to find the perfect venue to host a gathering of this size. We landed on Griffith Hall at Lenny Boy Brewing. It’s a large, beautiful open space with a bar fitted inside, which was perfect for serving beverages to adults during the event.
We also worked with them to source vendors for other details of the event. We had Bunn DJ there for live music entertainment, we worked with a vendor on Etsy to put custom toppers on the cupcakes from Publix, we worked with Shutterbooth in Charlotte to have a 360 photo booth for folks to engage with and we sourced a themed balloon arch with LKN Balloons. In addition to what we sourced, Digi-Bridge worked with The Nonprofit Toolbox for other aspects of their event. This is a great resource for nonprofits everywhere!
On the logistics side, we worked with Digi-Bridge to determine the best layout for the event. We were counting on having a couple hundred attendees, which would all be moving around from the food, the bar, the different activities and the competition tables. We needed to ensure things were spaced appropriately and in a way that made sense.
For day-of help, we manned the sign-in and registration table. Folks purchased tickets to attend the event, and all of the proceeds went toward supporting the robotics programs Digi-Bridge operates at several Charlotte schools.
The event was a huge success. Over 300 people attended, with all ages represented. Folks loved the many activities, which allowed them to see firsthand the skills students are practicing and learning in Digi-Bridge programming. The competition was fierce and ended in a four-way tie which had to be broken with a few extra challenges. Lenny Boy was a wonderful host and the venue was packed.
The Digi-Bridge team did so much work on their end to create an exciting event, and we’re so happy we got to support them in their efforts and help them raise money for their mission. Please take some time to learn more about them and support them, if you’re able!
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