Fire Safety - The State, County, and City are stressing increased fire safety at public events.  As usual, a Fire Marshal will review all exhibits for compliance with the City of Santa Rosa Fire Safety Codes. 

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Exhibit Activities - NBSDD offers "aha!" moments for every young student, and family, through hands-on interactions with Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.  Over 8,000 children are expected, so the best activities take 5-10 minutes and allow several kids to participate side by side. Many exhibits have had over 1,000 visitors in six hours. 

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Merchandising & Fundraising - The free and educational nature of this event precludes selling merchandise or soliciting donations on-site.  All STEM enrichment activities are provided at no charge so every visitor can participate, regardless of economic circumstances. 

 

Giveaways - Promotional or educational items, opt-in links to online content, catalogs, newsletters, etc., can be good passive branding.  Handing out candy and food items is not allowed for health and safety reasons. 

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Branding & Outreach - Subject to Fire Safety Codes, banners, signs, posters, etc., are all welcome within your booth area.   Secondary to the STEM activity, we encourage passive brand promotion, collecting opt-in contacts, and developing ongoing relationships. 

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Booth Locations - The general layout of buildings and booth locations is shown here on a Fairgrounds map. Specific booth locations will be assigned after registration is completed with a more detailed map. 

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Tents & Canopies - The Fairgrounds does not supply tents or canopies.  Fire Safety Codes prohibit indoor structures that might block water from fire sprinklers and limit outdoor tents (with sides) to 400 sq. ft. 

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Electricity - 120 v ac outlets will be near most booths.  Bring extension cords and power strips to get from the central outlet to your equipment.  Per California Fire Code 605.5, "extension cords shall be at least No. 14 AWG heavy-duty commercial type." 

 

WiFi - The Fairgrounds provides WiFi, but coverage is uneven.  Consider a cellular hotspot or a local copy of content as a backup plan.

 

Load-in & Setup - Exhibitor gates (see will open at 7:00 am and close at 9:30 am Saturday.  Unloading must be completed and cars parked by 9:30 for pedestrian safety.  Early setup is available from 3:00 to 7:00 pm on Friday; contact us for access details. 

 

Parking - Only one vehicle per exhibitor can park on-site at the Redwood Lot (at the "Cattle Barns" for exhibitors in Finley Hall).  Extra vehicles, and any needing to come and go during the day, should park in the free Public Lots.

 

Tear-down & Load-out - Packing up does not start until after 4 pm.  Guests stay engaged until the last minute, and driving amongst families still walking around is unsafe.  After 4 pm, taking down a booth is the reverse of setup.  Please tidy your space to the condition you found it. 

 

Additional tips for enjoying the experience:

• Arrive early so you can finish setup and catch your breath before visitors arrive.  There will be a hospitality area in the Garden Building with coffee and light snacks; this is available all day to you and your staff and volunteers. 

• Plan your staffing and schedule to allow breaks, visiting the other activities, and networking with schools and other exhibitors.

• Each building or area will have a volunteer “captain” making the rounds.  Please don’t hesitate to ask if you need something. 

• Hydrate!

• Take pride in creating an event the whole community looks forward to!  Thank you for helping to celebrate the curiosity, education, and inspiration that drive innovation in the North Bay!