Exhibitor/Sponsor FAQ

The eight-day Festival and year-round activities embrace the communities of science, engineering and technology with a shared goal of inspiring the next generation of innovators and researchers. This is accomplished by providing opportunities for students from all backgrounds to participate in hands-on activities, meet real scientists and engineers, and learn how recent discoveries and research affect our daily lives. Most of the events are offered at no charge to participants.

The Festival is strategically designed to expand the general public’s understanding of just how relevant and important science and engineering are in our everyday lives, illuminate why the U.S. must maintain its leadership role in science and technology, and motivate today’s students to become tomorrow’s science, engineering and technology leaders.

The Festival is geared toward families and K-12 students.

However, a number of participants of all ages and backgrounds participate in Festival activities.

Scientists, engineers, educators and people who are just plain curious about the exciting world of science and engineering can be found at each of our events!

In 2012, more than 50,000 San Diegans participated in Festival events in the month leading up to the Festival.

More than 27,000 people attended our "grand finale" EXPO DAY at PETCO Park.

The San Diego Festival of Science and Engineering continues to prove year after year that children, families and adults want to be engaged in the wonders of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

You will need to bring your own table covers.

You will need to bring your own distribution for power. We will give you one circuit- usually 20 amps- and it is your responsibility to distribute this power to your various items. Please remember: you will only have 20 amps and you can't go over this amount or it will trip the circuit. Also, please think about your power distribution methods in terms of safety. You should be using extension cords and/ or power strips that are meant for the type of items that you are plugging in.

Sorry, but there is no selling allowed at the Expo. We will have Science Festival buttons and t-shirts for sale to support the Festival. This is the only booth that is allowed to have sales.

Sorry, but no.  If you have been assigned a space with no tent, it will be clearly marked on your confirmation packet.  This means that you are located in an area that is covered.  Because of fire code, we can't put up tents in the covered area.  

Sorry, but no. All groups need to set up inside their allotted space only. Setting up outside of your space will mean that you are either infringing on another group or impeding a pathway. The size requirements you provide must include the entire space you need.

Of course!  Here's what we recommend you bring with you:

• Gaffer's tape (like duct tape, only low-residue)  *please remember that you are NOT allowed to adhere anything to any structure at PETCO Park.  Tape can be used to adhere things to tents, tables, chairs and any structure that you bring with you.  
• Scissors
• Zip ties
• Hand sanitizer
• Sun block, sun glasses, a hat
• Paper towels (or a clean rag)
• Table cloths (or vinyl quick covers-- you can get them at places like Party City)
• Power strip/ extension cords
• Your confirmation packet and unloading pass
• Layers-- a jacket or sweater just in case
• A dolly
• A step stool if you need to hang banners

Everybody loves a free gift! The feedback we have received is that how many to bring depends on how many kids can participate in your activity as well as how popular the activity is. Can you do 300 interactions per hour or only 3? Most groups find that 2000-3000 items are plenty. There are however, some restrictions on what you can bring-- please do not give-away stickers, food (yes, candy and gum counts as food) and do not give away pens, markers, or sharpened pencils.

Sorry, but no.

Unfortunately, we are unable to provide wi-fi. This is because the demand far outstrips the availability, which has left several of you with activities that are wi-fi dependent that you can't actually do. The good news is that PETCO Park is undergoing some upgrades, and we do expect that wi-fi will be available in the future. For this year, we ask that you provide your own access or re-work your activity so that it is not wi-fi dependent.

Water for small containers, buckets, etc. can be found at any of the park restrooms. You need to bring your own bucket or jug to carry water. It is very important that you dispose of all liquids in a safe manner-- including "plain water." Please don't dump any liquid (including plain water) into landscaping, gutters, tree wells, ground drains, storm drains, or, really, anywhere except an approved location. The only approved locations for liquid disposal are: the janitors floor sink in Power Alley or, for smaller amounts of liquid, restroom sinks.

At your gate we will have a limited number of dollies and some volunteers who will be able to help you and direct you to your booth location. If you have lots of materials and want to ensure a speedy trip to your booth, I would recommend bringing your own dolly to aid in the load in. If you want to use one of our dollies, please be patient!

Sorry, pets are not allowed at EXPO DAY. Some groups will have animals as part of their activity for the day, and this has already been approved through the application process. Service animals are allowed.

Sorry, but no.

All tables are standard banquet tables (8'x30"). Please remember that you need to bring your own table cloths.

Sorry, but no. We will have a limited number of dollies at each gate. If you need to have special equipment to load in your equipment or if you don't want to wait for our equipment to become available, you need to bring your own.

We do have load-in available on Friday. If you request a Friday load-in, you will come to the EAST VILLAGE GATE located on 10th and K between noon and 5pm on March 22. We will have dollies and a limited number of volunteers on hand to assist you. (Please note-- regardless of which gate you are assigned to, all Friday load-in is done through the East Village Gate!) If you would like to load-in on Friday, please email ForBenefit (if you have not done so already).

If your load-in is not highly labor intensive we recommend that you arrive early on Saturday morning. The gates will open for you at 7:00 AM. Even if your load-in is very light, we ask that you still arrive early Saturday. This will ensure that you get to your booth and get set-up prior to the gates opening for the public at 10:00 AM. It always takes a little bit longer to set-up then groups anticipate, and with 142 exhibitor groups... well, you can only imagine how crowded things can become in the venue. Giving yourself extra time to set-up will make for a better experience for you, your staff, and the families that will be attending EXPO DAY.

The schedule of Festival Week events is posted at the beginning of February each year.

A list of EXPO DAY exhibitors is also posted at about that time.

Ongoing and year-round resources can be found in the What's Next Resource Guide section of this site as well as in a printed guide distributed during Festival events.

We're glad you asked. We take sponsorship suppoert very seriously, and spend a great deal of time evaluating outcomes for Exhibitors, Event Hosts and Sponsors. Our goal is to continually improve participation outcomes for Sponsors and Exhibitors, and we are exceeding that goal each year.

Here are some numbers from our most recent event:

• 85.9% of exhibitors felt very or extremely successful in helping attendees learn something new.
• 82.9% felt very or extremely successful in increasing attendees’ interest in STEM (Science, Techonology, Engineering and Mathematics).
• 89% of exhibitors say they will participate in next year’s Festival.

Right here!

2013 Sponsorship Brochure

2012 Sponsorship Report

We are so excited about this one! It is our goal to keep the Festival free. Currently, EXPO DAY is a 100% free event for kids and families, and we are working hard to keep it that way.

In addition, most of our Festival Week events are also free -- only a handful of museums and other facilities require a nominal admission fee.

Of course, some of our partner agencies and some of the events listed in the What's Next Resource Guide are required to charge admission to their facilities. However, we work with those groups to see if there is any possible way to provide free access for children and families during the Festival.

As you might imagine, keeping an event this large free to the public is a significant undertaking! To that end, we solicit the support of generous sponsors. Please let them know you appreciate their commitment to San Diego kids, students and families!

1-2 gallons of water for small containers, buckets, etc. can be found at any of the park restrooms. You need to bring your own bucket or jug to carry water. Should you need more than 2 gallons you will be required to contract directly with a water company. ForBenefit can provide you a contact if needed. It is very important that you dispose of all liquids in a safe manner-- including "plain water." Please don't dump any liquid (including plain water) into landscaping, gutters, tree wells, ground drains, storm drains, or, really, anywhere except an approved location. The only approved locations for liquid disposal are: the janitors floor sink in Power Alley or, for smaller amounts of liquid, restroom sinks.