1. science

Exploration Expo
Exhibitor Details
March 28, 2015
A B O U T T H E E X P L O R AT I O N E X P O
The Atlanta Science Festival Exploration Expo is the culminating
event of the festival week. The event will draw thousands of
people to Centennial Olympic Park in a fun filled day of 80+
interactive activities and performances that celebrate the
excitement of science, technology, engineering and mathematics
in Atlanta. This FREE event is open to all, but the primary target
audience will be families with children aged 0-13, with a special
emphasis on those with limited access to science education
resources.
On March 28, 2015, right in the heart of downtown Atlanta,
science will take the stage amidst some of the city’s best tourist
attractions in Centennial Olympic Park (North Park). With 80+
interactive science exhibits, hands-on workshops, and staged
performances celebrating science, technology, engineering and
math, Atlanta residents will have the opportunity to dive into the
excitement of STEM!
A P P L I C AT I O N T O H O S T A N
E X H I B I T, P E R F O R M A N C E ,
OR AC TIVIT Y
Apply online at www.atlantasciencefestival.
org/expo-app. Applications will be accepted
from October 23, 2014 – January 9, 2015.
All exhibits and activities will be reviewed for
safety and science content by the Atlanta
Science Festival Expo Committee. All
applicants will be informed of their acceptance
by January 31, 2015. Terms and conditions
apply. See website for details.
QUESTIONS?
Contact [email protected]
When: 11am-4pm, Saturday, March 28, 2015
Where: Centennial Olympic Park, North Park
Expected attendance: 20,000
Exhibitors: 100 available spaces
Performance stage: 30 minute slots
Other activities: Open to suggestions!
Rain Location: Ga World Congress Center
EXHIBIT PRICING
Non-Profit: $375 before Dec. 8
$430 after Dec. 8*
Festival Partner: Free**
** Qualifying partners providing 3+
approved Festival programs only
Emerging Business: $1000
(<25 employees)
Established Business: $2500
(>25 employees)
*Discounts may be available for groups unable
to afford exhibit costs. Please contact us.
Included with exhibit space:
10’x10’ tent with one side and
back walls, 8’ table with cover,
2 chairs, Banner with your
organization’s name, 20 AMP
circuit (only upon request),
Listing on ASF website and
Expo! map.
Available for additional fees:
Additional table with cover
($23 each) and/or chairs ($5
each), untented area, additional
20 AMP circuit ($35), booth
space upgrade to 10’x20’
($300)
www.atlantasciencefestival.org
T I P S F O R A G R E AT F E S T I V A L E X H I B I T
Showcasing cool science doesn’t have to be a daunting experience. Creating a fun
booth that engages participants in the wonder of science, technology, engineering &
mathematics can be easier than you may think. As you put together your exhibit or
activity, have a look at the suggestions below to help guide you.
Know Your Audience
Remember that one of the primary goals of the Atlanta Science Festival is to help
make science relevant to everyone. Keep in mind how to make these connections.
Use examples and activities from everyday life to help them see how science affects us all. Help the visitors to see how science impacts them.
If you can, provide participants ways to learn more on their own - provide a QR
code to a website to reference later or direct them to your organization’s website.
Keep Them Engaged
SAMPLE EXHIBIT
Where: Seattle Science Festival
Description: Seattle University
hosted a 20’x20’ booth with 4
different activities. The most popular activity was a guided ultrasound
with a technician. They created a
Jello mold with different embedded
pieces of pasta and slowly ran the
ultrasound across the mold. As they
let the wand move, the technician
explained the technology and what
they were seeing on the screen.
After an initial walkthrough, the
technician handed the wand over
to the attendee so they could also
participate.
Visual Hook: Poster stating “What
Does Sound Look Like?” and a
portable ultrasound laptop.
Take Home Message: Conveyed the
science behind a common medical
technology, while also showcasing
the importance of having portable
equipment for use in the field
(paramedics having access to this
kind of equipment).
Attendees tended to stay at this
activity for a long time (5-10 minutes)
which allowed for rich conversation
between volunteers and the entire
family.
Providing hands-on activities and face-to-face interactions are great ways to
keep participants interested in your exhibit. Some tips:
Because we are expecting large numbers of attendees, keep your activities efficient - prepare for each activity to handle at least 3-5 participants at a time.
To keep a steady stream of visitors moving throughout the park, your activity
should last no more than 5 minutes.
Don’t forget about parents! Engage them in your activity too or have staff
available to talk to them while kids are exploring. This gives them the chance
to go home and have conversations about what they learned.
Ask questions of all the visitors. What are they observing? Do they have any
guesses on what they think will happen as they experiment? Let their curiosity drive your interactions.
Smile! Tell kids and parents what it’s like to be a scientist! Help them to see
that science is a great career path.
Grab Their Attention
Think carefully about how you can get visitors engaged with your activity immediately. Give them the opportunity to make discoveries on their own. Let visitors
touch, feel, explore, and play as you guide them through the science concepts that
are being presented. This helps create the scaffold for a personal connection to
the topic in your exhibit.
More Tips
Have an expert on hand at all times. Let visitors meet a real scientist or engineer!
Have volunteers overlap shifts so that you can share tips with one another.
2-3 people staffing the booth at any one time will help with explaining and
crowd control.
Matching outfits for your crew are highly encouraged! Or consider purchasing
Atlanta Science Festival t-shirts ahead of time for your crew.
Try to avoid too many handouts. Not only are we trying to be conscious of
our planet’s resources and not waste too much paper, but too many materials
can be overwhelming and distracting from the activities,