Project: Bowmanville Rockin’ Rotary Ribs & Brews Website
Role: Web Design & Development Focus: Event Marketing, Mobile UX, Sponsor Visibility, Information Architecture
Project Overview The Rotary Ribs & Brews festival is a major community event in Bowmanville that has raised over $1.2 million for local and international causes. The event required a vibrant, high-performance website to manage the surge of traffic during festival season. The redesign focused on creating an energetic, mobile-first platform that allows attendees to quickly access schedules, vendor lists, and location details while offering high visibility for the event’s critical network of sponsors.
Key Deliverables & Features
- Mobile-First “Festival Mode” Design: Understanding that most attendees access the site via smartphone during the event, the interface is optimized for on-the-ground utility.
- Thumb-Friendly Navigation: Essential information like “Shuttle,” “Schedule,” and “Location” is prioritized in the navigation menu for rapid access.
- Responsive Layout: The site scales seamlessly from desktop to mobile, ensuring that maps and vendor menus are legible without pinching and zooming.
- Dynamic Event Information Architecture: The site organizes a complex array of festival logistics into a clean, digestible structure.
- Schedule & Entertainment: A clear, easy-to-read schedule grid allows visitors to plan their weekend around band performances and specific events.
- Vendor & Food Showcases: Dedicated sections for “Ribs” and “Brews” highlight the main attractions, building anticipation and providing clear choices for attendees.
- Sponsorship Integration Strategy: To support the event’s fundraising goals, a tiered sponsorship display was developed.
- High-Visibility Tiers: Distinct visual areas for “Community Leader,” “Community Champion,” and “Community Supporter” sponsors ensure partners receive appropriate recognition without cluttering the user experience.
- Logo Management: A clean grid system showcases partner logos (from local businesses to major corporations like OPG and Toyota) in a professional, balanced layout.
- Community & Volunteer Engagement: The site serves as an operational tool as well as a marketing one.
- Streamlined Applications: Integrated forms for “Volunteer Application,” “Band Application,” and “Vendor Application” simplify the logistics for organizers.
- Impact Reporting: A “Why Support Us?” section clearly articulates the charitable impact (e.g., support for Matawa First Nations, local health initiatives), connecting the fun of the event to its philanthropic purpose.
The Outcome The new Rotary Ribs & Brews website effectively balances high-energy event promotion with practical utility. It serves as a reliable digital companion for thousands of attendees while providing a professional platform that honors the sponsors and volunteers who make the event possible.
