Boy, for working an event where the main attraction was sleeping out under the stars, we sure are tired....err sleepless.  We are also feeling very good about the impact that the San Diego Sleepout had on the homeless community. For this week’s blog post, please enjoy a recap of the event from our San Diego office. Pictures of the on-site execution are up on the Mowalla facebook fan page, too. The event was a tremendous success, so much so that planning for the next Sleepless event in Phoenix, Arizona is underway.

The San Diego Sleepout Summary

The San Diego Rescue Mission wanted to take their annual event to the next level so they brought in the expertise of Mowalla to run “Sleepless in San Diego.”  The Mowalla Team took care of all design, production, stage programming, site logistics and execution of the event.

Load In

The Mowalla team worked with over 40 mission residents to set up 600+ cots for the sleep out. Additionally we educated the group about valuable production skills like how to load in a stage, secure a venue, and how to construct over 40 vendor booths to increase their real world job experience.  It was very rewarding for Mowalla to work with these individuals and we hope that this training will give them the skills needed to get back on their feet.

Run of Show

The event was in held at Liberty Station in Point Loma and started with a free expo fair from 3PM-9PM.  Over 600 people fundraised for the opportunity to participate in the sleep out.  Sleepers of all ages brought their sleeping bag and pillow and voluntarily sleep under cardboard boxes to experience how homeless sleep every night. 

Line Up

SDRM wanted to have a variety of talent that was family friendly.  San Diego’s finest local talent entertained the large crowd. The event was emceed by Graham Ledger.  It was also the official launch for Palau City Fest- Season of Service which Mowalla will work on with the Palau Organization in September.  Mowalla was responsible for securing all of the programming, contracts and stage management.  To keep the sleepers entertained, Mowalla brought in a 16X16 LED video wall and showed a movie about homelessness at the end of the evening.

Last Call

Organizers from SDRM were extremely impressed by Mowalla’s expertise and attention to detail.  It was a sigh of relief for them to be able to focus on relationship building during the event instead of managing logistics like they had done in the past. Dan Petty, Vice President of The San Diego Rescue Mission, had the follow to say, “Thanks for your kind, gracious and sensitive handling of personnel and relational dynamics, which made such a huge impact on folks. It makes the deluge of event production livable, as you know so well.”

Encore

SDRM is working with other Rescue Missions to promote the concept of the “Sleepless” event  across the country. Next stop, Phoenix.

Thanks and Happy Friday!

-       Mowalla, San Diego