Day At The Bay - Case Study

Event Overview

Day at the Bay was a fun-filled, family-friendly day featuring a scenic walk along the bay, delicious food and a range of activities, all in support of vital food services for those doing it tough. Held on Saturday 20th September at Leichhardt Oval 3, Lilyfield from 8am to 3pm, this year’s event was bigger, better and more memorable than ever.

Proceeds from the event support St. Merkorious Charity in building a new Food Distribution Centre and Community Garden, which will help feed up to 4,150 people every week across Greater Sydney.

The 2025 event was organised by our team and made possible with the support of the dedicated partners, sponsors and the wider St. Merkorious community.

The Opportunity

The key opportunity was to transition the event from a volunteer-led initiative into a professionally delivered experience, while preserving the strong sense of care and community that had always defined it. Historically supported by volunteers and family members, St. Merkorious sought to elevate the event’s structure and delivery without losing its people-first approach.

The organisation also aimed to introduce a more engaging and diverse program of activities to better connect with its community, stakeholders and supporters. Alongside this, the event needed to generate meaningful fundraising outcomes and demonstrate new, sustainable ways of raising funds in support of the charity’s mission.

Our Approach and Solutions

We designed the event with the attendee experience at the heart of every decision, creating a seamless and memorable journey from start to finish. Rather than treating activities as separate elements, we curated a cohesive flow that encouraged exploration, connection and engagement throughout the day.

Key Highlights:

• Marketing Message: Consistent, strategic and cohesive messaging across the entire event journey, from pre-event promotion to onsite activation and post-event follow-up.

• Balanced Program: Distributed entertainment and activities throughout the day to maintain energy, avoid bottlenecks, and keep attendees engaged.

• Purposeful Layout: Redesigned the floorplan with clearly defined zones, kids’ area, run commencement, sporting zone, stage, and community stalls, for easy navigation and reduced congestion.

• Interactive Experiences: Added participatory moments, including Mediterranean-style picnic tents, a community handprint wall, a sponsor-supported coffee cart, and picket-fenced seating. Picnic blankets were offered for fundraising opportunities.

• Inclusive and Accessible: Wider walkways, clear signage and thoughtful activity placement ensured the event welcomed everyone.

• Seamless Execution: Comprehensive logistics and operations management allowed attendees to enjoy the day effortlessly.

By collaborating closely with stakeholders, we ensured the event aligned with its purpose, reflected its brand, and remained flexible to respond to on-the-day needs.

What We Delivered

Icon Corporate Events provided end-to-end event support, including:

• Planned and executed the event from strategy to onsite delivery, ensuring alignment with brand and objectives.

• Managed stakeholder communications, vendors, sponsors and suppliers for seamless coordination.

• Designed event materials, run sheets, programs and registration systems for a smooth attendee experience.

• Oversaw onsite logistics, volunteer coordination, activations, and real-time problem-solving.

• Developed cohesive messaging and branding across pre-event, onsite, and post-event channels.

• Delivered sponsorship support, social media engagement and marketing amplification.

• Evaluated event performance, capturing attendance, engagement, and ROI with actionable insights.

• Provided branding opportunities and corporate introductions for partners and sponsors.

Our team managed the operational complexity behind the scenes, allowing stakeholders to focus on engagement and connection with attendees.

Program Highlights

Key highlights of the day included:

• Entertainment: Bubble Ballerina, Butterfly Stilt Walkers, and Mr Bubbles set a lively and engaging atmosphere for attendees.

• Sustainability Experience: A hamper station for non-perishables, fully recyclable cutlery and dinnerware, and clearly designated waste and recycling bins showcased our commitment to eco-friendly practices.

• Food Experience: A variety of options, including BBQ, Lebanese bread, coffee and juice bars, sweets, and a bake sale kept guests well-fed and energized.

• Fundraising: Donation buckets, raffles, auctions, bake sales, merchandise, competitions, and sponsor contributions supported St Merkorious’ charitable goals.

• Family-Friendly Activities: An obstacle course, rock climbing wall, lawn games, jumping castle, face painting, crafts, photo booth, and kids’ sports activities ensured fun for all ages.

• Guest Speakers: The event featured addresses from The Mayor of Burwood and The Mayor of Strathfield.

Together, these elements created a relaxed, inclusive, and engaging atmosphere, fostering a strong sense of community throughout the event.

Feedback and Outcomes

Post-event feedback highlighted strong attendee satisfaction, with many praising the event’s attention to detail, seamless organisation and engaging experiences. New entertainment, custom juice bottles and interactive activities were particularly well-received.

The pre-event engagement also showed significant growth, including a 255% increase in Meta views compared to the previous year and a 26.5% rise in Facebook visitors. Attendee surveys reflected high satisfaction, with an overall rating of 4.71/5, an event organisation score of 9.14/10, and a perfect NPS score of 100.

Attendee Testimonial

‘Amazing day and was lovely sponsoring such an event and raising money ! Was very organised this year and look forward to the years ahead’

Conclusion

Day at the Bay demonstrated the impact of thoughtful event design grounded in people, place, and purpose. By prioritising attendee experience, clear structure, and seamless delivery, the event successfully fostered connection and community while meeting its operational objectives.

This case study reflects our belief that successful events are not defined solely by scale or spectacle, but by how people feel, connect, and remember the experience long after the day concludes.