Overview
I produced and managed Sneaker Ball '18 Charlotte from concept through execution, a black-tie fundraiser pairing formal attire with sneakers in support of Experiment in Self Reliance (ESR), a Charlotte nonprofit that supports families on the path to economic stability. Hosted at the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture, the event combined sneaker culture, live performances, brand activations, and a shoe drive that turned each attendee's RSVP into direct community impact.
The Work
I owned the event end to end. Venue selection and booking at the Harvey B. Gantt Center, partner negotiations with Nike (on-site career and product activation) and sneaker restoration company Rinse and Repair (free shoe cleanings), talent booking with live performances from Lute West and Samoht, social media strategy and graphic design across Instagram and Facebook, and all event collateral, including a downloadable coloring book that doubled as an interactive marketing asset. I managed vendor procurement, staffing, budget, on-site setup and strike, and coordinated the shoe drive collection and handoff to ESR.
Role Highlights
Owned end-to-end event production from concept and partner negotiations to vendor sourcing and on-site management
Booked and produced at the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture
Negotiated and produced brand partnerships with Nike (career opportunities and product activation) and Rinse and Repair (on-site sneaker restoration)
Sourced and booked talent, including live performances by Lute West and Samoht
Built and executed a full social media marketing strategy across Instagram and Facebook to drive ticket sales and event awareness
Designed all event collateral, including a downloadable coloring book that doubled as an interactive marketing asset extending engagement before and after the event
Managed event budget, staffing, vendor procurement, location prep, logistics, setup, and strike
Coordinated the on-site shoe drive and handoff to ESR
Impact
220+ pairs of new and gently used shoes collected on the night
50+ families served by ESR received shoes from the drive
Activated Nike's on-site career opportunities table, turning the fundraiser into a recruitment touchpoint for attendees
Delivered a downloadable coloring book that extended the brand experience beyond the venue and beyond event night
Drove ticket sales and event awareness through a fully self-produced social campaign across Instagram and Facebook
Connected Charlotte's creative community to direct nonprofit impact, creating a model that was later replicated in Winston-Salem
Creative Focus
The concept was unmistakable. Black-tie attire with the sneakers you love, in service of families working toward stability. Every choice grounded the event in community, from the Harvey B. Gantt Center as venue (one of Charlotte's most important Black cultural institutions), to Nike's on-site career activation, to the free shoe restoration, to the coloring book that gave attendees something to take home and share. The result was a fundraiser that felt less like a gala and more like a celebration the whole city was invited to.
Featured Activation: Nike Career Opportunities Table
Nike provided a table at the event with brand swag and information about career opportunities at the company. This turned a community fundraiser into a recruitment touchpoint, demonstrating how brand events can serve double duty when culture and career meet in the same space. For attendees, it added a tangible benefit beyond the night itself. For Nike, it extended the activation's value across multiple objectives (community, culture, recruitment) inside a single event.
Nike provided a table with swag and information regarding career opportunities within their company
Attendees were able to receive onsite shoe cleanings from sneaker restoration company Rinse and Repair