Following a reception in the lobby with food stations and cocktails, attendees entered the Hard Rock Live auditorium for the first of four fund-raising activities created by Wildly Different in lieu of silent and live auctions. For the first, included as part of each guest’s ticket, the event team dropped 300 beach balls with five different patterns from the balcony of venue. Each time the music stopped, guests were eliminated based on the color of the ball in their hands. The winner took home tickets to a concert at Hard Rock Live.
Attendees could buy in to the remaining three contests at costs of $50, $75, and $100 each. The final game was a paper-rock-scissors tournament with the winner receiving a four-night stay at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando and a private tour for 12 through both Universal theme parks.
For the four rounds of trivia, guests used handheld audience response devices provided by Padgett Communications to answer M.C. Marvelless Mark's questions about Sanford-Burnham’s research activities and Central Florida. The top four tables in each round sent a representative onstage to compete in timed activities, such as bouncing ping-pong balls into beakers. At the end of the evening, the top two contestants competed in a Guitar Hero challenge onstage for the rights to a six-foot trophy known as the “Bring It! Cup.”
Organizers chose to go with a rock 'n' roll theme for the benefit to match the venue. They also played up the institute’s purpose by giving each attendee a lab coat donated by Fisher Scientific.
