AJ Ferguson | Dayton937

Want to add some fun to your backyard party? But don’t want to buy all the games for a one time event, and don’t have room in the garage to store them. No worries- use event drop to rent a party kit that will be dropped off at your house. Kits run from $75 – $125 and that includes delivery, setup and pickup for a 12 hour event.

AJ Ferguson has launched this business as a side hustle that will deliver a box trailer full of tables, chairs, a sound system, yard games, trash cans, extension cords, and more. We asked him where the inspiration for this event came from.

Giant Connect 4

AJ: A while back I was working on a bunch of events within a week or two, and I had all the usual event supplies piled high in the back of my car. I realized my week was going to be much easier if I just left it all in the car, so I did. From then forward I found myself frequently wishing my event kit could always be packed and ready to go. That’s where the event-in-a-box approach started to take shape.

We plan to add more event essentials into the kits over the coming year, but we’re starting with the fun stuff like yard games and sport courts (volleyball, badminton, pickleball). When I was a kid, I would put hours into preparing the backyard for my family’s parties. I’d measure out a full wiffle ball stadium, make sure the

Giant Jenga

volleyball net was perfectly taut, and even made my dad buy field marking paint from Tuffy Brooks so I could line the volleyball court. He loves it as much as I do, so he always came through.

I know you’ve been talking about this for a while, why now?

AJ: More than anything else, it was the not so busy evenings and weekends of the pandemic that pushed me to finally put all the pieces together. I realized that the stay at home order was an opportunity to take on the projects I had always wanted to finish, and this one was very high on the list. The top project on the list was proposing to my fiancé, Meggie. That went well, so I figured I should keep going on the Event Drop idea, too. She’s been especially helpful getting it

Spikeball

off the ground, and she frequently reminded me that I would always regret not giving it a real shot.

Launching an event rental business during a pandemic isn’t ideal. We want people to enjoy the event kits safely. They’re great for creating a special day in the backyard with your family or close friends, but we hope people wait to throw that big backyard bash until it’s safe to do so.

How did you determine what games to start with?
AJ: I’ve kept a running list of games that others suggested or that caught my attention at some point. I chose these 8 because they invite a variety of skill and intensity levels. I’m probably most excited about introducing people to some of the less widely known games like Kubb and Molkky.

How much advance notice do folks need to reserve?

Molkky

AJ: Earlier is better of course. For now now there’s only one of each game, so if we’ve already booked it for someone else you’re likely going to be out of luck. That said, we want people to submit a request no matter how quick the turnaround is. We’ll follow up to let them know whether it’s available and whether we think we can pull it off.

Do folks have to be at home when you drop off or pick up?
AJ: Generally yes. We’ll work with customers to find times that work because we’ll want to go over what’s in the kit and talk through any final questions or concerns. If there are unique circumstances, we’re open to developing a more creative solution. While we’re still new we’d rather use these special cases to help us improve the business than turn someone away.What is the charge if you are outside the 15 mile delivery radius?

Bocce

AJ: We aren’t looking to nickel-and-dime anyone on the delivery radius. If we can get to you in 20-25 minutes, we’re going to make it work within the listed pricing. From there we’ll add $15 for every extra 10 minutes of total travel time. It’s definitely an area we’ll fine tune after we have some more deliveries under our belt.

Anything else you want to share?

AJ: Event Drop is a social enterprise. It’s a for-profit business, but we’re here to help make our community better and brighter, too. Parties, events, and games bring people together and we hope Event Drop makes it easier to gather family, friends, colleagues, or neighbors over and over again. We hope you’ll try it out and help us find ways to keep improving.

AJ Ferguson started his new role as Updyaton Executive Director this week. His role is to ignite and lead this young professional organization on their mission of spurring economic growth in the Dayton region by attracting and retaining young talent. The group’s signature event is the annual UpDayton Summit, which gathers over 300 hundred Dayton area residents to share and vote on ideas to make Dayton a better place to live, work and play.

“When I attended my first UpDayton Summit in 2012, I was overwhelmingly inspired by the enthusiasm and creativity in the room. It was this experience at the Summit that pulled me into an UpDayton project, into moving downtown, and ultimately into applying for the director position” – says AJ.

AJ grew up in the Dayton area and has a strong background of involvement and leadership in the region. He graduated from the University of Dayton with a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering (2012) and a Master’s in Renewable and Clean Energy (2013). His passion for improving the region stems from his experiences in the University of Dayton’s Rivers Institute and Fitz Center for Leadership in Community.

“The story of Dayton’s revival is getting exciting and I, like all those involved with UpDayton, want to be part of it. I cannot wait to get started,” said Ferguson.

Ferguson’s previous professional experience includes internships with the UD Rivers Institute, Sustainable Pittsburgh, and the Dayton Regional Green initiative. He most recently worked as the chief operating officer at a local start-up company called Dropoly.

We asked AJ to answer some questions for us:

AJ on the water (photo courtesy Facebook)

Describe the Dayton region with 3 words:
Inspiring untapped potential

If you were showing prospective newcomers to Dayton – what 3 places would you take them to?
2nd Street Market, any local brewery, kayaking on the Mad River into downtown

I’d never have to leave Dayton if it had ….
all my friends who live in other cities and states

The thing the “powers that be” don’t realize about young professionals is…
We want places and employers that share our values, especially our desire for work-life balance.

What I hope to accomplish during my time at Updayton….
I think the watershed moment for young Daytonians is still ahead. We want young adults to be engaged and thriving in the Dayton region to the point that young people everywhere are curious about what’s happening in Dayton, Ohio. When Dayton is making lists of millennial-friendly cities and regions, we’ll know we’re getting there.

I still have much to learn from the board and past leaders of the organization before championing a particular direction, but some themes have emerged so far:

– The UpDayton board and core volunteers are incredibly committed and put tons of time into UpDayton’s mission. We accomplish more than a typical organization of our size because of them. So, goal one is to keep such a good thing going and growing.

– We’d like to get the organization to the next level in order to grow our impact and become a more powerful force for attracting and retaining young talent. For this purpose, we hope to grow our organization’s capacity and resources. We’ll do this through increased fundraising as well as creative programs that generate revenue for the organization while simultaneously advancing our mission.

– Last year UpDayton launched its Catalyst Program with the support of Montgomery County. The programs three focus areas are creating leadership opportunities for young people, connecting with college campuses and engaging new hires at local employers. A major goal for the organization will be refining and growing this program in the coming years. Human Resources teams at area employers are on the front lines of the talent retention and attraction conversation. I’m particularly interested in how we can continue to support them with our expertise in demonstrating why young adults love this region.

Anything else you’d like to share?

I’d like to express my gratitude for Laura Estandia’s work while in the position and her continued support through the transition. She did an incredible job advancing the organization in her time as director and will continue to be a leader for the organization.

And I’d like to invite everyone to join us for our Summit:

Pitch your ideas to make Dayton more vibrant at the annual UpDayton Summit, 2-6 pm Friday, April 10, at the Dayton Art Institute. Meet young professionals, government officials, community leaders, and other people invested in brightening the shine on the Gem City! You can register online now.

Rent an Event Kit For Your Next Backyard Party

Meet AJ Ferguson, UpDayton’s New Executive Director