SAN FRANCISCO, CA — (Marketwired) — 10/20/15 — It–s clear that 2015 is rounding out to be a great year for the Maker Movement and an exciting time for Makers everywhere. This year alone, over 150 Maker Faires are being hosted worldwide; the attendance of Rome Maker Faire was bigger than New York, and Barnes & Noble will host nearly 650 simultaneous Mini Maker Faires at stores nationwide. Last month, Maker Media, publisher of Make: magazine and producer of Maker Faire, hosted several hallmark events at the New York Hall of Science in conjunction with the 6th annual World Maker Faire.
Maker Faire Week in New York began with , the only conference by and for Makers, The Evening of Innovation presented by Sprout by HP, a start up showcase of over 25 Maker entrepreneurs, and the first-ever . The turnout was impressive-nearly 400 attendees gathered for MakerCon and its Evening of Innovation showcase, plus some 500 leaders in education convened at the Make: Education Forum. A veritable who–s who in the Maker Movement spoke at the events, from education to government to technology leaders, including Carmen Fariña, chancellor of NYC schools; Minerva Tantocco, the first CTO for New York City; James Fallows, national correspondent for “The Atlantic”; Dr. Ellen Williams from ARPA-e and the Department of Energy; Tom Kalil, head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy; Massimo Banzi, co-founder of the Arduino Project; and others. At each event, panelists, speakers, keynoters, and attendees amplified the conversation about the universal impact of the Maker Movement. The week concluded with World Maker Faire September 26-27, which boasted an 11% increase in attendance over 2014 with the final tally at 95,000 visitors. Among the goldsmith sponsors were Disney, Pepsi, Google, Intel, Microsoft and the Italian Trade Agency.
“There are so many different ways that people can engage in making — from hobbies to startups to fostering job and new skills development. That–s why it–s important to serve these different interests of the broad Maker community, and continue to host events like MakerCon and the Make: Education Forum,” said Dale Dougherty, founder and executive chairman of Maker Media. “Within a span of a few days, we talked about the current business ecosystem, entrepreneurship–s role, Maker innovation, civic and community Maker initiatives, and education and the impact of informal learning platforms that inspire making among. It was truly a remarkable week.”
Excitement continues to build after a successful week in New York with more upcoming Maker Faires that are a part of the Maker Faire global network where individual organizers can independently produce their own event. Over 1.2 million people are attending these self-organized Maker Faires across the world and two international events in particular — Maker Faire Taipei and Maker Faire Rome — saw huge gains in attendance this year. Earlier this year Maker Faire Taipei hosted nearly 80,000 and over the weekend of October 16-18, the third annual Maker Faire Rome broke record numbers with attendance exceeding 100,000.
There will be over 15 Maker Faires this month alone, including:
Maker Faire Atlanta
Maker Faire Berlin
Maker Faire Pittsburgh
Maker Faire San Diego
Maker Faire Seoul
Aarhus Mini Maker Faire
Bogota Mini Maker Faire
Charlotte Mini Maker Faire
Colorado Springs Mini Maker Faire
East Bay Mini Maker Faire
Istanbul Mini Maker Faire
NoCo Mini Maker Faire
Rocklin Mini Maker Faire
Salt Lake City Mini Maker Faire
Scranton Mini Maker Faire
Wenatchee Mini Maker Faire
On November 6-8, Maker Faire will also premiere its first retail event in a partnership with Barnes & Noble, the largest retail bookseller and a leading retailer of content, digital media, and educational products. Barnes & Noble–s Mini Maker Faire will offer the same authentic experience as a traditional Maker Faire while introducing, educating, and engaging others about what the Maker Movement is all about in 650 U.S. store locations. Makers of all ages and skill levels can expect hands-on learning opportunities and projects across art, design, construction, and innovation, as well as coding and 3D printing. Attendees will also be able to “Meet the Makers” as leaders in the Maker Movement and local Makers visit stores nationwide, including Maker Media–s own Dale Dougherty; Simon Shen, CEO of XYZprinting; Ayah Bdeir, founder and CEO of littleBits; Parker Thomas, inventor of Maker Studio; Bill Ritchie, founder of ThinkFun; and many others. In total, over 1,000 Makers and Make: authors will be in attendance that weekend at the different store locations.
“We are thrilled to host the first-ever retail Mini Maker Faire in partnership with Maker Media,” said Kathleen Campisano, Vice President, Toys & Games, at Barnes & Noble. “No other retailer is more poised to serve the community in this endeavor. It is both a privilege and responsibility, which is why this partnership and hosting this Mini Maker Faire in stores across the country is so important to us.”
For more coverage on MakerCon and the Make: Education Forum, including videos, interviews, and blog posts, check out . To learn more about Maker Faire, find a Maker Faire or to learn more about the franchise program, visit MakerFaire.com. Find more information about the Barnes & Noble Mini Maker Faire at .
Maker Media is a global platform for connecting makers with each other, with products and services, and with our partners. Through media, events and ecommerce, Maker Media serves a growing community of makers who bring a DIY mindset to technology. Whether as hobbyists or professionals, makers are creative, resourceful and curious, developing projects that demonstrate how they can interact with the world around them. The launch of Make: magazine in 2005, followed by Maker Faire in 2006, jumpstarted a worldwide Maker Movement, which is transforming innovation, culture and education. Headquartered in San Francisco, is the publisher of and the producer of . It also develops “getting started” kits and books that are sold in its store as well as in retail channels. The Make: brand caters to a universe of more than 25 million makers collectively across its Make: magazine, makezine.com, Maker Faires, and Maker Shed properties.
is a week-long celebration for Makers with activities, events, meetups, parties and more, all focused around the Maker Movement. With reach across all sectors, including tech, design, education, city planning and artistry, Makers will enjoy meeting and collaborating with their peers at events around the greater New York area from September 21-27, culminating with . Maker Faire Week New York also hosts signature events presented by including , the professional conference by Makers for Makers on September 24, Make: Education Forum on September 25 and World Maker Faire on September 26 and 27. With over 150 Maker Faires worldwide, Maker Faire Week New York is just one of the ways that the Maker Movement reaches over 1 million people, including families, educators, inventors, artists, corporate professionals and investors each year. Learn more about Maker Faire Week New York .
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Brita Muller
(415) 949-1423
Bridgette Vanderlaan
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