Month: February 2018

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#wheredaytonismade

You may have noticed that last summer we started a social media campaign #wheredaytonismade, in conjunction with the 2nd Annual Dayton Mini Maker Faire.  This hashtag is meant to inspire makers across our region and beyond to look at the legacy of making we have in Dayton, but also to look towards our future as a leader in the maker movement.  It wasn’t that long ago that Mayor Nan Whaley signed the national Maker City Pledge, officially pronouncing that the City of Dayton is committed to engaging our region in the Maker Movement to stimulate our citizens to become inventors and tinkerers and to learn new skills and explore new technologies and arts.  Why would a city government care about that? Well, because some inventors and tinkerers will go on to create new businesses and products that create new jobs.  Those learners who want to adopt new technologies and make things with their own two hands? Those are the same people who make excellent employees for those new maker businesses, especially in manufacturing.

Dayton gained fame in the last century as a hub of invention and manufacturing, leading the world in patents and advancing some of the most exciting technologies of the era.  The Wrights, Kettering, Deeds – these are the giants whose shoulders we stand on as makers here in Dayton. #wheredaytonismade is about recognizing the new efforts in and around our city to create a generation of makers that leads Dayton into the next century.

Know someone who is an exceptional Maker?  Want to recognize their achievements and work in our community?  Tag them with #wheredaytonismade and then email makeitdayton@gmail.com and we may write a blog post about them!  Plus, encourage them to sign up to exhibit at the Dayton Mini Maker Faire this August.

#wheredaytonismade #makeitdayton

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Dayton to be Regional Host for 2018 Maker Faire Producers Summit

I’m not shy about self-identifying as a maker, so inevitably I get asked the question “what do you make?”  And inevitably, I list Maker Faire as one of the things I make.  I’m the RepRap of makers – a maker that makes Maker Faires to make more makers.  Makers.

As one of the founders of the Dayton Mini Maker Faire, I’ve become part of the network of makers that plan and produce other Mini Maker Faires across the world.  Every year, Make Magazine, the originators of the Maker Faire concept, host a world-wide summit for Maker Faire producers.  In past years, the Maker Faire Producers Summit has been held in the Bay Area or other single locations around the world.  This year, the Summit is being held online and Make asked if some Mini Maker Faire teams would be willing to host viewing parties for their regions.  Guess what? Dayton was selected to be a regional host for the Maker Faire Producers Summit for 2018!

So what does that mean for Dayton?  It means that producers of other Maker Faires from across the Midwest will be converging on Dayton, Ohio on March 3 to meet face to face and participate in the global online summit together.  It means that we’ll have the opportunity to learn about other cities and their Faires, and possibly form some collaborations to bring the best of the Midwest to our 2018 event.  It also means we get to share what makes Dayton unique with the rest of the world.

Are you interested in learning more about what it takes to produce the Dayton Mini Maker Faire? Thinking about joining our producers team? Or are you the producer of another Maker Faire in the midwest?  If so, send an email to makeitdayton@gmail.com for Summit registration info and to connect with the Dayton team.