Maker Faire case study
Client:
Organisation of the first great #innovation and #do-it-yourself festival in Brussels.
Background
Started in 2006 in Silicon Valley, the Maker Faire has now become a global event. Held in 40 countries, the event is a benchmark for innovation and creation in the field of craftsmanship and digital technology. The Maker Faire brings together people who are passionate about making things and transferring knowledge and skills, and is held nearly 220 times each year.
Mission
The mission was to establish the Maker Faire in Brussels as one of the cultural events that makes the capital pulsate and encourages its participants to dare and do. To make this event a springboard for greater creativity, the main challenges were to build a community of makers and to find a venue to accommodate them.
The Maker Faire promotes a new circular economy by focusing on values such as sustainable development, entrepreneurship and digital 2.0 craftsmanship. VO Citizen therefore had a duty to continue pursuing this principle.
Response
In order to successfully establish the Maker Faire event in Brussels, the following challenges had to be met, and with plenty of verve:
- Create local awareness of an international event that had not previously been held in Brussels
- Bring together all the participants of the Makers movement in the capital (fablabs, makerspaces, repair cafés, collectives, schools, etc.)
- Find a venue where magic could happen - See U, a former barracks in Ixelles, which is temporarily hosting projects dedicated to culture, sustainability, education and innovation
- Recruit the best exhibitor projects
- Communicate and introduce this concept, new to Belgium, to visitors from the general public and schools
Designed entirely with sustainability in mind, the Maker Faire was a challenge that VO Citizen took up from the outset, based on the contents of the Circular Event Toolkit.
Result
This first edition was a real hit. All the success criteria were met - the quality of the exhibitors and presentations, the number and diversity of visitors, the presence of schools, press coverage, etc. The ultimate accolade - the organisers of Maker Faires in neighbouring countries welcomed the birth of an authentic new edition upholding the global Makers' spirit!