How to run your own MakeFest From the founders of MakeFest – Denise Jones, Caroline Keep & Mark Feltham September 2019 1 Contents Forword ................................................................................................................................................................. 4 Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................................... 5 Terms of reference: a glossary of making .......................................................................................... 6 Makers and The Maker Movement: culture, community and ethos. ....................................... 6 What is a makerspace? ................................................................................................................................ 7 Makerspaces, hackerspaces and Fablabs – what’s the difference? .......................................... 7 What is the Maker ethos? ........................................................................................................................... 8 What is a MakeFest? ....................................................................................................................................... 8 Maker events .................................................................................................................................................... 8 What will you find at a MakeFest? ....................................................................................................... 11 How to run your first MakeFest? .......................................................................................................... 13 The elements of a MakeFest ................................................................................................................... 13 Getting started: space and furniture .................................................................................................. 15 Space, tables and chairs: the best way to start. .............................................................................. 15 What furniture do you already have? ................................................................................................ 16 Next steps: power, people, provisions & promo ......................................................................... 17 Power ............................................................................................................................................................... 17 People .............................................................................................................................................................. 18 Provisions ....................................................................................................................................................... 19 Promotion ...................................................................................................................................................... 20 Senior Library Management Team: buy in and communication ....................................... 22 Finding your Makers ................................................................................................................................... 24 The Maker community ............................................................................................................................. 24 Open call to Makers .................................................................................................................................... 26 Pulling the treads together ..................................................................................................................... 27 Makers and the things they make ....................................................................................................... 27 Communicating with your Makers ...................................................................................................... 43 Early bird ........................................................................................................................................................ 43 Open call ......................................................................................................................................................... 43 Further information ................................................................................................................................... 44 Risk assessment and needs .................................................................................................................... 44 A final check .................................................................................................................................................. 44 Funding your MakeFest ............................................................................................................................. 45 Local fundraising ......................................................................................................................................... 45 Community partners ................................................................................................................................. 45 Bid writing ..................................................................................................................................................... 46 Marketing and promoting your MakeFest ...................................................................................... 48 Setting up a website ................................................................................................................................... 48 Photographs and galleries ...................................................................................................................... 50 Blogging .......................................................................................................................................................... 51 Podcasts .......................................................................................................................................................... 52 Social media .................................................................................................................................................. 53 Press releases, TV, radio .......................................................................................................................... 56 Ticketing ......................................................................................................................................................... 56 Getting your library ready ....................................................................................................................... 57 Allocating space for your Makers ........................................................................................................ 57 2 Making sure Makers have what they will need .............................................................................. 58 Health and safety considerations ........................................................................................................ 61 Risk assessments ........................................................................................................................................ 61 PAT testing ..................................................................................................................................................... 61 Fire alarms ..................................................................................................................................................... 62 Noise levels .................................................................................................................................................... 63 Security, access and parking .................................................................................................................. 64 Security and access .................................................................................................................................... 64 Parking ............................................................................................................................................................ 64 Registration, badges and t-shirts ......................................................................................................... 64 The BIG day ....................................................................................................................................................... 65 The day before: setting up ...................................................................................................................... 65 Evening set-up .............................................................................................................................................. 65 Doors open ..................................................................................................................................................... 66 Opening and front-of-house ................................................................................................................... 66 Media ................................................................................................................................................................ 67 Food and drink ............................................................................................................................................