Five years ago, when the Westport Mini Maker Faire started in Connecticut, we had no idea the impact it would have. It was intended to be a fun day for techie people to get together and show off their cool stuff. We planned for a relatively small attendance of 800 and 2,200 people showed up. We knew we had caught the attention of the community.
We also discovered an unexpected and positive impact on the business community. Every year we ask local businesses to participate and they find customers interested in their services, whether after-school educational services in STEM/STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) or in new product ideas. Indeed, businesses are finding that Maker Faires are a great place to showcase new products, find new customers, and connect with suppliers, distributors, partners, bankers, investors and more.
Businesses are also using Maker Faire to find qualified, motivated employees, become an employer of choice and advance some of their corporate social responsibility initiatives. In other words, Maker Faires are creating business and economic activity. By bringing these diverse people and skills together, business happens.
As a result of the Westport Mini Maker Faire, we have seen companies start up, grow, add employees, add products, secure new clients, find investors and become known. We have also seen schools introduce new curriculum and students become interested in lifelong education and fields of study they had never before considered.
The Westport Library, with whom we have partnered on Westport Mini Maker Faire for the past five years, received a grant for close to $250,000 to make libraries more relevant to the community. Their commitment to “making” has also literally put them on the world stage as a “go to” resource for how to serve the community.
In a nutshell, Maker Faires have become an unexpected catalyst for economic growth in the community. The fifth annual Westport Mini Maker Faire will take place on April 30 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Westport Library and Jesup Green.
This is Connecticut”™s largest event focused on creativity and innovation. There is no charge to attend. Find out more at westportmakerfaire.org.
Mark Mathias is president of Remarkable STEAM Inc., a Westport-based nonprofit promoting education and job creation in Connecticut and a member of Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County. Mathias can be reached at mark@remarkablesteam.org or 203-226-1791.
