Around the globe, there are currently around 100 Maker Faires per year. The first Maker Faire took place in 2006 in California, organized by the publishers of the American Make magazine. Maker Faire Hannover is organized by the German Make magazine since 2013 and is one of the most important Maker events in the world in terms of size and scope.

Maker Faires are entertaining, colorful, exciting and motivating at the same time. Fundamentally a Maker Faire is meant to be a community-oriented learning event that inspires everyone to become a Maker themselves and to connect with people and projects in the international community. It’s a place to network and where new ideas and projects are born. A Maker Faire is also intergenerational. Makers know no age. Children are motivated by playful learning in DIY making through numerous workshops for STEM topics.

Private Makers present their DIY projects free of charge. At Maker Faire Hannover, for example, they make up around 75% of all exhibitors. These can be individual makers, fablabs and makerspaces, or student projects and research projects from universities.

Companies like to present themselves in this creative environment to get inspiration for their own innovation process. The Maker Faire can be a place to launch or even test new products for the target group. More and more companies are relying on ideas from the community to further develop themselves and their products and open up new markets. Or they come for employer branding reasons, as they meet numerous talents from the STEM sector here. Their participation gives them access to creative people and their visions. On the visitor side, however, you also meet a very tech-savvy and affluent target group. It is allowed to sell at a Maker Faire.

As a sponsor, you make a statement for your own understanding of innovation and individuality. The charisma of the Maker Faire and its implied values can be transferred authentically and individually to a brand. A high visibility in an emotional environment is generated. Your passion connects your product with the spirit of the event and the attitude towards life of the tech-savvy target group. You transform visibility into acceptance by the target group – this acceptance turns into appreciation for your brand. Another and not unimportant reason for sponsoring can be that you want to promote young talents. After all, STEM knowledge is an important investment in our future!