This could easily be called “the year of the 3d printer”. They are in the news, in every hackerspace, and at every event. This last one is the one I’m going to focus on here. All the coverage we’ve seen as well as our personal experience shows that MakerFaires are filled with 3d printers. At MakerFaire K. C., there were so lots of that I lost count. I didn’t even bother taking pictures or stopping to look after a while. lots of were makerbots, though a few repraps were present too.

If you want to be observed at MakerFaire, DON’T BRING A 3D PRINTER AS YOUR SOLE DISPLAY.

I understand, you’re excited. 3d printing is very exciting. catch me some time and ask me how I feel about 3d printing and the future and I’ll happily go over with you how crucial I think it is and how we’re seeing the infancy of something great. However, when showing off your hackerspace at a MakerFaire, you need to show projects you are working on. It doesn’t matter what you’re building at your hackerspace, show it off. I know some of you will mention that you are building a 3d printer. Cool, so are all the other hackerspaces, you’d better have some other stuff going on too. Your 3d printer a lot of likely isn’t any different than the one on the table next to you. especially if you gotten a makerbot. incredibly especially if the table next to you happens to be the makerbot table.

I’ll tell you what you need to bring. listen close, because this is very important. think about the people at your hackerspace. You’ve got a person or a few people who are very ecstatic about something. It may not look particularly special to you. It may not be in the headlines of Make Magainze (yet), and you probably haven’t seen it available online with a fancy web page. This person/people may seem like the fringe to you. Some oddball that just happens to get really ecstatic at the thought of some peculiar laser or a certain type of leather working . Bring that person. have them go on and on about their peculiar project. Their enthusiasm is infectious. Your hackerspace will be remembered. Hackerspace’s power lies in the diversity of their people and what they make with the space. Don’t show up thinking about what your hackerspace supplies to your members, but show off what your members have supplied your hackerspace.