Sachin

Maker Faire is an innovation event that is sponsored by Make Magazine.

Contestants can showcase their crafts and inventions to attendants from all over the country. The contests are typically held in San Mateo, New York and Detroit. Thousands of people have enjoyed competing in the contest over the past eight years. There are a number of things that aspiring contestants can do to improve their chances of winning.

Maker Faire contestants are competing for $2,500 cash prizes, a year’s subscription to Make Magazine and a variety of other prizes. Since there is a lot of competition, you will need to stand out to have a chance of winning.

Here are some tips for aspiring contestants, whether they are amateur engineers or skilled woodworkers.

Know Your Audience

The judges and people that attend Maker Faire are typically members of the hacker community. They have a fascination with Google, Steve Jobs and other popular technology icons and brands. You will probably have a better chance of competing if you cater your projects to their interests.

Use Top Line Tools

While most of the people attending Maker Faire are amateur designers and craftsmen, they take their hobbies very seriously. Most of them invest in high quality tools, such as the industrial woodworking tools that are sold at Tool Wolf. You will need to invest in top-of-the-line equipment as well to create quality products that will compete with the best that Maker Faire has to offer.

Don’t Be Overly Complicated

You need to create quality products to compete, but that doesn’t mean that you need to be highly complex. A simple woodworking project, robot or other project that is done right has a better chance of winning than a sophisticated machine that has room for improvement.

Use Advanced Technology Prudently

While woodworkers and other craftsmen create some of the best products at Maker Faire, most people incorporate digital scans and other digital technology into their projects. However, this technology needs to be utilized properly. No one is going to be impressed if you simply slap a QR code onto your project without making sure that it serves a purpose.

Dress Comfortably

You will be manning your booth outside for most of the day. The weather can be very hot and humid, especially if you are attending the event in San Mateo. Make sure that you are dressed properly.

Good Luck at Maker Faire!

Winning a prize at Maker Faire is a major honor. It will take a lot of hard work, but you will be glad that you dedicated the time and energy to your projects. Best of luck competing at Maker Faire this summer!