Arriving in Rome we were first impressed not only with the history and beauty of the city but also with the massive amount of advertising there was for Maker Faire Rome 2018. Termini station for example was bedecked in Maker Faire advertising covering every ticket barrier, wall and even the floors!
Maker Faire Rome 2018:
We arrived early on the morning of the 12th of October to the massive Fiera Di Roma venue. Where we joined our friends at DigiKey and the micro:bit foundation in Pavilion 8. This was one of the eight being used for the Maker Faire (numbered 4-10 and SC3).
The scale of the Pavilions was monumental. This picture is from early on the Friday morning before the crowds have arrived.
Quickly we set out our stall alongside DigiKey and prepared for the onslaught of school children. The children were able to attend for free on the first morning of the Maker Faire. This seems to be unique to the Rome Maker Faire, and they have a short break period before paying guests arrive later in the day. It makes for a busy morning but a nice opportunity to meet other exhibitors in the quiet clear out part of the day.
Very soon after opening, the crowds arrived and we were pinned behind our stand for most of the morning.
During the afternoon of the first day we started to explore the Maker Faire. Finding that the crowds we'd experienced weren't quite evenly spread across all stands. Those with light, movement and noise attracted the most visitors.
One of my favourites was Maker Hart Industry Corp. Who used LEDs, acrylic and technical wizardry to pull in the crowds.
It's not all Work Work Work:
During the afternoon we also discovered that the Italians know a thing or two about coffee. There is of course an etiquette to coffee in Italy, but they indulged us by selling us cappuccinos after 10am. Which of course meant, we could keep going for the rest of the day!
The remaining time at Maker Faire Rome 2018 involved a cycle between myself and Geoff. We would take turns at the coal face trying our best Italian language skills out on the unsuspecting public. Or, walking the Maker Faire floors investigating the best of the Maker World... and drinking coffee.
A selection of fantastic makers we found and photographed are shown below:
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