> I'm Dominic, and I organised the Derby Mini Maker Faire. I did this mainly because I knew there wasn't going to be a main UK Maker Faire in 2011 and also knew that the Brighton Mini Maker Faire whilst awesome was a very long way for people north of London to go to. At that time we didn't know there was going to be a Mini in Manchester.

> We'll probably do another Mini in Derby in 2013 and I've also been asked to organise a Mini in Bristol. I think that the Mini Maker Faires should become a very local event. If people want to travel from say Nottingham to say Brighton to exhibit that's up to them, but these things will become very awesome if the real local makers can be found and convinced to exhibit. For instance at next years Derby Mini Maker Faire, I'll really be trying to get makers locally to have tables rather than groups of makers i.e. individuals who have made something at say Nottingham Hackspace to exhibit that rather than on a group table. Big ticket items like HACMan's Big Toys and London's Mini Golf can be hired in with some costs towards transport if big ticket things are needed and can not be found locally.

> I'd like to see a Hackspace Foundation stand at Mini Maker Faires, with leaflets and information on all the UK Hackerspaces rather than groups of Hackspaces on their own table. I was impressed in Ireland when I saw a banner with all the different Hackerspace logos on it. Obviously we'd have to do some vetting here in the UK before we added EVERY Hackerspace to a banner as some of them are just 1 creapy guy in their houses.

> I'm fairly interested in the idea of a new brand for Mini Maker Faires, that doesn't include O'Reilly but that might be quite difficult to get the accolades that their Maker Faires get. That is to say I've found it advantageous to use that brand. The problem with O'Reilly ISN'T getting sponsors past them, it's that the Mini Maker Faire desk is so busy in the USA that they don't seem to have enough time or people to get back and OK application. I kept having to get O'Reilly UK to lean on them. Having said that I now have good communications with Sabastpol CA and the team at Maker Faire after the Derby Mini. The approach was really very hands off, but you have to drive the thing forward yourself really.

> I'd be very interested in helping to organise a London based Mini Maker Faire, as long as it was about local London makers! I think you'd get an excellent turn out as well.

> TL:DR - Lets Make MINI MAKER FAIRE a local faire and I'd be happy to help

> Dominic

> On Tuesday, 11 September 2012 20:00:37 UTC+1, Ant wrote:
> Totally your call, and I do get the "why not London?" point, but the thing is, it's actually "why not London too?" these days. And I don't think great things spring from a 'me too' approach.  Brighton was a bit of a me too after Newcastle but it was the first grass roots MF event in the uk.
> Can I suggest that rather than re invent the wheel the London maker community try and do something really innovative and new? Fix a new problem, fill a new hole? think about what stops the further progression of grass roots Hacking, perhaps look at the commercial rollover space.  Kickstarter UK is launching soon, so perhaps an event in that space is a more innovative, original idea, and more likely to develop its own dedicated community.  It's that phase of turning ideas and hacks into products and services that the uk sometimes struggles with, and one that London is uniquely situated to address.

> Please read this with an internal head voice of a happy suggestive, supportive tone.  That's how I'm writing it.