Fab Fest Boston Fact Sheet
Overview: Fab Fest Boston is a free educational event for professionals and families which will showcase cutting edge fabrication techniques and technologies as well as provide an opportunity for the general public see what the digital fabrication movement and fab labs are all about. A public outreach of Fab11 conference (http://www.fab11.org/) it will also connect thousands of international fabbers with the fabbers & makers from Greater Boston and beyond.
Dates: Saturday, August 8th 10:00 AM - 5:30 PM & Sunday, August 9th
10:00 AM - 4: 00 PM
Location: Reggie Lewis Center, 1350 Tremont St, Roxbury Crossing, MA 02120
Conveniently located at the Roxbury Crossing MBTA Stop
Events: Over a hundred different events are planned. Here’s a sampling:
Talk in agile manufacturing in China | African Fab Lab Exhibit | Creating Interactive stories with paper circuits workshop |
Wearable technology fashion exhibit | Fab Labs as Business Model Talk | Manufacturing a suspension bridge workshop |
Introduction to 3-D printing workshop | Libraries as maker spaces talk | Mobile fab labs in operation workshop and exhibit |
Structural engineering with Jenga workshop | DIY insects forest workshop and exhibit | Giant wave pendulum machine hands on workshop |
Introduction to Micro-controllers workshop | 3D Tangram Puzzle Design and Printing workshop | Moving Vehicle Design Challenge |
Attendance: We’re expecting up to ten thousand people to attend. In addition to the general public this group includes:
- Members of New England Maker Spaces, fab labs, co-working & incubation spaces
- DIY hobbyists
- Entrepreneurs
- Engineers
- Artists, musicians and crafters
- K-12 teachers, administrators & librarians
- Higher ed faculty, staff and administrators
- Medical Technology professionals
- Workforce Development professionals
- Advanced Manufacturing professionals
- Big Data professionals
- Architects
- Product Designers
- Fashion Designers
- Construction Management
- Members of the Military community
- Transportation Industry professionals
- Public and urban Planning Professionals
- Software and hardware developers
- and others!
Benefits A major outreach of MIT’’s Center for Bit’s and Atoms Department, this event will create a bridge between emerging technologies and local and Greater Boston communities. Specific benefits include:
- A free educational event for whole family
- Hands on STEM learning activities for all ages and all levels
- Exposure to digital fabrication and electronics careers
- Opportunity to develop global connections in emerging market
- Exposure to International market trends in Fab and maker space
- Opportunity Develop new skills and insights into digital fabrication and electronics
- Professional development opportunity for K- 16 STEM educators and administrators in Greater Boston and beyond
- Opportunity to share operational practices and learn from international labs
- Strengthen the digital fab community in Boston and New England
- Develop new connections between Boston and international digital fabrication labs
- Will expand opportunities for digital fabrication across state, federal and city government
- Will promote the discussion of the expanded use of digital fabrication in K-16 classrooms
- General public will learn what the digital fabrication movement and fab labs are all about
- Access to tools of invention that will excite and ignite student’s career horizons
- Increase the general public’s exposure to the prevalence of digital fabrication
- Contribute to the creation of a more skilled workforce in area
- Will enhance Boston’s’ reputation national and international as a high tech center
- Recognition of Boston’s pioneering role and continued leadership in the digital fab movement
- Places Boston at the helm of the digital fab movement in STEM and hands on STEM learning
- Recognizes Boston’s leadership in community economic development internationally
- Help communities of Boston successfully tie into the innovation economy
- Will enhance opportunities create public and private partnerships in digital fabrication
###