Maker Faire 2014

Maker Faire Union Station Kansas City

2014 Recap This flipbook is a guide to the marketing efforts of Maker Faire 2014 at Union Station Kansas City. This guide is organized into three parts: Promotion, Weekend Coverage, and Recap. In essence, it is laid out in chronological order of the journey to the event.

Under each part, there are different section including media coverage, social media, blog posts and press releases. There is further information on the website: makerfairekc.com and more photos on the Flickr account: flickr.com/photos/uskc/sets.

Promotion Media Coverage: dosmundos.com; June 26: Union Station luring creative/inventive types kshb.com; June 25: The 2014 annual Maker Faire at Union Station missouribusinessalert.com; June 24:Maker Faire KC Looks To Build On Big 2013 missouribusinessalert.com; June 24: Educators Use Maker Movement To Spark Student Interest‌ inkkc.com; June 24: Events: Maker Faire, SuperHero 5K, Royals and more

Social Media:

Blog Post:

Press Release:

Maker Faire Kansas City 2014 Draws Record Attendance and Participation Union Station Reports Record Attendance, KC Embraces 4th Annual Maker Faire KANSAS CITY, MO – Union Station announced today record attendance at the fourth annual Maker Faire. The two-day event held June 28-29 drew nearly 16,000 visitors from 40 states, marking four years in a row of growth for the event.

In traditional fashion, Maker Faire 2014 celebrated innovations that people create themselves – from electronic gizmos to urban farming and “slow-made” foods to homemade clothes, quilts, and sculptures. The family-friendly event demonstrated what and how people are inventing, making, and creating, which attracted makers, crafters, inventors, hackers, scientists and artists

from all over the nation. Interested visitors poured in to see what others are making, and left inspired to tap into their own creativity.

For the 2014 chapter of Maker Faire, Union Station welcomed over 350 exhibitors who filled nearly all inside spaces and many outdoor lots. Also added were several additional destinations for younger children to help introduce Maker topics and concepts at an early age.

The variety of exhibitors was also diverse, and expanded with the inclusion of additional art activities. This continues to fulfill the desired blend of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) topics that Union Station has made a priority.

“Maker Faire establishes relationships that did not previously exist between ideas, between things, between people,” Make Magazine editor and publisher Dale Dougherty said. “The most important thing that Maker Faire does is establish those relationships among makers.”

Maker Faire Kansas City 2014 was possible in great part to its many sponsors. Among those are Founding Sponsor, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Signature Sponsor, City of Kansas City, Missouri Neighborhood Tourist Development Fund, Time Warner Cable, and a host of other local and national companies.

“Kansas City and Union Station are on the map within the Maker community,” Maker Faire organizer Luis Rodriguez said. “We’ve quickly grown to be the third largest Maker Faire in the country. It goes to show what good organization, tremendous creativity and a culture of innovation and invention can do to create a groundswell of enthusiasm that literally draws thousands and thousands of fans.”

Plans are already underway for Maker Faire Kansas City 2015 as expectations continue to grow to meet demand. Additionally, Union Station now operates a year-round “Maker Studio” as part of the Science City venue. “Make” activities are scheduled for every day of the week and can be seen by visiting sciencecity.com. ### About Union Station Kansas City, Inc. Union Station Kansas City is a historical landmark and civic asset renovated and reopened to the public in 1999 that will celebrate its Centennial anniversary on Oct. 30, 2014. The organization, driven by its mission of science and history education and entertainment, hosts a variety of world-class traveling exhibits. Union Station is the first North American site for the fascinating exhibit, “The Discovery of King Tut.” Union Station also is home to several other attractions, including Kansas City’s Science Center; the popular Model Railroad Experience; the Gottlieb Planetarium; the Regnier Extreme Screen Theatre, the region’s largest screen 3D movie theater; H&R Block City Stage featuring live theater, and a selection of unique shops and restaurants. Union Station is also home to prominent area civic organizations and businesses. Visit www.unionstation.org for details.

Weekend Coverage Media Coverage: kansascity.com; June 29: Maker Faire transforms Union Station into creative hotbed kmbc.com; June 28: KC’s Maker Faire shows power of innovation kshb.com; June 28: Maker Faire at Union Station draws thousands to Kansas City kctv5.com; June 28: Maker Faire a Gathering of Creative Minds

Social Media:

Event Program:

Recap Media Coverage: thisiskc.com; July: A2 + B2 = ART fox4kc.com; July 3: Dave Elliot’s tips on preparing the grill makezine.com; July 2: Juniper’s Pop Up World missouribusinessalert.com; July 2: Maker Faire Panel Shares Tips For Turning Ideas Into Businesses makezine.com; July 1: Nerd Girl Yarns At Maker Faire Kansas City makezine.com; July 1: Starship Bridge Simulator At Maker Faire Kansas City makezine.com; July 1: Kansas City Maker Faire Recap Video missouribusinessalert.com; July 1: Six Tech Trends Spotted At Maker Faire KC hackaday.com; July 1: Magic in the Midwest: Maker Faire Kansas City

SAVE THE DATE! Maker Faire 2015

June 27 – 28, 2015 Special Thanks to our 2014 Sponsors: