4-Day Event to Launch ‘Maker City’ Initiative
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- A four-day event beginning July 31 will serve as the launch pad for an initiative to broaden local awareness of additive manufacturing and the maker movement.
The Youngstown Maker City Kickoff weekend will take place July 31 through Aug. 3 and introduce the Youngstown Maker City Initiative, developed out of last month’s White House Maker Faire (READ STORY). As part of the event, Make Magazine will hold its “3-D Printer Shootout” at America Makes, officially designated as the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute, for its 3-D printer review issue later this year.
“What better place to host the testing necessary than right here in Youngstown?” said Scott Deutsch, manager of communications and special programs for America Makes and the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining.
At the White House in June, President Obama launched the initiative for cities and communities to bring manufacturing back and to declare themselves maker cities. America Makes had been planning to host Make Magazine’s 3-D printer competition “but that’s really sort of a closed event,” Deutsch said. The decision to broaden the focus into a four-day Maker event follows the Obama administration’s “efforts in the maker movement and its push toward having maker communities all over the country,” he explained.
“I don’t think we could possibly overstate how unique having Make Magazine is, and their desire to come here -- what a profound statement that is about the importance of America Makes,” remarked Barb Ewing, chief operating officer of the Youngstown Business Incubator. YBI houses America Makes in its Semple Building.
“Youngstown really is at the center of this technology transition,” she continued. “We’re unique in this. It’s not just another Maker City announcement. The fact that [Make Magazine is] coming here to be a part of it is really singular.”
On Thursday, the Mahoning County board of Commissioners approved a $20,000 sponsorship grant from the budget of the Mahoning County Convention and Visitors Bureau to support the four-day event. Mayor John McNally said he would ask City Council for $10,000 to also help fund the event.
“This gives Youngstown national exposure in the media as the hub of 3-D manufacturing here,” said Linda Macala, executive director of the convention bureau. “This event will bring people from all over the country to see what’s going on and is a catalyst for future events which will be announced soon.”
Last year the Make Magazine event attracted around 400 visitors to its host community, according to Macala.
The Youngstown Maker City Kickoff weekend will include a VIP reception July 31 for invited guests and media and a public, family-friendly event Aug. 3 with local makers showcasing their talents, 3-D printer demonstrations and a tour of the America Makes facility.
On Aug. 3, U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-13 Ohio, will outline how the community plans to strengthen current maker programs and create new ones within this organized effort Aug. 3, when the official Maker City pledge takes place.
While maker cities support all types of making and manufacturing, Youngstown will have a special focus on 3-D printing as the host city for America Makes. The pledge will largely be about leveraging this national hub to strengthen local industry and entrepreneurialism.
“Youngstown is setting the standard for 3-D Printing, advanced manufacturing and workforce development -- and I am excited that we are working towards becoming a Maker City,” Ryan said Thursday in a statement issued by his office. “Becoming a Maker City is a significant step in realizing the full potential of America Makes and Youngstown remaining one of the premier cities in the country to start and grow a business.”
Many people see 3-D printing and additive manufacturing as “that small machine on some news program,” not realizing there are actually far larger ones that are manufacturing products and unaware of the applications the technology might already have in their lives, Deutsch said. “This is part of the future.”
“We’re going to expose the community at every level in every way that we conceivably can to this technology,” highlighting applications for everyone from industry to “solopreneurs” and students, added the YBI’s Ewing.
“It’s exposing every facet of our community to this technology either as a hobby or a potential business startup, or as possibly a disruptive technology” to make sure that businesses are positioning themselves to take advantage of it, Ewing said.
“After this [kickoff] weekend, it’s the deep dive.”
Pictured: Scott Deutsch, manager of communications and special programs for America Makes and the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining.
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Copyright 2014 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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