In just one week, on April 18th at 9am at the Florida State Fairgrounds Florida Center, Gulf Coast MakerCon will open its doors for our 4th Annual Celebration of the DIY Inventive Spirit! We’ll have more than 75 exhibitors representing a wide diversity of interests, skills, hobbies, trades and professions ranging from artists and heritage crafters, to amateur radio, inventors and 3D printing enthusiasts.
Advanced tickets on sale through April 17th, at 20% off gate admission
Sponsored by USF Connect, the Florida High Tech Corridor, the National Academy
Inventors, and TECO Energy, with a grant from Hillsborough County Economic Development Innovation Initiative (EDI2), the event brings together the creative, entrepreneurial and inventive energy of over 300 technologists, artists, crafters, mechanical and electrical wizards, costumers and prop makers, roboticists, musical artists, inventors, gamers, coders, and more, inviting the general public to get some hands on, minds-on-fire creative inspiration.
Over a dozen area makerspaces from across four counties will be showcasing their programs, tools and services, along with member creations. A half dozen schools will be anchoring the Young Makers area, with Maker Education exhibits and activities.The Tampa Bay Inventors Council Inventors Showcase will feature over a dozen local inventors, many with their products for sale. Gamers on the Edge heads up the ComicCon & Gaming area and the St. Petersburg College Orthotics and Prosthetics department is partnering with the nonprofit charity, e-Nable, to demonstrate 3D prosthetics printing. Special events at Gulf Coast MakerCon include:
• Deconstruction Zone, hosted by Scrap on Spot e-waste recycling, giving youth an 
opportunity to take apart electronics for an inside look
• Electrathon race, by Electrathon of Tampa Bay, with over a dozen electric car racing teams from around the state
• Southeast Combot Championship competition, hosted by the University of South Florida Robotics Interest Group (RIG) featuring nearly 30 fighting robots
• Drone races by MultiGP Pro Sport
• Live Chemistry Shows by Mr. Home Scientist
• Tabletop and Arcade gaming , hosted by Gamers on the Edge
• Workshops on starting a makerspace, raising investment capital for inventors, injection molding process, rapid prototyping, patent process, renewable energy, and more.
Plus FIRST robotics scrimmages, project demos, instrument petting zoo, solar and electric energy exhibits, amateur radio, live entertainment and plenty to see, do, try and learn about in celebration of the DIY Inventive Spirit. Advanced tickets can be purchased online at 20% off gate costs.
Admission the day of the event is $12/person, ages 13 and up. $10 for children ages 6-12. Children 5 and under are free. Fairgrounds parking is $6/vehicle.
Gulf Coast MakerCon is produced by the Eureka Factory in partnership with Mity Mo Creative, the Innovation Lab at Seminole Community Library at St. Petersburg College, the Tampa Bay Inventors Council, Scrap on Spot, F5 Live: Refreshing Technologies, Gamers on the Edge and Real Life, Inc. . Gulf Coast MakerCon 2015 is a USA Science & Engineering Festival Satellite Event, and a National Robotics Week event.
The event runs from 9am to 6pm, at the Florida Center at the Florida State Fairgrounds, at 4800 US-301 in Tampa, accessed through Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. Come Make Your Day with us!