Maker Faire Licensing Guidelines
Application Basics
Who Can Apply
Anyone can apply for a Maker Faire license. Non-profits, businesses, institutions, museums, schools, community organizations, government entities, and individuals are all eligible to hold a Maker Faire license. Our partners page gives a picture of the wide variety of organizations that have held large and small Maker Faires around the world.
When To Apply
It takes time to make a Maker Faire, especially for the first time. Please apply for a license at least four to six months before your proposed event date. As you decide on an ideal date for your event, be considerate of other Maker Faire events in your region by checking the Maker Faire map.
Licensing
To organize a Maker Faire, you must have a signed licensing agreement. You may not use the Maker Faire brand or trademark without this license. As a first-time event, you begin the licensing process by filling out the application or the Interest Form on our homepage, if you have a few more questions. Returning events may renew their license without reapplying by contacting us directly.
Licensing Term
Licenses typically cover a 12 or 24 month period. Organizers must reapply and be in good standing to renew their license.
License Fee
License fees are applicable for both free and paid ticket events and for-profit and nonprofit organizations. Given the wide variety of organizations that apply and the diverse circumstances in which Maker Faires are produced, license fees are determined in conversation with the applicant.
Transferability
Maker Faire licenses are non-transferable—you cannot transfer your Maker Faire license to another organization or individual. If you want to transfer or relinquish your license to another organizer, please notify the Maker Faire team. New licensees will need to fill out a new application for approval.
Event Content & Digital Properties
If you decide not to renew your Maker Faire license, or Maker Faire does not renew your license, you must transfer ownership of your Maker Faire domain, if it is not within our custom Global Maker Faire Template, and other social properties (eg. Facebook, X, Instagram, Mastodon, YouTube) to us or the subsequent licensee. Except by specific agreement, digital content developed through your Maker Faire will remain property of Make: in perpetuity.
Sub-Events
We will consider applications for Maker Faires as part of festivals or other events, assuming all requirements are met.
Event Basics
Make: has developed a set of guidelines for licensing a Maker Faire in your community. Please review these carefully before applying for a license.
Event Types
Maker Faires can be in person events hosted on a specific date/s, virtual events hosted and access online, hybrid events that combine in person and virtual content, or a series of smaller activations across the community or term of license. Please note your intentions when applying and share your ideas with us.
Naming
Maker Faires are named for a region, community, district, or city. If your preferred naming extends into the surrounding region, please be prepared to provide examples of common usage of that name within the specified geographic area.
Logos & Visual Identity
Maker Faire will deliver a complete logo set to licensed Maker Faire organizers for use during the term of the license and in conjunction with the event. Designed collateral are subject to review and approval based on the provided Maker Faire identity guidelines.
Scope
Maker Faires come in all shapes and sizes — from 100,000 person extravaganzas to intimate, community celebrations. Featured Maker Faires tend to be larger, multi-day events with more makers, more participants, and a higher public profile. Many smaller, community Maker Faires are one-day events, while most, but not all, larger Maker Faires extend through a whole weekend. Some Maker Faires also open their events early (before the public) for special groups like students or educators.
Location/Venue
Your venue is the “frame” of your event. The design and feel of the space influences the experience for Makers and guests. Consider the following when choosing a location: indoor and outdoor space, accessibility, permitting & insurance, and electricity & internet availability, for example.
Registration & Ticketing
Maker Faire events can be free to the public, ticketed or a combination thereof. It is up to the licensed producers and their partners to make this decision. In any given year, about 50 percent of events choose either option. We encourage producers to set up a robust registration system to facilitate communications with participants, grow the event year over year, and manage necessary permissions for participation for in-person, hybrid, or virtual events.
Website
Maker Faire events are represented online with either a custom domain or on the page of the hosting organization/s. A custom domain, hosting, localizable WordPress theme (with a built-in Call for Makers feature/process), and basic support are available for an additional fee upon licensing.
Social Media
Licensed Maker Faire events can represent and market their events with unique social media accounts after the license has been approved. Do not employ the Maker Faire name or trademark in a username, page, or profile on any social media platform (i.e. Facebook, X, Instagram, Mastodon, Flickr) for a proposed event until approval has been granted.
