Barnes & Noble Partners with Make: to Launch Second Annual Mini Maker Faire® at Stores Nationwide, November 5-6
Renewed Partnership Builds on the Huge Success of Last Year’s
Inaugural Mini Maker Faire and Reinforces Both Companies Ongoing
Commitment to Advancing Tech Literacy
Authentic Event Lineup at the Second Mini Maker Faire to Showcase
Local and National Makers, Demo Key Tech Products and Engage
Customers in Fun Making Activities
NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE:BKS), the nation’s largest retail
bookseller and a leading retailer of content, digital media and
educational products, today announced that it has once again partnered
with Make: to host its second annual Mini Maker Faire at stores
nationwide, the weekend of November 5-6. Barnes & Noble first renewed
its retail partnership with Make:, publisher of Make: magazine
and producer of Maker Faire, back in 2015 to build on the huge success
of last year’s inaugural retail Mini Maker Faire and continue Mini Maker
Faire events in 2016. The renewed retail partnership reinforces both
companies ongoing commitment to advancing tech literacy and bringing
awareness to the Maker Movement, with special events, educational
learning experiences and promotions throughout the year, all culminating
in the second annual retail Mini Maker Faire in November.
One such collaboration is Barnes & Noble’s presenting sponsor role in
several flagship Maker Faires this year, including the Maker Faire Bay
Area in San Mateo, CA, and the National Maker Faire in Washington, DC,
in the spring, where Barnes & Noble launched pop-up shops to showcase
its vast merchandise collection. Barnes & Noble will be doing the same
at World Maker Faire in Queens, NY, the weekend of October 1-2.
The overall partnership between Make: and Barnes & Noble promises to
continue to provide an educational platform for teachers, Makers, doers,
creators, inventors, and innovators across the country through World
Maker Faire in October, the Barnes & Noble Mini Maker Faire in November,
and beyond.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to launch our second annual Mini Maker
Faire in partnership with Make:, and to react to our customers’
enthusiastic response to the “Call to Make” by giving them more of the
authentic Maker Faire experience they enjoyed last year at our inaugural
Mini Maker Faire,” said Kathleen Campisano, Vice President of Toys &
Games at Barnes & Noble. “Last year, in partnership with Makers,
Classrooms and Communities across the country, we worked hard to
successfully break down the intimidation barrier when it comes to
technology, innovation and creating and this year we plan to take it to
a whole new level of engagement as we reinforce our commitment to
promoting tech literacy.”
“We are excited to partner with Barnes & Noble as it launches its second
annual Mini Maker Faire. This is an excellent way to introduce more
communities across the country to the Maker Movement as they meet local
and national Makers, participate in key product demonstrations, and
enjoy fun Making activities,” said Sherry Huss, co-founder of Maker
Faire and Vice President of Maker Media. “We’re pleased that we can
introduce Barnes & Noble customers to Make: products that have been
carefully selected for this event. Books like Make: Tech DIY and Edible
Inventions, Make: magazine, and Make:‘s special
Halloween edition, project kits, and custom do-it-yourself project books
about exploring things like electricity and discovering woodworking.
Barnes & Noble is a premier partner and we look forward to continuing to
work on achieving our common goal of introducing, educating, and
engaging others as to what the Maker Movement is all about.”
Barnes & Noble’s second Mini Maker Faire will once again deliver the
authentic, credible experiences that Maker Faire attendees have
historically come to expect. The fantastic event lineup will give
customers the opportunity to “Meet the Makers” by showcasing local and
national Makers, participate in interactive product demonstrations and
take part in collaborative hands-on experiences designed to stretch
their imaginations and creative thinking as they work cooperatively to
make something original:
Make Workspace
At all Barnes & Noble stores nationwide during the Mini Maker Faire,
there will be a “Make” Workspace, which is a tech-educational expo
space, where customers of all ages will be able to participate in
content-driven sessions where booksellers and Makers will demo some of
the leading products in modern technology. Customers will be able to
experience the latest in virtual reality, augmented reality, 3D
printing, pen-invent technology, robotics, coding, programming, and more.
Make & Collaborate, then SHARE!
At the Mini Maker Faire, Barnes & Noble customers of all ages will also
have the opportunity to get hands-on experiences around the art of
designing, handcrafting and constructing, in the spirit of
collaboration, cooperative learning and teamwork. “Making Materials”
featured in this portion of the event will include products from some of
the leading vendors in science and technology such as littleBits, LEGO®,
Magformers, Squigz, Strawbees and Brackitz.
Meet the Makers
Throughout the Mini Maker Faire, Makers, educators and authors dedicated
to changing the way people learn, ideate, design, create, build and
embrace the future will visit stores nationwide to speak about the Maker
Movement, present their creations and more. Customers should contact
their local store to find out what special guests are participating
during the Mini Maker Faire.
Customers can also look forward to an expanded online presence at www.bn.com/makerfaire
this year, which serves as a comprehensive “site within a site,” where
Making, Learning and Doing can happen year-round. The site will feature
rich and relevant articles, video content and Maker projects that will
rotate regularly.
More details on Barnes & Noble’s second annual Mini Maker Faire will be
announced in the upcoming weeks. Customers should stay tuned and visit
their local Barnes & Noble store or go online at www.bn.com/makerfaire
for more information.
About Barnes & Noble, Inc.
Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS) is a Fortune 500 company, the nation’s
largest retail bookseller, and a leading retailer of content, digital
media and educational products. The Company operates 638 Barnes & Noble
bookstores in 50 states, and one of the Web’s premier e-commerce sites, BN.com
(www.bn.com).
The Nook Digital business offers a lineup of popular NOOK®
tablets and eReaders and an expansive collection of digital reading and
entertainment content through the NOOK Store®. The NOOK Store
features more than 4 million digital books in the US (www.nook.com),
plus periodicals and comics, and offers the ability to enjoy content
across a wide array of popular devices through Free NOOK Reading Apps™
available for Android™, iOS® and Windows®.
General information on Barnes & Noble, Inc. can be obtained by visiting
the Company’s corporate website at www.barnesandnobleinc.com.
Barnes & Noble®, Barnes & Noble Booksellers®
and Barnes & Noble.com®
are trademarks of Barnes & Noble, Inc. or its affiliates. NOOK®
and the NOOK logos are trademarks of Nook Digital, LLC or its affiliates.
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Contacts
Barnes & Noble, Inc.
Mary Ellen Keating, 212-633-3323
Senior
Vice President
Corporate Communications
mkeating@bn.com
or
Barnes
& Noble, Inc.
Alan McNamara, 212-633-3379
Senior Director
Corporate
Communications
amcnamara@bn.com
