SparkFun Joins DIY Community for Bay Area Event

BOULDER, Colo., July 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- On May 21st and 22nd, SparkFun Electronics traveled to the West Coast for the 2011 Bay Area Maker Faire. Hosted by Make Magazine, Maker Faire is an event that invites DIY artists, tinkerers, electronics enthusiasts, and crafters from across the globe to convene for a weekend of exploration and innovation.

This year marks SparkFun's fourth trip to the Bay Area, where the event continues to grow and evolve. As in years past, SparkFun held workshops where approximately 700 electronics novices and experts created embedded electronics gadgets. In addition to soldering classes, SparkFun offered an e-textiles class based around the LilyPad sewable electronics system. SparkFun collected donations for participation in the workshops, which went to the San Francisco Food Band and the Internet Archive/Way Back Machine.

"One of the biggest highlights of the trip to Maker Faire is holding our workshops," SparkFun Director of Marketing AnnDrea Boe said. "It not only gives us a great opportunity to meet some of our customers, but it allows us to open the door to people who have never played around with electronics before."

The SparkFun booth also featured the unveiling of the SparkFun Vending Machine – a full-size vending machine that doesn't spit out candy bars or soda, but microcontrollers and LEDs. The vending machine is currently in its beta stage, but will be in place at locations across the country in the near future.

Maker Faire once again proved to be an amazing affair filled with inspiration, creativity, and camaraderie. The event provides a perfect opportunity for SparkFun to meet with its customers, share some of its passion for electronics, and keep a finger on the pulse of the DIY community.

About SparkFun Electronics

Founded in 2003, SparkFun Electronics provides parts, knowledge and passion for electronics creation. We help anyone explore electronics and enable individuals to build their own inventions. SparkFun currently offers more than 1,800 products, ranging from simple components like capacitors and resistors to GPS units and Bluetooth modules. The company employs 120 people and is based in Boulder, Colorado.

www.sparkfun.com

Terri Douglas
Catapult PR-IR
O: (303) 581-7760
M: (303) 808-6280
[email protected]

SOURCE SparkFun Electronics