Malissa asked for NOMCON funding to be added to tomorrow’s board agenda.
I wanted to gauge some interest first… who in interesting in going to NOMCON?
What: Nation of Makers Conference, https://www.chattanoogafun.com/nomcon/
When: June 15th - 16th
Where: Chattanooga, TN
Cost: Conference registration is $250, @Malissa do we get any free passes like we did last year?
I think it’s good for us to be represented at this event, but we didn’t budget for it. That was an oversight on our part that we’d definitely want to change next year. I’d support budgeting something anyway, or going over on the board budget.
Who is interested in going? What if MakeICT helps with the ticket?
So far no, they’ve delayed and reopened the bid process for 2021 the conference hit a snag in Chattanooga. LGBTQ rights are a major factor in sponsorship and attendance. Tennessee is on California’s travel ban, as is Kansas. I’ve made Visit Wichita aware. From how it sounded last night they are expecting 25-33% drop in attendance or about 100 people. You can read the call notes here. They also have some great opportunities to collaborate, also in the notes. I plan to have a summary for the board meeting.
The theme for the NOMCON 2019 is The Power of the Network - celebrating our diverse community of makers that represent a multitude of backgrounds, geographies, and perspectives, and our connections to one another. Networks uncover opportunities that lie beyond what any one organization can achieve, and we’re eager to explore those opportunities in this year’s NOMCON. Individually, each organization with the Nation of Makers represents a key piece of the maker ecosystem, but our strength as the Nation of Makers is in the collective.
As a maker community, we enjoy a rich connection of talent, backgrounds, ideas, and skills that are not often recognized beyond the boundaries of our maker space. We recognize that, in addition to elevating examples of successful networks, and telling untold histories, there is a need for us as a community to be self-reflective, to document and share best practices, resources, and support each other in deliberately becoming stronger together. For all of these reasons, we are committed for this gathering to add meaningfully to the maker movement conversation nationally.