Whenever people mention Shenzhen, names like “Silicon Valley of Hardware”, “Tech City” “Innovation Hub” are one of the first things that will come to mind. While dreams may be born in San Francisco, many are realized in this wonderful city of tech, where you can build almost anything you can imagine from scratch.
Hence, for all aspiring makers, developers, entrepreneurs, investors and VCs out there, you may be wondering: when is the best time to come to this tech city? Look no further than November, where you get to make the most of your trip here by immersing yourself in not just 1 or 2, but 3 major global innovation events in Shenzhen!
1. Maker Faire Shenzhen 2019
Date: 9 – 10 November 2019
Venue: Vanke Design Commune, Nanshan, Shenzhen 深圳市南山区万科云设计公社
Maker Faire is an internationally recognized maker festival first started by Maker Media in 2006 to celebrate the maker movement, with more than 200 Maker Faires being organised in over 48 countries worldwide today. As the most influential festival in the maker community, it is a family-friendly festival which bridges the “makers” and the public, allowing them to showcase their splendid works and creative exhibits to the world.
The world’s greatest Show & Tell event was brought to China by Chaihuo Maker Space, who organized the first Shenzhen Mini Maker Faire in 2012. Upgraded as a Featured Maker Faire in 2014, Maker Faire Shenzhen has become the most influential maker event in China, attracting thousands of Makers from over 47 countries to participate, showcase their projects and share insightful ideas and experience.
A family-friendly showcase of invention and creativity, there are a wide range of exhibits, performances, workshops and talks that caters to people of all ages and interests; from a tech enthusiasts and educators to artists and students. This year, Maker Faire Shenzhen’s theme is: “To the Heart of Community, to the Cluster of Industry”, which is dedicated to celebrating the greatest Show&Tell in Shenzhen. Do attend Maker Faire Shenzhen 2019 for a glimpse into the future of our world!
For all those interested Makers out there, the call for makers is still open till September 9, so do apply for a spot at Maker Faire Shenzhen here and share your awesome project during Maker Faire. Setting up a booth is completely free for individual exhibitors and small teams, and the whole event is open to the general public with no admission fee!
2. TechCrunch Shenzhen 2019
Date: 9 – 12 November 2019
Venue: Shenzhen Software Industrial Base, Shenzhenwan Chuanye Plaza 深圳市软件产业基地，深圳湾创业广场
TechCrunch is one of the most anticipated tech conferences around the globe, a four-day long event in Shenzhen featuring various innovation events such as hackathons, startup competitions, VC meetups and Startup Alley, where hundreds of early stage startups will demo their products and services in a large-scale exhibition. First held in 2013, it has attracted thousands of people, with engaging talks by investors, entrepreneurs and founders from top companies like Google, DJI, Alibaba etc. TechCrunch Shenzhen will be held by TechNode, TechCrunch’s partner in China.
Startup Alley brings together entrepreneurial companies from Mainland China, Korea, Singapore, America, Israel, Hong Kong, Taiwan and other countries and regions to conduct international exchanges with each other. With TechCrunch’s influence and name in the tech industry, many new start-ups also consider TechCrunch not just as an innovation event in Shenzhen, but also a forefront for promoting their latest innovations and products.
This year is also the FIRST EVER TC Hardware Battlefield held in China, a premier hardware startup competition pioneered by TechCrunch in 2015. From 11-12 November, around 15 selected companies will pitch to top VCs, founders and technologists from around the globe, with the top company standing a chance to be the Hardware Battlefield winner and bring home a $25,000 cheque along with worldwide acclaim and membership in the Startup Battlefield elite.
3. Unleash Innovation Lab 2019
Date: 6 – 13 November 2019
Venue: various
UNLEASH is a global innovation lab bringing together more than 1,000 people to create disruptive solutions to the SDGs set by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015. Selected talents will meet at the Opening Ceremony, a grand event where speakers from around the world will introduce the SDGs, then split into teams based on their SDG focus and co-create a solution with their teammates.
Teams will go through an innovation process designed by UNLEASH: Problem framing — ideation — prototyping — testing — implementing. At the end of the 5 days, talents will pitch their ideas to their peers and a jury consisting of mentors, experts and investors. The best solutions will be selected and teams will get to showcase their final product at the Closing Ceremony, featuring key notes by VIPs from all around the world.
The themes for this year’s lab are: Good Health & Well-Being, Quality Education, Clean Water & Sanitation, Affordable & Clean Energy, Industry & Infrastructure, Sustainable Cities & Communities, Responsible Consumption & Production, and Climate Action.
In summary, these are just 3 of the biggest innovation events in Shenzhen that we think you definitely shouldn’t miss, but do remember to keep a look out for other small meetups as well. Also, don’t forget to enjoy your stay in Shenzhen and explore this wonderful city!
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