More Awesome > Portfolio Assets in Commercial/Master-Planned Communities in Mesa

Arizona-based real estate investment and development company Harvard Investments has teamed-up with not one but two out-of-state companies with  "New York-Values" - Lincoln Property Company (LPC) and GTIS Partners LP (“GTIS”), an international real estate private equity firm headquartered in New York are planning to make capital gains here in real estate at Waypoint and Cadence at Gateway - the focus of strategies for economic development by the City of Mesa's Economic Development Office.

Ground broken on Mesa Riverview Office Project
25 Jan 2015/ in News

East Valley Tribune

MESA – On Wednesday, Lincoln Property Management broke ground on the Class A office space in Mesa Riverview, which it announced back in June.

The development, now called Waypoint, is located at 1138 Bass Pro Drive and is scheduled to move in its first tenant, the headquarters of American Traffic Solutions, along with some 500-plus jobs, in November.

“Three years ago, Harvard didn’t have any projects in the city of Mesa,” Craig Krumwiede, president and director at Harvard Investments, said. “We wouldn’t be in Mesa without the city’s commitment to responsible development.”

Krumwiede went on to say that the city’s fast tracking of development permissions and other aid allowed the project to meet the deadline necessary to attract ATS to the site.

 

Harvard Investments and LPC creating 425KSF offices

Posted February 24, 2016 by AZRE

With the just-closed, $34.34 million office acquisition of Riverview Point, Harvard Investments and Lincoln Property Company (LPC) will combine new construction with existing buildings to establish a 425,861-square-foot, Class A office campus at the borders of Tempe, Scottsdale and Mesa, Arizona.
The new development, branded collectively as Waypoint, will combine Harvard and LPC’s recently delivered Waypoint One Class A office building. Ground will be broken soon for Waypoint Two Class A office building and the existing, two-building Riverview Point portfolio.
The result is a four-building business campus situated on 34.53 acres along the Loop 202 and adjacent to Mesa Riverview, a 1.3 million-square-foot retail, hospitality and entertainment complex.
“With this activity, we’re establishing an almost half-million-square-foot office destination within one of the Valley’s brightest business corridors,” said Craig Krumwiede, president of Harvard Investments. “It is a tremendous opportunity to create a very strong new portfolio asset in the market.”
Developed in 2008, Riverview Point consists of two, two-story office buildings totaling 164,861 square-feet at 1138 and 1146 N. Alma School Rd. in Mesa. The project is 98 percent leased to tenants including Ashton Woods, Mitel Corporation, Udall Shumway PLC and the corporate headquarters for Nextcare.
In March, Harvard and LPC will break ground on Waypoint Two, a 152,000-square-foot Class A office building adjacent to Waypoint One at 1130 N. Alma School Rd. in Mesa. Waypoint Two is designed to accommodate single- and multiple-occupancy users. Like Waypoint One, it will provide a “high-tech” aesthetic with clean lines, timeless materials, simple detailing, bright and open lobbies and workspaces and abundant parking.

http://azbigmedia.com/azre-magazine/new-market/office-new-market/harvard-investments-and-lpc-creating-425ksf-offices

 

Harvard Investments and GTIS Partners Announce New Cadence at Gateway Residential Community in Southeast Mesa

December 08, 2015 06:03 PM EST

A new master-planned residential community in Mesa’s expanding Gateway corridor.

Harvard expects to break ground in January 2016.

We are excited to be part of a unique master-planned community that will bring housing, retail space and job growth to the city of Mesa,” said Robert Vahradian, Senior Managing Director of GTIS Partners. “Our partner and exceptional design team has integrated the homes, landscaping and amenities together in a way that fosters a true sense of community in the neighborhood.”

Development Timeline Harvard Investments anticipates having homes available in 2017 as part of phase one of Cadence at Gateway. Phase one plans include approximately 600 homes built by nationally-respected builders, in intimate residential neighborhoods, with abundant parks and a trail system, and resident amenities that include a fitness center, pools, sport courts, community center, café and more.
In future phases, Cadence at Gateway’s master plan includes a centrally located school site, additional community parks nestled among individualized homes, trails, and a main street commercial experience at the community’s main entrance.
Design and Land Plan
Built on New American Traditional Design principles, Cadence at Gateway will foster neighborhood connectivity with short residential blocks (average 10 homes on either side), separated sidewalks with abundant greenery, roundabouts, and distinct parks and landmarks for each neighborhood within the community. A richly landscaped entrance will, over time, include a business district with shopping, services and recreation reflective of a traditional main street.
Additionally, Cadence at Gateway homes will emphasize indoor/outdoor living, usability, durability, modern conveniences and distinct floor plans for every type of homeowner – from those just starting out, to couples celebrating an empty nest and every type of family in between.

Accessibility
Located near the Loop 202 Santan Freeway, at State Route 24 between Ray and Ellsworth roads, Cadence at Gateway is situated in the center of the East Valley’s growing Gateway corridor. The new community will provide residents access to high tech employers, a multitude of education options and the thriving Phoenix Mesa Gateway Airport.
To learn more about Cadence at Gateway visit http://cadenceaz.com.

Contacts

The Ferraro Group Phoenix (for Harvard Investments)
Heather Austin, 602-738-9252

Just In Time For Super Tuesday > FacTank = News In The Numbers



How religious is your state?
[and for that matter, how religious is the City of Mesa??]
Feb 29, 2016 9:25 am

By Michael Lipka and Benjamin Wormald

" Mormons are the most heavily Republican-leaning religious group in the U.S., . . . Seven-in-ten U.S. Mormons identify with the Republican Party or say they lean toward the GOP, compared with 19% who identify as or lean Democratic – a difference of 51 percentage points. That’s the biggest gap in favor of the GOP out of 30 religious groups we analyzed, which include Protestant denominations, other religious groups and three categories of people who are religiously unaffiliated . . . "

Anybody Know? Is This The Winning Entry?

WE ARE THRILLED | Quick Jab on Twitter > Mesa Office of Economic Development

Those words arrived on Twitter  16/02/2016 04:49
Mesa Economic Dev @MesaEconDev

We are thrilled to make @GlobalTradeMag's list of "#America's Leading EDCs," alongside @GPEC! #EconDev #NextMesa http://www. globaltrademag.com aily/commentary/americas-leading-edcs   …
Hashtags : #NextMesa, #EconDev, #America

Somebody got up early in the City of Mesa Office of Economic Development to do that post back on 16 Feb

Source >> http://www.topsy.fr/hashtag.php?q=%23nextMesaall

 

Why all that exuberant excitement in City Hall from the self-described "professional economic developers with expertise in site selection, marketing, sales, research, strategic planning, customer service, technical support, finance, and more" all about?

An announcement from days before that appeared in Global Trade Magazine

Message from Interim Valley Metro CEO: Riding Transit

Just retrieved this from email inbox on 26 Feb 2016 - days three days ago. Guess yours truly might have been "behind schedule" but no more so than others. It's 01 March now with everything going Fast Fwd.

Message from the Interim CEO – Riding Transit

I have long been a supporter of light rail as an engine to spur economic development and revitalization, but even more importantly it moves people, myself included. Taking public transit from Mesa to downtown Phoenix eases my commute. It is stress free, allows me time to prepare for the day ahead and observe our daily operations. I'm especially looking forward to March 19, when we'll be able to ride light rail an additional three-miles to 19th Avenue and Dunlap. 

Valley Metro has done so many good things for the Valley and connecting light rail to new communities is just the beginning. The Valley Metro RPTA Board of Directors approved a plan that will make significant improvements to paratransit services in the Valley. It will eliminate Dial-A-Ride transfers, making connections seamless for riders. 

I look forward to using my experience as a private sector chief executive officer, accountant, attorney and mayor to strengthen Valley Metro and continue the good work already accomplished. Many more good things from Valley Metro are just down the road. –Scott Smith, Interim CEO

Blogger's note:

"down the road" looks like this

Here's a map of proposed Valley Metro corridor east of the Central Mesa Light Rail Extension proceeding past Mesa Drive to Gilbert Road

How Awesome Are "Master-Planned Community" Real Estate Investments In Suburban Mesa?

How does DMB's newest Arizona master-planned community continue to grow and sell itself just a few years after getting approvals and starting construction for new housing in a large tract of open land formerly the General Motors Proving Grounds [.   acres] It's proving to be fertile ground for real estate developers - an investment that's paying off. Approvals from Mesa City Council came so fast there was no time for shock.

The vision for Eastmark as a major economic core for Phoenix’s East Valley is already coming to fruition.  Apple’s Arizona Global Operations Center resides at Eastmark and DMB’s Operations team is working to bring more high-quality jobs to the area. Buyers appreciate living in the heart of the region’s transportation system with direct connection to employment, schools and parks,
Eastmark saw strong traffic and sales in its neighborhoods last year - 550 with an average of fifty per month.
In response to the rapid sales pace, Eastmark launched its next phase.Residents enjoy a rich community life that will continue to expand in 2016:

• Resort style pool for residents coming in 2016
• Recreation center for residents opening in 2016
• The Eastmark Great Park including Event Pavilion, Splash Pad and The Orange Monster – growing each year
• More than 25 neighborhood parks
• 100+ community and resident programs throughout the year

Two world-class elementary schools in the heart of Eastmark educate more than 1,000 students today. 
BASIS, one of the leading charter schools in the nation, operates their only Mesa campus at Eastmark 
Sequoia Pathfinder Elementary focuses on STEM education for their students. 
A new A-rated public school opened this year to serve the community and it is just a short walk from Eastmark neighborhoods.
Today, Eastmark’s 10 national and local homebuilders are offering more than 80 different home floorplans in 23 neighborhoods.  This includes the Encore community, which offers buyers 55+ a unique neighborhood with exclusive amenities within the master-planned community.
Here's a video produced by Eastmark that show you

 February 25, 2016What's NewEastmark

The Community Life Team and alumni of Eastmark Leadership Class 1 welcomed 20 residents to Class 2 on Feb. 18. Eastmark Leadership is an initiative launched in 2015  to provide residents a valuable opportunity to engage with one another and their community in an enriching way. The goal of the 10-month program is to establish a strong foundation and tradition,
The core program focuses on personal leadership development; gaining a deeper understanding of the Eastmark vision and community plan; learning about economic development strategies in the East Valley; and exploring other current issues that impact Eastmark, the region, and the state. Additional special activities offer opportunities to experience points of pride in our community and be introduced to leaders in a variety of public, non-profit, education, and business arenas.

Awesome enough for sure - Find out at Eastmark’s AwesomeFest 2016 on April 9.
If you missed it last year, Eastmark’s inaugural AwesomeFest welcomed 6,000 people for a free gathering where artists from around the country delighted audiences for one spectacular night.
For one night only, Eastmark’s Great Park will be transformed into Eastmark AwesomeFest featuring a feast for the senses with roaming entertainers, interactive arts and fun, music, technology and food for guests of all ages.
If you missed it last year, you DON'T want to be left out this year!

Watch video! http://www.eastmarkawesomefest.com/

RSVP now and enter to win custom Eastmark cruiser bike! http://www.eastmarkawesomefest.com/

#Eastmarkawesomefest







http://www.swabackpartners.com/projects/community-planning/eastmark-dmb-mesa-proving-gounds.html

The TED Institute > So change your perspective. Invest in the change you want to see in the world

Published on Jan 12, 2016

Can global capital markets become catalysts for social change? According to investment expert Audrey Choi, individuals own almost half of all global capital, giving them (us!) the power to make a difference by investing in companies that champion social values and sustainability. "We have more opportunity today than ever before to make choices," she says. "So change your perspective. Invest in the change you want to see in the world."

What's Next Mesa? The Way Forward + How

Two different visions from two different guys:

- John Giles, after one year in office, former personal injury-law attorney, admittedly "learning-on-the-job" and needing new ideas
- Michael Rubinger, retiring after 17 years as CEO of Local Initiatives for Sustainable Communities

Maybe it's time to get the two together - at least in virtual reality or on the page of this post.

Data-Driven? Follow The Money // Fertile Ground For Investment > Hey! Get A Clue: Real Estate

Ever wonder what's pushing property and real estate investments here in Mesa?

Hotels, offices, retail, and apartments? Where does all that BIG MONEY go?
Why isn't it happening more to move investments downtown? [yet] . More "master-planned communities" and retail in the suburbs, sure. Cashing-In and Cashing-Out, sure. Buy-and-sell, again sure. Re-invest and expand business corridors, sure. Retail, hospitality and entertainment . . . How do we get there?

State Farm Shares The Wealth > Financial Opportunity Centers

2.25.2016 - Press Releases

Building economic opportunity in struggling communities
State Farm® provides support to LISC with new $4 million grant
BLOOMINGTON, Ill., February 25, 2016 —  State Farm and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) have announced an expanded effort to build economic opportunity in struggling communities through programs that encourage business development among entrepreneurs and skills development among low-income workers.
A new, two-year $4 million State Farm grant will expand LISC Financial Opportunity Centers (FOCs) in under-resourced neighborhoods—helping people improve their incomes, credit scores and savings through education and long-term financial coaching.
At the same time, these efforts will help lift up commercial areas and provide safer and more vibrant places for business owners to set up shop, create jobs and grow local incomes.



Michael Rubinger LISC President/CEO

Take Me Out To The Ball Game > Sloan Park Hits The Headlines

So-called "beat reporters" arrived here in Mesa days ahead of The Cubs Spring Training, writing about everything from a smashed windshield hit by a fly-ball homerun hit out of the ballpark to foul balls lobbed by Donald Trump against the "secret money" thrown into the game of politics by secret super PACs funded by the family members of the Cubs owner - Play Ball!
That's $PORTS + $HOW BU$INE$$

 I may not be a fan of baseball, but I sure hope that the Cubs can break their 100+ year old curse someday
Here's a video that's been viewed by over 1,295,360 people that will show you how the national anthem of baseball happened way-back-when

https://youtu.be/q4-gsdLSSQ0

Democracy-In-Action: Iraqi Citizens Stage Anti-Corruption Rally in Bagdad

Over 100,000 turned out on the streets today following a previous call to end government corruption on August 28, 2015 - Iraqis are united against governments installed by the intervention of U.S. after the invasion of 2003.
People have held yet another rally in Iraq’s capital Baghdad against what they call government corruption.

Protesters demanded the dissolution of parliament. Anti-corruption protests have been ongoing in Baghdad and several more Iraqi cities over the past few weeks. The rallies have continued despite measures by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to fight corruption. He has announced a package of reforms, dismissed some officials, canceled unnecessary government positions and reduced expenses. Iraq’s top Shia cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani says the government must seek genuine changes to reduce public anger. He also warned Iraqi protesters about groups that may seek to hijack their movement.

Readers can view that here >> https://youtu.be/bJtrpWndFR0

Sign Up for 2016 Global City Teams Challenge Tech Jam | Department of Commerce

The National Institute of Standards and Technology will be holding a “tech jam” for their Global City Teams Challenge on March 22-23, 2016 at their Gaithersburg, Maryland campus. The two day tech jam brings together cities and innovators pursuing smart city technologies that provide measurable benefits to residents in areas ranging from community resilience to sustainable energy management to mass transit improvement.

The goal of the 2016 Global City Teams Challenge is to help communities and businesses connect to improve resource management and quality of life by using effective networking of computer systems and physical devices, often called the Internet of Things (IoT) or cyber-physical systems. The 2016 Global City Teams Challenge aims to demonstrate measurable benefits to the cities and communities through smart city solutions that can be replicated and deployed in as many cities as possible.

 

Those interested in attending the tech jam can find more information here

http://www.nist.gov/cps/gctc-tech-jam-and-iot-enabled-smart-city-framework-workshop.cfm


Sign Up for 2016 Global City Teams Challenge Tech Jam | Department of Commerce

Forward Guidance > Data Dependency = The Fed's New Communications Mantra

 



The Fed is still the dominant influence on global monetary policy, but it now finds itself operating in a more multi-polar world.

U.S. Federal Reserve Governor Jerome H. Powell @ The 2016 U.S. Monetary Policy Forum

New York, New York

February 26, 2016

Discussion Of The Paper

"Language After Liftoff: Fed Communication Away From The Zero Lower Bound"

This paper reviews Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) communications from the time the Committee began issuing regular postmeeting statements in 1999 to the present.
The authors provide an extended and insightful discussion of the theory and practice of providing forward guidance about monetary policy. They offer one central lesson: Data-based forward guidance is mostly good, while time-based forward guidance is mostly bad.
The authors show that data-based guidance has desirable characteristics and can make monetary policy more effective . . . [image to the upper left from this paper]
The pressure is on to improve Fed communications given what the paper called the "current political environment in which the Federal Reserve is continually under attack."
Link http://www.mondovisione.com/media-and-resources/news/us-federal-reserve-governor-jerome-h-powell-at-the-2016-us-monetary-policy-f/

The authors were JPMorgan's Michael Feroli, Morgan Stanley's David Greenlaw, Deutsche Bank's Peter Hooper, Frederic Mishkin of Columbia University and Amir Sufi of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, which hosted the conference attended by Fed governors Lael Brainard, Jerome Powell and others from the central bank.

Another economic slump, another communications test for Fed

NEW YORK | By Jonathan Spicer

Markets |

Fri Feb 26, 2016 10:27am EST

In this report from Reuters today a group of economists have this to say:

Time-based forward guidance should only be used in extremely unusual circumstances," five Wall Street and university economists concluded in the high-profile paper. "We believe that the current situation does not justify (it) . . .

The recommendations come as the U.S. economic recovery faces another threat from overseas.

 

The Federal Reserve, facing the delicate task of explaining how it will forge ahead with rate hikes in a stormy world economy, should avoid slipping back into the trap of tying its actions to calendar dates, top U.S. economists warned in a paper on Friday.

The research paper, presented to a roomful of Fed policymakers in New York, criticized their over-reliance on time frames in recent years when explaining what would trigger a policy tightening. Now that interest rates are up a notch, the economists argued the Fed should stress that further moves are based on very hard-to-predict economic data, and policymakers should be more unassuming in speeches and published forecasts.
Yet remnants of time-based forward guidance are still found in Fed statements, speeches and, most explicitly, in charts published every three months showing individual policymakers' expected path of rate hikes over the next few years.

"What's worrying me is that ... it looks like a commitment, it looks like a freight train," St. Louis Fed President James Bullard said on Wednesday of the so-called "dots" charts. He wants to revamp them to highlight uncertainty in the forecasts.
The charts published in December suggested the Fed would hike rates four more times in 2016.

Organization of the Federal Reserve

The 12 regional
 

Trump Tingles Another Political Nerve > Hitting A Hard Ball To The Owners of The Chicago Cubs

Donald Trump, despite disclaimers, is no rookie when it comes to playing politics - he's a hard-hitter > knockin' out a fly ball about "secret spending"
The game-on is on in real time Twitter: Two Titans Go at it BIG TIME
I hear the Rickets family, who own the Chicago Cubs, are secretly spending $'s against me. They better be careful, they have a lot to hide!
No boundaries and no fear

Gateway Aviation Day 2016 - Presented by Eastmark

Readers of this blog might also be interested in taking a look at an article by East Valley Tribune reporter Shelley Ridenour published on Mon 22 Feb 2016:
Planes, trains and automobiles all part of Falcon Field open house
About 10,000 people are expected to attend the upcoming open house at Falcon Field Airport.
War birds are among the many types of aircraft which will be displayed 
The City of Mesa plans the event from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 26. Most activities take place in Falcon Field Park and on the aircraft ramp, airport spokeswoman Dee Anne Thomas said. The park is at 4636 E. Fighter Aces Drive.
There’s no admission charge, but people are asked to bring non-perishable food to donate to the United Food Bank.
It’ll be a busy day, Thomas said, with all sorts of things on tap.
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/local/mesa/article_69a716e0-d5c7-11e5-a6ea-d342a8c9fa3f.html                                                                                                                                     
 

Re/Creative Place Making Event Here in April in The New Urban DTMesa

Creative Placemaking Event:

Arts Economy and Artists as Entrepreneurs

4:00 PM to 6:00 pm  Wed/06 April 2016

Location: 

Mesa Arts Center

One East Main Street

Mesa  Arizona  85201

United States

Artists and Creative Place Making play an important role in the revitalization of a community.

New investments into an area can positively impact the standard of living of all residents.

Hear how supporting artists through cross sector approaches such as housing, asset building and comprehensive community development work toward a regenerating community.

Guest speakers include representatives from 

• Kresge Foundation
• Artspace
• LISC National
• Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.

To register >> go to this link >>

 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/arts-economy-and-artists-as-entrepreneurs-registration-21022877994

This event is sponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, Mesa Arts Center and LISC Phoenix. There is no cost to attend, but advanced registration is required. To learn more about the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco’s community development work in Arizona, contact Joselyn Cousins or visit frbsf.org/community-development/.

Event Contact
Joselyn Cousins, Regional Manager
Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco
415 974-3281

Have questions about Arts Economy and Artists as Entrepreneurs?

Contact Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco                

                                                      

 

"Creative placemaking?

What is it that you do?"

July 23, 2015

By: Jamie Bennett, Executive Director

. . . it was just five years ago that Ann Markusen and Anne Gadwa (Nicodemus) wrote Creative Placemaking, the white paper that first brought the phrase to American communities via The Mayors’ Institute on City Design.

Shortly thereafter, inspired by both that publication and the National Endowment for the Arts’ subsequent Our Town grantmaking, ArtPlace America was born as a coalition of foundations, federal agencies, and banks came together, united in the belief that artists and arts organizations could literally shape the social, physical, and economic characters of their communities.
Add the image to the right for all the sectors that impact Creative Place Making: civic/social/faith, commercial, government, nonprofits + philanthropies.
All five can intersect with the categories in the left-hand first column - take a look.

The foundation presidents selected Carol Coletta as ArtPlace’s founding director, and Carol set off to talk with anyone who would listen about how the arts could improve the quality of a place through social offerings and aesthetics that positively impacted that place’s people, activities, and values.
Over three years, Carol took this brand new phrase and made it a real enough thing that The Kresge Foundation embraced creative placemaking as a framework for its grantmaking, as did Connecticut’s Department of Economic and Community Development. Universities created classes  on the subject, and ArtPlace received some 4,000 applications for creative placemaking projects proposed by communities of all sizes across the United States.
When Carol got the opportunity to lead community and national initiatives for the Knight Foundation, ArtPlace’s leadership had  a chance to look back over its three years of grantmaking to see what themes and issues were emerging and how the practice was evolving.

They went through a strategic planning process that ultimately reframed ArtPlace as a ten-year fund, dedicated to repositioning art and culture as a core sector of community planning and development by investing in, researching, and connecting those who lead and execute creative placemaking projects.

 

http://www.artplaceamerica.org/blog/creative-placemaking-what-it-you-do

 

Official Notice Re: SouthWest Maker Fest 2016

First, a disclaimer from your MesaZona blogger who is not de-facto "anti-establishment".
Inbound marketing and social media are now creating competition [and that's a good thing] to official established channels with claims that the positive energies and results are performed "under their auspices" when it's THE BIG WE active in all-around multi-media networks creating interest by getting a buzz on in different circles. 
In the interest of fair play and in good faith, here we go again!    
Official Notice from City of Mesa Arts & Culture "Director" with a deadline sent via email 18 hours ago
Southwest Maker Fest Coming March 12th - Exhibit Deadline February 27^{th [too much fun with tremendous energy?]}

Some people might like better to go to their Facebook page to see and get in tune with energies of this group [link below after excerpts from official notice]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—For exhibitors looking to join the regional maker community as part of the third annual Southwest Maker Fest (SWMF) on March 12^th in downtown Mesa, the deadline to apply is fast approaching.  Applications for exhibiting or sharing a program at the third annual Southwest Maker Fest are due by February 27^th. Interested makers of all kinds—from inventors to artists, from DIY experts to engineers to designers—can fill out the easy and free application at SouthwestMakerFest.com.
. . . The all-volunteer organization has engendered tremendous energy and excitement about building an inclusive and highly creative event in the Valley of the Sun. Last year’s event welcomed 5,000 visitors, up about 10% from Year One. While last year’s SWMF also enjoyed tremendous growth in the number of exhibitors, the emphasis in Year Three has been on the quality of experiences. To achieve this, festival organizers are seeking to focus the heart of the festival on engaging activities, and are actively recruiting exhibitors who can offer demonstrations and hands-on learning, and presenters willing to share exciting stories, artistry, inventions or extraordinary journeys. There will still be areas of the festival for makers who simply want to share and sell their creations (for a small fee), but the central areas, stage and workshop locations will all be dedicated to offering a diversity of active learning experiences, with no cost for exhibitors meeting that criterion. , ,

The “maker” movement is booming in the U.S., with very large events held annually in New York, the Bay Area, and numerous other major metropolitan areas. Southwest Maker Fest celebrates makers, innovation and creativity, and builds upon the growing Do-It-Yourself movement and a thirst for active experiences. Organizers hope SWMF will ultimately become a major regional event that builds on our state’s strength as a fertile location for new ideas and entrepreneurial spirit.

 . . . the press release ends with these statements: The event is being held under the auspices of Ultimate Imagination Inc., the 501(c)3 non-profit arm of the Downtown Mesa Association.  Event sponsors include Intel, Microchip, University of Advancing Technology, i.d.e.a. Museum, Mesa Arts Center and Downtown Mesa Association.

 

https://www.facebook.com/southwestmakerfest/photos/a.653949291322758.1073741828.653945084656512/1039994432718240/?type=3