San Jose, Calif. – July 19, 2022 – SiliCon with Adam Savage, Silicon Valley’s largest Comic Con and Maker Con, has announced an expanded lineup of immersive, hands-on Maker opportunities in its large, dedicated Savage MakerVerse makerspace in the exhibit hall and new, reduced-priced family packages that deliver a weekend of inspiration, engagement and entertainment – all at a great value.

“Fostering a love of learning, making and reaching for the stars is at the heart of our family-friendly SiliCon with Adam Savage Comic Con and Maker Con,” said Adam Savage, Creative Director and SiliCon 2022 co-producer, special effects designer and fabricator, actor, educator, and television personality/producer, including the host of Tested and former co-host of Discovery’s Mythbusters series. “We are bringing together the very best makers in the world to inspire the makers of the future and encourage their inner talent and creativity while giving them the freedom to entertain themselves for hours on end in our large Savage MakerVerse.”

Hands-On Maker Opportunities

With Adam Savage at the helm as Creative Director and a dedicated 4,500 square foot makerspace on the show floor, SiliCon stands out from the rest as the “Maker’s Con.” The Savage MakerVerse will be buzzing with activities for makers of all ages and experience levels! Attendees can work on projects alongside other makers from around the country and get hands-on with new tools and materials at the surrounding booths. Learn from the pros through a series of demos and panels on the Maker Stage.

This year’s SiliCon features a tremendous variety of workshops and instructions for a fun-filled weekend of speed-build challenges, skill-building maker workshops, and cosplay design contests. Most activities are free to join.

The Savage MakerVerse space includes:

• MakerVerse Workstations: The center of the MakerVerse will host a dozen work tables (120-person capacity) and all the supplies needed to build along with the pros or create something totally unique in a shared workshop setting. Visitors will have access to a variety of tools and materials, including plenty of EVA foam, felt, string, paint, glue, cutting tools, and wearable electronics. Free and fun for all ages!
• Maker Stage: Attendees can meet and learn from the pros, including some maker heroes, through a series of project demonstrations and discussion panels on the Maker Stage, such as Blockbuster Effects for Indie Filmmakers; Greeblies, Kit-Bashing, and Dumpster Diving; or step inside an 80s video game and play real-life Punch-Out. All Maker Stage presentations are free and family-friendly!
• Speed Build Challenges: Makers can test their design chops with a build challenge focused on a single material: Day 1 – armature wire, Day 2 – cardboard. Contestants will be provided with a limited kit of tools and materials to make something from scratch while they race the clock and their opponents! Each winner will receive a prize pack from SiliCon sponsors. The challenges are also free and fun for families, teams, or individual makers. Registration is required.
• Cosplay Design Contest: “Create the Improbable” Costume Mashup: Cosplayers can flex those DIY cosplay skills and break out their best puns! Contestants will be provided with a full kit of tools and materials and have two days to design and build a unique – and hilarious – cosplay mashup piece. Those who think outside the box and impress the panel of pro-cosplay judges might just take home one of three spectacular prize packs, awarded on the Maker Stage. Participation is free and geared towards teens and adults. Registration is required.
• Mystery Box Make-off: Attendees can cheer on their favorite makers in this game show-style challenge as they face off and race the clock. Each contestant will receive a mystery box and will be tasked with building a costume piece using only – and all of – the contents. Join us at the Maker Stage for laughs and learning as we watch pro makers hack together something wacky at top speed! Many will enter, only one can win. Free to watch and family-friendly!
• Hands-on Maker Workshops: Makers can try out new tools and techniques in a series of intensive, skill-building workshops hosted by some of the most talented makers in the country. Some of the hands-on opportunities include building Cyberpunk Goggles with pre-cut foam pattern pieces or disguising an inexpensive starter object to make a Cyberpunk Headset. Some may want to take foamsmithing to the next level with a workshop on texturing EVA foam or get messy and perfect their own foam finishing at Sand Camp! Workshops are geared towards teens and adults. Registration and additional materials fees are required.
• Cosplay Construction + Repair Booth: Wardrobe malfunctions and prop upgrade challenges happen. Cosplayers can stop by the Cosplay Construction + Repair booth for costume troubleshooting needs, plus the tools and materials to make those modifications on the fly. Expert staff from official sponsor Blick Art Materials (booth #512) and the pros at SKS Props will be on hand to help. Other pro maker guests will drop in at scheduled times throughout the weekend. Free and family-friendly!
• Maker Museum: SiliCon’s pro maker guests collectively have hundreds of years of industry experience between them – and with credits such as Star Wars, Jurassic Park, the Marvel Universe, Make Magazine, Hackaday, and even the National Air and Space Museum, they have a lot to share! Get a close-up look at some of their favorite personal projects and prototypes on display in the Maker Museum. Free and family-friendly!

To learn more about all of the Maker activities, go to: www.siliconsj.com/makerverse

Family Fun Packs 

SiliCon with Adam Savage is offering its first-ever Family Fun Packs, offering up to a 33 percent discount on ticket prices for a family of four! The Family Fun Packs include free tickets for children ages 6 to 12 and deeply discounted ticket prices for children ages 13 to 18 with the purchase of two regularly priced adult tickets. Pricing for Family Fun Packs for a family of four starts at $100 for a Saturday Family Pass, $80 for a Sunday Family Pass, and $160 for a 2-Day Family Pass. As always, the event is free for children under six.

This fantastic, discounted package is a limited-time offer and is available through Monday, August 8, 2022. Visit www.siliconsj.com for details and to purchase the Family Fun Packs.

The two-day convention, themed “Creating the Improbable,” offers a ton of family-friendly science, technology and pop culture fan extravaganza and comic convention designed to inspire and entertain with science/tech discussions, film and TV screenings, and of course, incredible celebrity guests, including Christopher Lloyd from Back to the Future, George Takei from Star Trek, and Karen Gillan from Guardians of the Galaxy and Doctor Who, Kari Byron and Tory Belleci from MythBusters, Darrell Maloney, aMarvel Prop Maker, Frank Pillar,known for his incredible Iron Man suits, and academy-award nominated Shohreh Aghdashloo, from House of Sand and Fog and The Expanse, who recently joined the lineup.

Discount Accommodations

SiliCon with Adam Savage attendees may purchase a special group rate of $139 US per night at the Marriott San Jose. 
 

Sponsorship and Exhibitor Opportunities

Special thanks to SiliCon with Adam Savage sponsors: Amazon Alexa, Blick Art Materials, Digi-Key, Surebonder, Itemfarm, Print Bed, Raspberry Pi and SKS Props. For information on custom sponsorship and exhibitor packages, contact susan@siliconsj.com. Exhibitor and Artist Alley applications are available online. Panel and workshop submissions remain open for a short time and can be submitted here.