MEDIA ALERT

Maker Walk LA to Give a Behind-the-Scenes Look at Arts District Businesses

What: Maker Walk is a self-guided afternoon behind-the-scenes of the maker and manufacturing businesses of the Arts District. Between 1-4pm, guests will get maps and wristbands that will give them access to workshops, factory tours and demos hosted by local businesses. Stops will include a workshop about manufacturing leather goods at La La Land Production, tours and tastings at a local distillery and a brewery and a coffee roaster, a special look at Oblong Technologies’ development facility, and educational programming at the Advanced Prototyping Center at LACI. Guests can register for the free tours here: tickets.makerwalkla.com

Maker Walk LA concludes with an evening V.I.P. celebration from 4-7pm at local manufacturer COMUNITY, co-hosted in part by the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office. The party will feature local food, beer tastings from Angel City Brewery, signature craft cocktails by Greenbar Distillery and Califia Farms, and maker mini-workshops with local friends of MAKE IT IN LA. Other sponsors of Maker Walk LA include SmartyPants Vitamins, Durolabs, Sheppard Mullin, CMTC, Happily, K&L Gates, Priority Pak, and the Opportunity Fund.

Why: An exciting convergence of trends is happening: big shifts in retail, new innovations in manufacturing, and new momentum around making things rather than just apps. MAKE IT IN LA has gained great momentum since it launched last year, with an audacious goal to connect the largest community of makers and manufacturers in the country into a network as vibrant as tech and Hollywood. We have already reached more than 1,000 entrepreneurs and we have just received a large grant to expand our efforts. This event will celebrate manufacturing in LA, highlight local manufacturers and brands, and connect the creative community.

Who: Entrepreneurs, designers, manufacturers, brands, policymakers and the business community

When: Friday, October 6, 2017. Registered guests can check in after 12:30pm on October 6th to get a tour map and wristband, and choose their own adventure around the Arts District. See the full schedule of tours here: tours.makerwalkla.com. The V.I.P. Celebration will be from 4-7pm.

Where: Tours will occur all around the Downtown LA Arts District. Check-in for the tours will be at the La Kretz Innovation Campus at (525 S. Hewitt St, LA, CA 90013). The V.I.P. Celebration will be at COMUNITY (584 Mateo St, Los Angeles, CA 90013). Parking is available at the La Kretz Innovation campus for $6, payable with credit card at the gate. There is also limited free street parking.

Media Contact: Nikki at (424) 305-MAKE or events@makeitinla.org.
Facebook: @makeitinla
Instagram: @wemakeitinla
Twitter: @wemakeitinla #makerwalkla #makeitinla

MAKE IT IN LA is a region-wide initiative to connect and celebrate the nation’s largest community of makers and manufacturers. Its mission is to support and inspire entrepreneurs to turn their ideas into real products in Los Angeles. The non-profit provides educational programming, factory tours, community-building events, online content, and links to resources to help businesses scale. The initiative spun out of Los Angeles Mayor Garcetti’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence program and is made possible by numerous partners and supporters. Learn more and join the movement: http://makeitinla.org