PRE-EVENT:
BRNO 2023

The second pre-event was held in the stunning city of Brno, the second largest city in the Czech Republic, and home to the first Czech FabLab, FabLab Brno. Brno is renowned for its rich culture and modern culinary scene and was ranked as the second most attractive city in Europe for 2021 by Time Out magazine. We had an amazing time together, which you can see from the pictures in the gallery below.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The second pre-event was all about coming together to plan and shape the main FABx event in 2025. We wanted everyone to have their say on how the event should look, and we explored the opportunities we could take advantage of. Of course, it wasn’t all work and no play – we visited the local FabLab, met local makers, had a fuckup & bigup night, tried different beers and most importantly saw each other in person. The pre-event took place over three days, starting on Wednesday, March 29, 2023 and ending with a late-night after-party on Friday, March 31. The event took place at the creative hub KUMST.

WEDNESDAY 29. 3.

VENUE: KUMST (LOCATION LINK)
PROGRAM: 16:00 TO 22:00 CET
PROVIDED: DINNER, DRINKS

We started the event in the afternoon at the local creative hub KUMST – our base for the entire event. The first day focused on building team spirit and networking.

BLANK

16:00 | ARRIVAL & REGISTRATION

[15 min] You will be greeted by the hosts and given your welcome pack and name badge. Please arrive shortly before 16:00 or on time.

16:15 | OFFICIAL LAUNCH & WARM-UP

[45 min] We’ll kick off the event with a welcome speech and then get to know each other better with some ice-breakers. Let’s break that ice and introduce ourselves!

17:00 | MAKING LOCAL WITH LOCALS

[120 min] Get ready for a hands-on workshop led by talented local makers! Let’s unleash your inner creativity, learn something new, get inspired by others, and most importantly, have fun.

19:00 | DINNER + EVENING MIX & MINGLE

[180 min] Connect with fellow makers, exchange innovative ideas, and draw inspiration from the thriving maker community – all while savoring your favorite drink and indulging in delectable bites.

THURSDAY 30. 3.

VENUES: KUMST (LOCATION LINK)
PROGRAM: 09:00 TO 22:00 CET
PROVIDED: COFFEE BREAKS, LUNCH, DINNER, DRINKS

On the second day, we focused on what was arguably the most crucial aspect of the FAB2025.CZ main event – the programme. Together, we dove into how the programme should be designed.

BLANK

9:00 | START OF THE DAY

[10 min] We will start the second day. Get our expectations in order and you will hear block by block what will happen throughout the day.

9:10 | RISE AND SHINE TALK

[30 min] Ready to start the day off right? We will hear a short motivational and inspirational talk from a surprise guest.

9:40 | PROGRAM DESIGN INTRODUCTION

[35 min] A recap of where we left off at the 1st pre-event and the launch of the programme design workshops.

10:15 | COFFEE BREAK

[15 min] Recharging our batteries with hot and cold refreshments and something to nibble on.

10:30 | PROGRAMME DESIGN WORKSHOP I

[90 min] Creating the FAB2025.CZ programme together!

12:00 | LUNCH

[60 min] Take a break from the action, enjoy a delicious meal and network with other FabLab enthusiasts. We’ll have a variety of food options to (hopefully) suit all tastes and dietary requirements.

13:00 | PROGRAMME DESIGN WORKSHOP II

[45 min] Creating the FAB2025.CZ programme together!

13:45 | PROGRAMME DESIGN WORKSHOP III

[45 min] Creating the FAB2025.CZ programme together!

14:30 | FAB2025.CZ BRNO WALK

[90 min] Get ready for a walk through the centre of Brno with some super interesting stops along the way. Plus an opportunity to enjoy a delicious coffee.

16:00 | KUMST GUIDED TOUR

[20 min] All about creative hub KUMST in 20 minutes.

16:20 | WELCOMING NEW LABS

[40 min] Introduction of new labs.

17:00 | FUCKUP or BIGUP NIGHT

[90 min] You will have the chance to share your worst or best work or other adventures with others.

18:00 | DINNER

[60 min] 

19:00 | SIP AND SOCIALIZE

[180+ min] Relax, food, beer, friends & fun vol. 1.

FRIDAY 31. 3.

VENUES: FABLAB BRNO (LOCATION LINK), KUMST (LOCATION LINK)
PROGRAM: 09:00 TO 22:00 CET
PROVIDED: COFFEE BREAKS, LUNCH, DINNER, DRINKS

On the third day, we focused on the practical side of the FAB2025.CZ main event – the production. We also got some fresh news from the maker world.

BLANK

9:00 | START OF THE DAY @ FABLAB BRNO

[15 min] We will start the third day directly at FabLab Brno. You’ll be given all the instructions you need the day before. Again, there will be a block-by-block explanation of what will be happening during the day.

9:15 | FABLAB BRNO & JIC TOUR

[60 min] We will be more than happy to show you around FabLab Brno. You can ask anything.

10:15 | COFFEE BREAK

[15 min] Recharging our batteries with hot and cold refreshments and something to nibble on.

10:30 | FAB2025.CZ PRODUCTION INTRO

[60 min] We will look at the practical side of organising the conference. We would like to introduce you to our concept and get your feedback.

11:30 | LUNCH

[60 min] Take a break from the action, enjoy a delicious meal and network with other FabLab enthusiasts. We’ll have a variety of food options to (hopefully) suit all tastes and dietary requirements.

12:30 | BACK TO CITY CENTRE

[60 min] Together we take tram 12 back to KUMST.

13:30 | FAB2025.CZ PRODUCTION FEEDBACK

[60 min] We would like to receive your feedback on specific aspects of the production part of the FAB2025.CZ main event.

14:30 | COFFEE BREAK

[30 min] Recharging our batteries with hot and cold refreshments and something to nibble on.

15:00 | NEWS FROM THE MAKER WORLD

[60 min] Let’s find out what the hottest news from the maker scene is.

16:00 | PRE-EVENT CLOSURE

[45 min] Before we say goodbye, join us for a wrap-up session to reflect on the highlights of the event, share your experiences with other attendees and give feedback to the organisers.

16:45 | DINNER

[75 min] We will have a feast together once again.

18:00 | FAB BEER QUIZ

[90 min] The opportunity to taste samples of both local and international beers. And compete in knowledge contest to win cool prices!

19:30 | FAREWELL PARTY

[120+ min] Relax, food, beer, friends & fun vol. 2.

WHO CAME?

We were thrilled to gather together more than 20 makerspaces and initiatives from across Europe, and we ended up with an amazing group of 37 participants. It was an incredible experience seeing everyone work together in a safe and creative environment, bouncing ideas off one another and sharing knowledge. We couldn’t have asked for a better group to make this pre-event a success.

Jan Dvoracek
Tom, Jan, Sonia & Adela
(CZE)
Jan Dvoracek

Dan, Vojta
(CZE)

Jan Dvoracek
Ondra, Tereza, Antonin & Leos
(CZE)
Jan Dvoracek
Marc
(BEL)
Jan Dvoracek

David & dog Maya
(HUN)

Jan Dvoracek
Constance
(FRA)
Jan Dvoracek

Martina
(CZE)

Jan Dvoracek
Eva & Jozef
(SVK)
Jan Dvoracek
FabLab Amsterdam / waag
(NLD)
Jan Dvoracek
Maik & Max
(GER)
Jan Dvoracek
Max
(GER)
Jan Dvoracek
Luc & Nicolas
(FRA)
Jan Dvoracek
Martin & Veronika
(CZE)
Jan Dvoracek
Karsten
(GER)
Jan Dvoracek
Patrik & Jakub
(CZE)
Jan Dvoracek
Jean-Michel
(FRA)
Jan Dvoracek
Daniel
(ESP)
Jan Dvoracek
Karim & Roland
(AUT)
Jan Dvoracek
Rene
(CZE)
Jan Dvoracek
Peter & Ilona
(CZE)
Jan Dvoracek

Sarka
(CZE)

Jan Dvoracek

Mat
(CZE)

Jan Dvoracek

Jiri
(CZE)

PRE-EVENT GUIDE

To make everyone’s life easier, we had prepared some practical information about accommodation, transport to Brno, food, and sightseeing in the city. We had a great response to this guide during the last pre-event, and we were glad to see that it was also helpful this time around. We hope that everyone found the tips and information useful during their stay in Brno.

VENUES

KUMST

KUMST is an incubator for creative businesses. It provides offices, co-work space, meeting rooms, studios and event venues for local artists, makers and other cool people from creative industries. It has a special significance for FabLab Brno as there is also a small brand new FabLab designed for the community settled at KUMST.

FABLAB BRNO

FabLab Brno was the first FabLab opened in the Czech Republic. Last year, it celebrated its 5th anniversary. It spreads over 180 m2 and is home to hundreds of local makers. We will be happy to show you the whole lab, the machines, introduce local makers and maybe make something together.

WHERE TO SLEEP?

We hope your stay during the pre-event will be comfortable and easy-going. To help you a bit with finding a place to stay, we picked a few possible options for you. These should be both affordable and close to the venues of the pre-event. Note we have no affiliation with the hotels, they're just selected tips. If you don't choose from these, we suggest using Booking.com or Airbnb. If you needed any assistance with the accommodation booking or similar, don't hesitate to contact us!

JACOB BRNO

GRANDEZZA HOTEL

HOSTEL ELEVEN

GETTING TO AND AROUND BRNO

We know the pain of finding out all the information on how to travel in the city, that you have never been before. That's why we prepared little and up-to-date overview below.

TO BRNO

You can get to Brno easily by international coach, train or car. The most important traffic hubs in Brno are Railway station Brno hl.n. and Brno, Benešova tř.hotel GRAND bus terminal. These have direct connections to all parts of the city and provide standard services. Brno has an airport, but it has just a few connecting flights. The easiest way how to arrive by plane is to fly to Vienna International Airport and then to take a train or coach to Brno (around 2 hours). Similarly you can fly to Prague International Airport. We recommend to use one of the following services:

Gepard Express – To come from Vienna airport.
Regiojet – To come from anywhere in Europe by bus, by train from Prague or by train/bus from Vienna airport.
Flixbus – To come from anywhere in Europe by bus, by train from Prague or by train/bus from Vienna airport.

If you decide to come by car it might be a bit complicated to find long-term parking spot – the city is divided into several parking zones. You can find the information in English on this matter here. We definitely recommend getting around the city using public transport.

AROUND BRNO

The public transport is really good, usually goes on time and you can easily get around with trams, buses or trolley buses. If you stay central, it's easiest to just walk.

Buying tickets in the public transport is really simple. You can buy the tickets contactless by your phone or card on the terminals directly inside trams or buses. You basically get in, "beep" on the terminal and that's it. If you change the line, you "beep" again. The system automatically counts the best ticket option for you after the whole day of travel. You can check it out in detail here. You can also buy traditional tickets, but who would bother, right?

There is also a possibility to use shared bikes e.g. Rekola or Nextbike or shared electric scooters e.g. Lime or Bolt.

If you prefer going by taxi, we recommend using app Liftago or Bolt. If you use these, there is no ripoff guarantee. Don't just take taxi on the street, it might be unnecessarily expensive.

EAT, DRINK, ENJOY

Keeping your levels of hunger and thirst on the positive side is always a good idea, doesn't matter where you go. We have carefully selected several tips to satisfy all of your taste buds! Guaranteed by the locals. There are nearly no culinary tourist traps in Brno. You can also use apps like Wolt or Bolt in Brno for food delivery.

DRINK COFFEE

If you're interested in coffee, the best guide is from another Czech project called "European Coffee Trip". Check out this link. Also available throught mobile app.

SKØG Urban Hub

Punkt.

Monogram Espresso Bar

Buchta B

JAGA

Café Mezzanine

DRINK BEER

Czech beer is famous all around the world – in Brno, there are lots of places to choose from. Taste it all (responsibly and with care).

U Bláhovky (best Pilsner Urquell in the city)

Hladinka a Šnyt (cash only!)

Výčep na Stojáka

Pivovarský dům Poupě

AXIOM Pub

DRINK COCTAILS

Brno has a really cool bar scene. Firstly started with "Bar which doesn't exist", you can definitely find the best coctails in the whole country here.

Bar, který neexistuje

4pokoje

Slast

Whiskey Bar, který neexistuje

Botanic Bar & Bistro

Super Panda Circus

Anoda

EAT SNACKS

If you want to grab just something for breakfast or snack, check out these places.

William Thomas Artisan Bakery

JEŠTĚ jednu

FÆNCY FRIES Brno

Carlini

JAGA

EAT TRADITIONAL

If you want to try traditional Czech cuisine, you won't be disappointed here.

Hostinec U Semináru

Lokál U Caipla

Stopkova Plzeňská Pivnice

Pivnice Pegas Jakubská

EAT MODERN

THINGS TO SEE & DO

We highly recommend you to stay for the weekend after the pre-event. Brno is a wonderful lively city with a plenty of opportunities to do and see. We bet just a weekend won't be enough. If you want to go through an official guide, you can check it out via the GOTOBRNO website.

VILA TUGENDHAT

UNDERGROUND RESERVOIRS

Credits: www.gotobrno.cz.

BRNO OBSERVATORY AND PLANETARIUM

BRNO CITY CENTRE

BIG THANKS TO OUR PARTNERS

Organizing this pre-event would have been a real challenge without the support of the people and companies who had our backs. We are incredibly grateful for their contributions, which helped us to create an accessible event in fantastic venues with a jam-packed programme. We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported us along the way – we couldn’t have done it without you!

SUPPORTED BY

HOSTED BY