SMRRF 2023

So yesterday I got myself out of bed early to attend my first RepRap Festival the SMRRF. I was in for a long drive so wanted to get myself up and out on the road before the shopping traffic took hold of the country. I live in Essex, and the SMRRF is hosted in Oxford so not far away, but the M25 is not known for its reliability**.

Looking back my first mistake was arriving at the park and ride at Oxford. I put my car registration in wrong, so expecting a fine through the door at some point. I’ve kept the ticket and receipt, so hoping I can get away with it by claiming I’m an idiot and they take pity on me.

Anyway, the venue for the SMRRF was awesome, it was the examination halls and the interior was just a wonder to look at with highly decorated walls and ceilings. I was able to spend time taking all this in, as I overestimated the time it would take me to get there, giving me an entire hour before the convention started.

The convention itself was awesome, and beyond my expectations. It was well organized and super friendly, even the YouTubers who were in attendance were human, having met YouTubers from other spaces, that’s not normally the case. Everyone there was fully aware that this event was for a good cause, and there was a real sense of community in the air. This is so refreshing coming from software conventions where everyone seems distant and rude.

Needless to say, this event has been added to my watch list for the future, and I hope that I will run again in 2024. I will also look for other events within the UK, hoping that they compare to the SMRRF!