How ANZ Makers Built a Thriving 3D Printing Community

Creality ShareFest Australia: How ANZ Makers Built a Local Community

Online groups make it easy to share a print, troubleshoot a machine or discover a new design. An in-person maker event offers something different: creators can handle real models, compare workflows, ask detailed questions and meet the people behind projects they may have followed online.

Since ShareFest arrived in Melbourne in 2023, Creality’s community events have expanded across Australia and into New Zealand. Stops in Melbourne, the Gold Coast, Perth and Auckland have brought together hobbyists, educators, designers, content creators, local partners and families around one idea: making is better when knowledge is shared.

This recap follows the growth of Creality ShareFest across the ANZ region and highlights what local makers gained from meeting face to face.

What Is Creality ShareFest? ShareFest is Creality’s community event series for 3D printing users, creators and local partners. The format changes by city, but events commonly include product demonstrations, hands-on activities, guest presentations, model competitions, technical discussion and informal networking.

The goal is not only to place machines in a showroom. ShareFest gives users an opportunity to explain what they build, demonstrate their own solutions and give direct feedback about the tools and support they need.

Melbourne 2023: ShareFest Arrives in Australia Creality ShareFest Australia took place in Melbourne on 19 November 2023. Registration drew more than 100 sign-ups within a week, with nearly 60 people attending the event. The group included children, workshop leaders, model designers, service providers and long-time 3D printing users.

Hands-on product experiences Attendees explored the Ender-3 V3 series, CR-10 SE and a wider ecosystem of scanners, engravers, filament dryers, accessories and materials. Assembly activities gave users a closer look at how beginner-focused machines had become easier to set up and operate.

Anyone planning a first multicolour setup can continue that hands-on learning with the SPARKX i7 quick-start FAQ .

User projects and community discussion Local creators presented gaming models, resin prints and practical applications. Discussions covered medicine, manufacturing, design, education and the everyday realities of running 3D printers. Community administrators and retail partners also helped connect online groups with the physical event.

The model contest tradition Participants voted for their favourite prints, continuing a ShareFest tradition that gives makers a reason to display not only technically difficult projects but also personal, playful and artistic work.

Read the original event report: Creality ShareFest Australia 2023: Igniting Creativity Down Under .

Auckland 2024: “Imagine It, Make It” On 23 March 2024, ShareFest reached Auckland in collaboration with local partner PB Tech. The event attracted 3D printing enthusiasts, design professionals, CAD users, architecture educators and makers from different age groups.

A wider creative ecosystem Visitors could see and try products including the K1C, Ender-3 V3, Falcon2 Pro, Space Pi Filament Dryer Plus and CR-Scan Ferret Pro. Presentations and discussions explored industrial applications, education, small-business opportunities, scanning and engraving.

For makers interested in the scanning side of the ecosystem, the complete beginner’s guide to the Creality Ferret Series provides a practical route from unboxing to a first successful scan.

Making as a shared language The event’s “Imagine It, Make It” theme reflected a simple idea: the maker community includes people with different professions and experience levels, but a physical project gives them a common starting point for discussion.

Read the original event report: ShareFest New Zealand unleashes creativity in Auckland .

Australia 2024: ShareFest Expands to Three Cities In September 2024, the Australian ShareFest series expanded beyond a single-city gathering. Events took place on the Gold Coast on 14 September, in Perth on 22 September and in Melbourne on 28 September.

Gold Coast: Direct conversations with users Creality CEO Adam Ao attended the Gold Coast event and met local users. The session created a direct feedback channel between the community and the company while introducing current products, including the K2 Plus Combo.

Perth: A smaller, workshop-style gathering The Perth event was hosted in a relaxed format by local expert Gary Brennand. Machines, models and user cases became the centre of detailed conversations among experienced users, creators and potential partners.

Melbourne: Collaboration, competition and celebration The Melbourne event was held with 3D Printer Superstore and combined product experiences with a large collaborative logo build, games, a model competition, a barbecue and music. The informal setting gave attendees time to compare projects and build relationships outside a formal presentation.

Learning from specialists Guest speakers brought experience from automotive customisation, architecture, gaming technology and 3D design. This variety matters because the same printer can be used very differently depending on whether the user is creating a display piece, functional assembly, classroom model or business product.

Makers who want to refine a large multicolour workflow after seeing it at an event can refer to the Creality K2 Plus filament parameter guide .

Read the original event report: Creality takes ShareFest to more Australian cities .

Auckland 2025: “To Makers. By Makers” ShareFest returned to Auckland on 29 March 2025 and attracted more than 100 people. Held with PB Tech in Manukau, the event placed maker stories and community participation at the centre of the programme.

Products became starting points for conversation Attendees explored K2 Plus, Creality Hi, Ender-5 Max, Falcon A1 and Creality Print 6.0. Quizzes and the “Make & Match” activity turned product learning into a group experience rather than a one-way demonstration.

Those interested in accessible desktop colour printing can read how the SPARKX i7 Color Combo supports creative multicolour projects .

Local makers took the stage Architecture lecturer Carl Salas discussed how 3D printing supports design education at Unitec, while Harry and Richard of H+R Drone Racing shared projects ranging from RC builds to experimental aircraft. Their presentations connected event visitors with real applications rather than abstract possibilities.

A contest that reflected different kinds of making More than 20 models competed for three places. The winning projects included a year-long, remote-controlled R2-D2 build, 3D printed yarn tools and full-scale character replicas. The range showed that maker achievement can be technical, practical, artistic or deeply personal.

Read the original event report: Creality brings ShareFest back to New Zealand .

Why Offline Maker Events Still Matter

Users can inspect real results Photographs and specifications cannot fully communicate surface finish, scale, strength or moving mechanisms. At an event, visitors can see the layer quality, hold a model and ask the creator how it was made.

Troubleshooting becomes conversational A maker can explain a failed support, warped corner or material issue in context. Experienced users can respond with settings, orientation changes and practical habits that may be difficult to express in a short online comment.

Beginners see achievable projects Large, polished builds attract attention, but smaller practical prints often provide the clearest inspiration for a new user. Seeing everyday creators present their work can make the first project feel more achievable.

Local feedback improves local support Australian and New Zealand users face regional questions about product availability, replacement parts, retail support, education and community access. Local events help companies and partners hear those needs directly.

Online communities become real relationships Many attendees first encounter one another through Facebook groups, YouTube channels, forums or model-sharing platforms. Meeting in person creates stronger networks for collaboration, advice and future events.

How to Continue the ShareFest Experience at Home Choose one achievable project. Start with a model that teaches a new skill without requiring every feature at once. Document your settings. Record material, temperature, speed, orientation and support decisions. Share both successes and failures. Troubleshooting posts are often more useful to the community than perfect final photos. Join a local maker group. Community knowledge can shorten the learning curve and lead to collaborations. Prepare a project for the next event. A useful tool, unusual material, moving model or personal story can all become strong ShareFest entries. For more tutorials, buying guides and local updates, explore the Creality Australia Blog Centre .

Frequently Asked Questions What is Creality ShareFest? Creality ShareFest is a community event series that brings together 3D printing users, creators, educators, local partners and the Creality team for demonstrations, project sharing, competitions and technical discussion.

Where has ShareFest been held in Australia? The events covered in this recap were held in Melbourne in 2023, followed by the Gold Coast, Perth and Melbourne in 2024.

Has ShareFest also been held in New Zealand? Yes. Auckland hosted ShareFest events in March 2024 and March 2025 in collaboration with PB Tech.

Are ShareFest events only for experienced users? No. Past events have included beginners, children, educators, designers, business users, content creators and experienced makers. Activities are designed to support both product discovery and peer learning.

What happens at a ShareFest event? Activities may include product demonstrations, hands-on setup, guest presentations, maker project displays, quizzes, design challenges, model competitions and informal networking.

A Community Built One Project at a Time From the first Melbourne event to a wider series across Australian cities and recurring gatherings in Auckland, ShareFest has shown the depth of the ANZ maker community. The most important exhibits are not simply the newest machines; they are the objects, experiments and stories that users bring with them.

Every printed tool, architectural model, moving robot, aircraft component or creative gift gives another maker a new idea. That exchange is what turns a local event into an ongoing community.

Creality ShareFest Australia: How ANZ Makers Built a Local Community

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