Teardown 2019

Teardown 2019 is a wrap.

We had a great time at Teardown 2019. Thanks again to everyone who attended and made it so great. There were amazing talks, workshops, demos, experiments, puzzle hunts, and installations. However, by far the most amazing part of Teardown was the people – the conversations, exchange of ideas, offers of support, questions, explanations, and off-the-cuff remarks. We can’t wait to see you in 2020!

Just the Facts

Teardown 2019 is an event put on by Crowd Supply in association with Make+Think+Code @ PNCA.

Sponsors

Teardown is made possible thanks to the generous support of our sponsors.

Schedule

Friday, June 21st, 2019

Saturday, June 22nd, 2019

Sunday, June 23rd, 2019

Ongoing Demos & Installations

Some demos and installations will be supervised by their creator during social times (lunch, snack break), while others may be unattended.

Tickets

Registration is open and event passes are on sale now! All passes include full access to everything Teardown has to offer, with the exception that some workshops might have space limitations.

We want Teardown to be accessible to everyone, so we’re partnering with sponsors like Microchip, Qorvo, Molex, and Mouser to keep 2019 ticket prices as low as they were in 2018, while at the same time expanding what Teardown has to offer. We’ve also set up a Community Fund pledge level to help defray event pass and travel costs for people who need it. If you need financial assistance, please subscribe to updates and keep an eye out for an announcement with more details. By attending Teardown, you agree to abide by our Code of Conduct.

What to Expect

Teardown is about the practice of hardware: prototyping, manufacturing, testing, disassembling, and circumventing, all while having fun. Leave the marketing glitz and talk of venture capital at the door and come prepared to learn and teach.

Recap of Last Year’s Teardown

If you want to hear more about what Teardown 2018 was like, take a look back at our retrospective or talk to your coolest hardware friend.

What’s New?

We had a blast last year. This year, we’re bringing back and amplifying everything that worked: great talks, workshops, demos, food, time to hangout, open mic sessions, and more. The big changes this year are:

• More space and more contiguous space - it will be easier to get from one talk the next.
• Puzzle hunt! It's a secret. Details coming soon.
• Hardware hacking workbenches. Let's see what we can make!

Talks & Workshops

Teardown will have a few parallel, scheduled tracks of talks and hands-on workshops covering a range of hardware topics and experience levels. Some workshops might have material fees, but we’re trying to make Teardown as accessible as possible.

Demos & Installations

We’re lucky enough to be holding Teardown in the expansive main building of the Pacific Northwest College of Art, a space well-suited to hosting demonstrations and installations of all kinds, art or otherwise. Want to set up something that lasts longer than a talk or workshop? A demo table or installation space may be just the thing. They can be attended or self-serve, and can range from interactive sculpture to a workbench outfitted with tools to hack on a specific project.

Downtime

While scheduled events are great, we recognize that often the best part of any get together is the stuff that happens without a schedule, which is why we’re leaving room for swapping stories over food and/or drink, comparing notes on personal projects, and catching up with friends old and new.

Venue

Teardown’s primary venue will be the Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA), which recently moved into the old post office in the heart of Portland’s Pearl District. The address is:

Pacific Northwest College of Art
511 NW Broadway
Portland, OR 97209
USA

We’ll also be taking full advantage of being within easy walking distance of everything downtown Portland has to offer.

Travel & Accommodations

A block of rooms has been reserved at The Society Hotel just a few minutes’ walk from the main PNCA venue. To book a room, call The Society Hotel and let them know you’re coming for Teardown.

Other Close-by Accommodations

• Hampton Inn & Suites
• Canopy by Hilton
• Residence Inn by Marriott
• McMenamins Crystal Hotel

Signing up for Workshops

Workshop signups will be released in two batches. Some slots will be made available a couple days in advance of Teardown, and those will be announced over an update email. Remaining slots will be available on the day of the workshop, in the morning.

All Teardown workshops are free of charge.

Stay in the Loop

Hit the "Subscribe to Updates" button near the top of this page to receive updates leading up to Teardown, from details on the call for proposals to confirmed speakers, sessions, and activities.

Volunteering

Want to help make Teardown awesome? We’re looking for volunteers for general help packing swag boxes, guiding attendees, setting up rooms, maybe a little soldering, etc. Slots are four hours long, and volunteers will receive a full-admission ticket to Teardown, which includes all the swag, talks, workshops, food, parties, and puzzles. To sign up for a slot (or more than one!), you can do so here. Your time is appreciated!

Code of Conduct

All attendees, speakers, sponsors, organizers, and volunteers at Teardown are required to agree with the following code of conduct. We will enforce this code throughout the event. We expect cooperation from all participants to help ensure a safe environment for everyone.

Teardown is dedicated to providing a harassment-free experience for everyone. We do not tolerate harassment of anyone, in any form, for any reason, including for reasons of gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, nationality, religion (or lack thereof), technology choices, dietary choices, subject matter expertise, educational background, economic circumstance, family status, or employment status.

Harrassment includes offensive verbal or written comments related to any of the above reasons; deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, or recording; sustained disruption of communication and event activities; inappropriate physical contact; and unwelcome sexual attention.

Sexualized marketing material is not appropriate for Teardown.

If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact a member of Teardown staff immediately.

Teardown staff will be happy to help participants contact venue security or local law enforcement, provide escorts, or otherwise assist those experiencing harassment to feel safe for the duration of the event.

We expect participants to follow these rules at all Teardown-related events and venues, both online and offline. Participants violating these rules will be sanctioned at the discretion of the organizers.

This code of conduct was adapted from confcodeofconduct.com and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.