Build Your Story: A Quezon City Robotime Meetup with 30 Builders and 19 New Faces

Before anyone opened a kit, the stories were already waiting on the tables. Illuminated miniature shops, a flower-filled room, mechanical builds, and other finished projects formed a welcome display for people arriving at La Breza Hotel in Quezon City. For 19 first-time participants, it was an immediate glimpse of what a box of pieces could eventually become.

On September 19, 2026, host Jill Francisco welcomed 30 makers to her eighth Robotime DIY & Crafting Club meetup. Eleven returning participants joined the 19 new faces, filling every available place despite several late cancellations. Some guests were so eager that they arrived two hours early.

The day's theme, “Build Your Story,” connected two sides of the hobby: the finished pieces people were proud to share and the new projects beginning around the room. Together, they turned a large gathering into a conversation between experienced builders and curious newcomers.

Thirty places and a family-sized setup

Hosting 30 people was a new scale for Jill. When cancellations appeared—including two on the night before—the event's waitlist helped keep every seat filled. Behind the scenes, the preparation became a family effort. Jill's husband, children, niece, nephew, sister, and brother-in-law helped arrange the spacious function room, registration materials, displays, and kit selection.

The setup gave participants more than a place to collect a kit. A “Build Your Story” card introduced the theme, a community sheet showed ways to stay connected, and the registration area presented projects from different corners of the Robotime range. That variety mattered: the event was designed to let newcomers see that making could mean a miniature room, a book nook, a wooden mechanism, or something else entirely.

Finished builds made the best welcome

The most distinctive part of the room was the “Stories We've Built” showcase. Returning participants brought completed projects and introduced the personal stories behind them. Newcomers could inspect glowing interiors and tiny handmade scenes at close range, then hear directly from the people who had assembled them.

Each guest received a heart sticker to vote for a favorite showcase build. Miller's Garden by Community member joy.licerio placed second, while Marisa_Lhiz's illuminated, moving ROKR Space Shuttle took first place. For Marisa, this was already her second meetup with Jill. She later shared how happy she was that others enjoyed the Space Shuttle and that the day gave her another chance to meet both returning and new participants.

The vote added a playful structure, but its real value was social: it gave people an easy reason to look closely, ask questions, and start talking.

When a quiet room started talking

Once the building began, the large room grew unexpectedly quiet. Participants leaned over instructions and sorted small parts while Robotime videos played on the projector. The silence did not last. As progress appeared on the tables, strangers began comparing steps, sharing tips, and discussing where they found good deals.

Jill later highlighted the first-time builders in particular. Walking around the room, she watched people who had never met become comfortable enough to help one another. Snacks, raffles, and blind-box gifts added lighthearted breaks, but the projects themselves remained the strongest icebreaker: everyone had a next step to solve and something visible to share.

That shift from uncertainty to enjoyment appears in the participants’ own accounts. In her first-meetup story, Angelica described the Secret Bloomy Nook as “quite challenging” for a beginner, but said the fun of building and meeting new people made the experience rewarding. Another newcomer, Ivergem05, framed the afternoon more simply: tiny pieces, time with a best friend, and a first Robotime experience she was already enjoying.

Nineteen new stories began in Quezon City

For Jill, the day was larger and more demanding than her previous meetups. Even at her eighth event, she admitted that her voice cracked while welcoming the room. Her husband passed her water and reminded her to slow down; the shared laugh made the introduction feel human rather than formal.

That moment reflected the larger character of the meetup. Nobody needed to arrive as an expert. Past participants offered examples, new builders brought curiosity, and Jill's family made the event possible behind the scenes. By the end, the room held 30 works in progress—and 19 people who now had a first Robotime meetup story of their own.

One of those newcomers, Bianx, chose the Quiet Corner Study for her first meetup build. In her own recap, she said the best part was meeting people, hearing their stories, and connecting with fellow crafters. Her response to Jill's event recap made clear that the connection would continue:

“It was my first meetup, and I’m already looking forward to the next one!”

Her response turns the attendance figure into something more lasting. A first afternoon of building had already become a reason to return.

Want to find a gathering near you? Visit the Robotime Community and explore upcoming DIY & Crafting Club meetups.

Story and photos contributed by Jill Francisco and adapted by the Robotime Team. Read Jill's Community preparation post and event recap.