There’s no better way to get your engineers and developers up to speed than with a hackathon.
Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a young start-up, an SME or even a large group, hackathons are the ideal way to design innovative projects, improve team spirit, develop new skills or discover new fields.
You’ve already heard of hackathons, but you don’t really know what they’re about or why and how to organise one? Here are our tips and tricks for organising a successful hackathon!
Summary
1. What is a hackathon ?
A hackathon is a creative, collaborative and intensive event that brings together developers, designers, entrepreneurs, students and other professionals to work in teams on innovative technological and technical projects. The aim is generally to create functional prototypes, applications, websites or solutions to solve concrete problems in a specific field.
Hackathons can last from a few hours to several days and usually take place in a dedicated space, such as a conference room or computer lab. Participants work in teams to design, program, test and present their projects to a panel of judges.
Hackathons are often organised by businesses, not-for-profit organisations, universities, community groups or governments to stimulate innovation, encourage collaboration and solve complex problems. Hackathons can also serve as a platform for talent recruitment, networking and learning.
2. Why organise a hackathon ?
Organising a hackathon as a company offers a number of advantages:
- Short-term inculcation of a competitive attitude to operate in a stimulating and therefore more effective way for your company and your employees.
- Acquire new skills and develop projects over short periods.
- Use a creative, collaborative and entrepreneurial experience to bring your teams together around a business challenge and encourage synergy.
- Create a more innovative corporate image to attract the best talent in your field to your event (innovation enthusiasts, young graduates, experienced workers, etc.).
- Enable your employees to develop new skills (programming languages, project management, use of new software, etc.
3. Define the duration of your event
Determine the duration of the hackathon according to the theme, the number of participants and the objectives of the event.
A typical hackathon generally lasts between 24 and 48 hours, but this also depends on the budget and the number of projects and workshops to be proposed, as well as the number of speakers (conferences, round tables, etc.).
4. Choose a theme
To help organise your hackathon, form teams of between 3 and 6 people to work on their projects within the allotted time. Teams should be made up of people with complementary skills, experience and objectives to maximise their creativity and effectiveness.
5. Form teams
Pour mieux organiser votre hackathon, formez des équipes de 3 à 6 personnes pour travailler sur leurs projets dans le temps imparti. Les équipes doivent être composées de personnes ayant des compétences, des expériences et objectifs complémentaires pour maximiser leur créativité et leur efficacité.
6. Choose a suitable venue
Find a suitable venue for your hackathon, with sufficient space for teams, mentors, judges and sponsors. Make sure the venue is easily accessible for participants and has sufficient equipment (sockets, tables and chairs, screens, projectors, blackboards, etc.) and a reliable Internet connection.
7. Define a provisional budget
Draw up a realistic budget for your hackathon, covering the costs of equipment, food, drinks, prizes, travel expenses, etc.
Your budget should also take into account the cost of prizes. Prizes could include money, internships or mentoring opportunities.
8. Communicate about your hackathon
Promote your hackathon to your community of developers and engineers, schools, universities, associations and local businesses that seem relevant to you. Use social networks, websites, posters, press releases, etc. to publicise your event and ensure a large number of participants.
9. Offer an online registration system
An online ticketing or registration solution is an invaluable tool for organising your hackathon. Here are just a few of the ways it can help:
- Centralise registrations and ensure that all the necessary information is collected from participants.
- Manage payments securely if you are charging registration fees for the hackathon.
- Communicate with participants before and during the hackathon by sending reminders, updates and other important information.
- Track participation to ensure that participants are present and engaged throughout the event.
- Provide demographic, interest and attendance data and analysis for your hackathon to help you make informed decisions for your review and future editions.
Overall, a ticketing or registration solution can make it easier to manage the logistics of organising a hackathon, allowing you to focus on creating a successful hackathon that fosters innovation and collaboration.
10. Find sponsors
If your hackathon requires budgetary support, look for sponsors to cover the costs and offer rewards for the winners (computers, licences, IT equipment, gift vouchers, etc.). Sponsors can also help provide equipment and help you rent space for your event.
11. Mobilise experts in the field
Recruit skilled and experienced experts and mentors to help teams solve problems and give them advice on how to make their projects a success. Mentors can also offer useful ideas, contacts and resources to participants.
12. Don’t forget the jury
Select a panel of judges made up of experts, teachers and managers to assess the projects, determine the final winners and award the prizes. The judges should understand the judging criteria and be able to ask the teams relevant questions.
13. Announce the results
After the event, publish the results and thank the participants, mentors and sponsors for their contribution. Hand out the prizes to the winners, which can be as varied as the ones mentioned above (accompaniment, meals, etc.).
Need help organising your professional events ? Weezevent can help you with online ticketing and registration solutions, access control and CRM.
