Details you shouldn’t overlook when planning a hackathon

Planning a hackathon can be resource-intensive beyond regular event planning where you just have to order some catering and put up some décor. A hackathon is more of a niche event in terms of the setup and running of the event, so don’t miss the details! They are important.

Customer Journey Maps are a fun tool that stem from design thinking. Using a Customer Journey Map can help you truly understand your hacker audience and shape their experience at your event. It pushes organizers to think about not just the ins and outs of the event itself, but the emotional rollercoaster that happens when folks are coming to an event.

Here are a few details that you want to be mindful of when planning your hackathon:

#1: Social awkwardness

Every event has some. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a family event or a workshop, there will always be moments where you can count on having to ease over emotions.

A hackathon is a gathering of strangers coming together to work intensely on problem-solving and finding shortcuts to obstacles many in our community face, which means that emotions are bound to run high.

Plan to have communal spaces at the hackathon that provide an opportunity for people to interact, perhaps even providing additional events that foster relationships prior to the hackathon itself. Add activity elements that make the experience more playful as people start to navigate the event space to find challenges to hack, such as fun nametags, quirky signage, bright colors and high-energy volunteers to direct guests.

#2: Hurdles happen

In a magical hackathon world, there are minimal event planning hurdles and projects are completed on time with powerful impacts. The truth, however, is that beyond the typical event planning debacles, hackathons face additional hurdles that need to be tackled when it comes to team dynamics and project process.

It’s important that you prepare for those anticipated hurdles by finding ways for hackers to select projects/challenges easily. In addition, schedule time during the event that is dedicated to listening to the current needs of project champions and to explore whether there are other methods to get them the support they need.

It’s also important that you add in some flexibility for the teams to take breaks. There is a lot of pressure when participating in a hackathon and little stress-relieving opportunities — whether it be through physical exercise or a fun activity, like cookies and milk — can make a world of difference when it comes to the participant experience.

#3: Completion is enough

As mentioned, there is already an immense amount of pressure on the groups hacking projects together, especially with so many diverse voices at the table. One thing to keep in mind and emphasize at the event is that completing the hackathon is an achievement in of itself. The ability for the team to work together over the course of the weekend is already a tremendous success.

I think that often when it comes to tackling civic challenges, some of the issues are so complex that a single weekend is unlikely to yield immediate and transformative results. Instead, focus on the conversations generated during the event and track the outcomes from those ideas. Channeling these expectations ahead of time ensures that all hackers participating in your event feel that their time was well spent, and encourages them to participate again, perhaps in hacking that specific issue or in another issue of their choosing.

As you plan your hackathon event, be sure to keep the details of the hacker experience in mind. The success of your event is not only measured in the level of participation, but also in the continued engagement from both hackers and the community. Ensuring the details are accounted for will help secure a long-term hacking approach to problem solving and continue to spread the excitement.

Having trouble getting started? Want to take your hackathon to the next level? Want to talk with an experienced gal?

Connect with me on: experimentalcivics.io and let’s talk! I’ve got hackathon packages to help you get to where you want to go.