Project leaders tend to talk for as long as they can, so you may need to cut them off after one minute to be respectful of the audiences time. Communicator. The hardest thing about running a successful hackathon is being welcoming to newcomers and helping them get involved in an activity. Newcomers often suffer from imposter syndrome, the feeling that they dont belong because they dont have skills, arent smart enough, etc. Professional venues charge quite a bit of money, so you will need to find something that fits your budget. It sets community norms and sends a signal to would-be participants that you are trying to create a welcoming environment. What often results is a division of the room into three groups: #1 is great. It depends on how much space you need, and there is no rhyme or reason to pricing, but it usually comes out to about $10-$30 per person. For a free event, about 65% of those who register will actually show up. Plan at least 30 minutes before and after the event for you to set up and tear-down/cleanup. This is sometimes called project pitches. Keep each pitch short: the leaders name and affiliation, a problem statement, the solution, and the skills/help needed. For a large, one-full-day event in a major city, expect venues to change in the thousands of dollars per day. Figure on $7 to $15 per person. They might be recruiting/hiring and are looking to scout out your attendees, or they might be marketing a product that they want to promote. Keep each project to 1 or 2 minutes, and if they are going to show something on the projector make sure it is ready before the wrap-up session begins. The earlier you can reserve space the better.
A post-event happy hour the evening after the hackathon wraps up gives participants a chance to socialize now that they know each other. My notes below are mostly logistical and assume a technology-centric approach. You can be a part of that change by adopting a code of conduct for the event. Make sure workshops stay on schedule, that participants are understanding the leader, can hear the leader from the back of the room, etc. If you know what projects are going to be worked on at the event, the earlier you can get those projects thinking about this the better. At the end of the event, a wrap-up session gives each project a chance to demonstrate some accomplishments. If holding the event outside of business hours, check that the venue will have air conditioning/heating. #2 is fine if the group is happy. Set times for when you will arrive/leave and for when participants will arrive/leave. Hopefully you can find some free space with good wifi (your local library, a friends company, etc.). By this point projects may have a lot to say. Determine your maximum capacity. The hackathon organizer must make sure that everyone has something to do. If they are printed with names, lay them out alphabetically and if there are a lot group them by part of the alphabet and post signs.
Choose the date of your event carefully. Meet with project leads and talk about these components of their project ahead of time if possible. Not everyone will know what you mean, and hacking might make it less likely that all groups will feel welcome. If you have a significant number of newcomers, having training workshops is a great way to give them something to do that they will be more comfortable with than diving into hacking. datasets), and that the skills needed for the project match the skills expected to be brought by other participants (and in sufficient quantity). Also consider not calling your event a hackathon. First time hackathon participants are often overwhelmed when it comes time to finding a project to work on. Your goals and my goals are not the same. In large groups, have each project report on its accomplishments.
Projects that think about themselves in terms of these qualities tend to be happier and more productive. Check whether the venue permits you to have food in the room. Finally once all of the participants are gone, make sure the venue is returned to its original state: Joshua Tauberer 2014-2017. Here are the goals I keep in mind: Dont expect to have actually solved a problem by the end of the hackathon. You could also consider pairing newcomers with mentors or holding a pre-event session just for newcomers, as Wikimedia recently did. Leading up to wrap-up, make sure each project is prepared to explain what they did. Order food that is relatively healthy. After that, give consideration to other restrictions your participants may have (vegan, kosher, gluten-free) and do your best. Set up a way for your participants to communicate digitally and stay in touch after the event. For hacking, you will want a banquet-style setup with large circular tables that seat about 10 people each. Banquet tables for hacking, rectangular tables for workshops, Working projector and VGA dongle (maybe even test your computer), Go over the list above once for the hacking room and again for the training room, Ensure you have enough space to hold everyone in one room because participants will gather in one room first for the welcoming session, Your contact information, including your cell phone number so participants can call/text you if they cannot find the venue, Any pre-event and post-event happy hour information: location, date, and time, Start and end dates and times of the event, Location of the event (address and building name), exact location of entrance, directions, and map, Reminder to bring ID if the venue has a security check-in, What food/beverages will be provided and when (breakfast, lunch, dinner? And, of course, if there is a problem at your event having a code of conduct ahead of time will help you resolve the issue. Strengthen the community that the hackathon is for. It is the hackathon organizers job to help them realize they have something to contribute. For an event with parallel tracks, bear in mind that participants will all gather in one room at the start of the event, so your maximum capacity is a little larger than the capacity of your main room (some people can squeeze/stand at the beginning). Be welcoming to newcomers to the community. If the goal of your hackathon is to market a product, stop here and read a different guide. A project of one, meaning someone working alone, is okay too! Other participants struggling to find something relevant to work on / implementing a solution of minimal value to solving the themes actual problems. Onboarding participants onto existing projects can be very difficult. Also read the Hopper Conference Diversity Guides section on this. Get them to record their progress on the tumblr. Keep people on the overall schedule. Think of the hackathon as a pit-stop on a long journey to solve problems or as a training session to prepare participants for solving problems. Make sure things are OK: tables/chairs are there, the projector works, restrooms are in working order, Post signs from the main entrance of the building to where participants should go first, Post signs to restrooms and any other rooms participants may need to go to. If you are serving alcohol keep in mind: not everyone drinks (those under 21, pregnant women, and many many other people for a variety of reasons); alcohol can lead to an unsafe or uncomfortable environment; those that drink will need public transportation to get home. Have someone managing workshops. Real life problems are hard! Subject matter experts working with other subject matter experts on problem investigation but not implementation. I take it for granted that you want to run a hackathon. If you provide any food, you really must supply vegetarian and dairy-free options because these dietary restrictions are very common. If you are running interactive workshops where the participants are following along on their laptops and expect many participants to attend, you may want to have workshop helpers around to help participants that get stuck. Encourage leaders to think of this not as recruiting but as boasting how awesome their day is going to be. Or a table in the back to show off their stuff? Figure out your budget your venue and food costs, especially first, so you know how much in sponsorships you need. You can also hold non-project activities workshops, described below which are easier for newcomers to join. Themed hackathons are able to attract subject matter experts (something that open-ended hackathons like Open Data Day DC are not good at), and projects typically revolve around problems that the subject matter experts bring to the table. You may want to reserve a section of the bar (they may ask for a payment ahead of time or a guaranteed minimum spend that they will charge you after if your people dont order enough). Be responsible with your food. (free form question). Personally I think there are much better ways to spend your budget, but if you really want to provide swag keep in mind. Workshops can also be places to have a discussion about issues in the field related to the hackathon. Other participants may be ready to apply their skills but not know anything about the hackathons theme. It is one of the hardest parts of hacking. Include: Print handouts for participants that include: Print one copy per table (i.e. So cap registration at 150% of your actual maximum capacity. To avoid this, make sure you have enough workable projects for everyone ahead of the event. Guide them on how to make progress on their projects, Identify how they can take on newcomers, what tasks are doable for newcomers, Identify what sort of help their project needs, A social media channel, like a hashtag on Twitter or a Facebook group, A shared document space, like Google Docs or, Paper, markers, and tape to write and post signs with, Name tag stickers and markers for people to write their names on their name tag, Note cards, pens, paper and other supplies to facilitate project planning, Plastic cups, paper plates, and disposable utensils if you are providing food, Email any journalists you know who may be interested in the event, Charge your camera so you are ready to take photos. Participants typically form groups of about 2-5 individuals, take out their laptops (if the event is technology themed), and dive into problems. The ideas have been inspired by many individuals, especially including my Open Data Day DC co-organizers Eric Mill, Sam Lee, Katherine Townsend, and Julia Bezgacheva, as well as Justin Grimes, Matt Bailey, Leah Bannon, Laurenellen McCann, and Greg Bloom. They may not yet know how to relate their own skills to the sorts of projects being worked on. See The day before below for what to include in the email. Feel free to use under the terms of CC-BY 4.0. Wifi (is it fast and reliable? Knowing how to be useful is a skill in itself. The wrap-up session gives everyone a chance to hear what everyone else worked on during the day. These notes come from five successful years of Open Data Day DC and other civic hackathons that Ive run, sponsored, or participated in. Dont stay up all night, dont pump participants with caffeine, and dont make winners and losers. In fact, read Hopper Conference Diversity Guides section on t-shirts. For a small group, ask volunteers to report what they accomplished or what they learned (especially for workshop participants). Food is surprisingly expensive though, so do what you can. Ask your venue about permissible start and end times. See the section Cultivating Good Projects above to ensure there is a coherent question, that the necessary resources exist (e.g. Dont run a hackathon like that and youll be on the right track. Be around to ensure that the workshop leader doesnt have any technology problems. Have someone managing the hacking room. If you need to submit a list, make sure you alphabetize it! Use the registration form to gather information about participants: The more information you can gather ahead of time the better planning you can do. Participants that bring projects to the event have an opportunity to briefly (1 minute max) explain what they are working on at the very start of the event so that other participants can join that project. Lay out the name badges. Look for codes of conduct used at events you admire, or copy from Code for DCs code of conduct or Tech Lady Hackathon + Training Days code of conduct.
Avoid heavy foods that make people sleepy (like bread) or ineffective (like alcohol). Choose your workshop leaders carefully. You can start to think about who will be working on what as soon as registrations start coming. Examples: Developer. For workshops you will want classroom-style seating, i.e. Think Again by Laurenellen McCann for thoughts on other (and sometimes better) ways of engaging a community. But keep things quick. So therefore: provide non-alcoholic drinks; supervise the environment to ensure it remains professional and comfortable for all; be near public transit. But #3 is bad: participants without subject matter guidance will feel lost. Project Manager. For large events, pick a bar ahead of time and talk to the bar and make sure it is ok for you to bring a large group. Plan for at least one helper for every 10-20 participants. Look at who is coming and if you know some of those people are coming with particular projects, identify project leaders. bitly) to the tumblr or hackpad page, Prepare slides for the welcoming session (if you want). Beyond that, do you want to give them a time at a podium to speak to your attendees? What kind of hacker are they? If you are ordering food, you will probably place the order at least three days ahead of the event. Just dont. Designer. If possible, let them show their work on the projector. Thank the venue and sponsors (do not forget anyone , Explain the history and purpose of the event, Mention the code of conduct (again, the point is often to set norms, not merely to enforce rules), Ask who has not been to a hackathon before, or to your particular event before; give an applause, Explain logistics: the Tumblr, the schedule of workshops, lunch, end time, Encourage people to take and share session notes and to record progress on projects (see the notes above on telling the hackathons story), If there is a post-event, direct people to it or ask a volunteer to lead people over, Write down everything that went right so you can repeat it next time, Write down everything that went wrong so you can avoid it next time, Compute how much the event cost in total and per participant, just to know, Survey the attendees about what they liked and didnt like.