A virtual hackathon is a challenge-based event where people
can contribute their ideas and solutions online. It is an excellent method to
encourage people to think outside the box and come up with fresh and inventive
solutions. Organizing a virtual hackathon might be tough.
It takes a lot of planning, preparation, gathering an
audience, and a few more procedures to pull it off properly. But there's good
news: it's far easier than you might assume.
If you're thinking about holding a virtual hackathon, here are
some short pointers to get you started:
- Select a theme for your hackathon. This might include
everything from product development to marketing initiatives.
- Create a list of challenges for participants to choose
from. These challenges should be intended to encourage creativity and
innovation.
- Create a hackathon timeline and ensure that everyone
involved understands their responsibilities.
- Promote the event online and ensure that it is accessible
to anybody who want to participate.
- Host a final judgment session at which participants can
present their solutions to the judges.
In this article, we'll go over the technical setup and
tools, as well as the key components and processes you'll need to know to get
your first virtual hackathon up and running quickly.
What is a hackathon?
A hackathon is a term commonly used to describe spring-style
gatherings in which computer programmers and other software developers
collaborate to solve real-world problems. Hackathons can be utilized for a
variety of goals, including community development, problem resolution, and
talent seeking. OpenBSD coined the word in 1999, and hackathons became
increasingly popular over the next decade. Organizations began to consider them
as a viable method of developing software innovations and addressing
difficulties.
The shift from live to virtual hackathons
If we fast forward to now, the benefits of hackathons remain
the same, if not more extensive. However, we have begun to move hackathons from
in-person gatherings to the digital realm.
Why have a virtual hackathon?
Hackathons are effective because they allow a group of
creative minds to collaborate and focus their energy on a single goal in a
short period of time. Transitioning from a physical to a virtual environment
may have some drawbacks, such as generating less buzz than onsite hackathons.
However, a virtual hackathon platform outweighs these disadvantages by
providing other benefits.
Cost
The costs of conducting a virtual hackathon are much lower
than those of a traditional hackathon. When conducting an onsite hackathon, you
must consider the costs of renting a location, hiring workers, paying
utilities, and other expenses. Online events, in contrast, require
substantially less funding.
Online events, in contrast, require substantially less
funding. When hosting a virtual hackathon event, the majority of your expenses
will go into providing software licensing and developing a digital
infrastructure and equipment.
Participant Comfort
Many individuals have diverse skill sets and perform better
under various settings. An online hackathon event allows each participant to work in the conditions that make
them most efficient. For some, this could imply working in an ice-cold room.
For some, this could imply blasting their favorite music.
Whatever their preferences are, they will be able to express
them without interfering with the other participants. This, in turn, leads to
increased production and improved outcomes. This freeing experience fosters a
sense of solidarity among like-minded devotees.
Diversity
Hosting an online hackathon event does not require you to be
physically there, allowing people from many walks of life to participate. This
is advantageous since it results in more creative production. Furthermore,
corporations would not have to invest in transportation expenditures for employees
who may live in different parts of the world.
Additional advantages of hackathons.
There are numerous additional reasons and benefits for
conducting a hackathon, but in summary:
- Hackathons encourage creativity and innovation.
- Hackathons bring together people from around the world to
address challenges.
- Hackathons are an excellent approach to generate fresh
ideas for your company or group.
- Hackathons are a fun way to get your staff involved and
encourage teamwork.
- Hackathons are excellent opportunities to learn new skills
and technology.
Plan Your Hackathon
Before you begin preparing your virtual hackathon,
you should answer the following questions:
- What ambitions do you have for the Hackathon?
- What kinds of challenges will you be presenting to
participants?
- What types of prizes will you be offering?
- How will you assess the submissions?
After you've answered these questions, you may begin
organizing the logistics for your hackathon. This includes determining a date
and time, creating a registration page, and selecting a submission type.
How to Set Up a Virtual Hackathon?
Virtual hackathons require less planning than real-world
hackathons. To ensure the success of hackathon events, appropriate planning is
required prior to the virtual event.
In this section, we will go over how to set up a
virtual hackathon.
Online hackathon platforms
Online hackathon platforms have made it easier than ever to
run a virtual hackathon. These tools make it simple to administer challenges,
connect with participants, and track submissions. If you want to stimulate
innovation and creativity in your workplace, a virtual hackathon is the right
solution. The following programs are necessary to host a whole hackathon
event:
- Text-based chatting: Team members must communicate with one
another to debate ideas, clarify doubts, or ask questions. A text-based
messaging tool would enable teams to keep in touch and share ideas.
- Presentation: The culmination of a hackathon session
occurs when all of the hackathon teams present their completed projects. It is
up to the organizer to determine which program will help exhibit their
participants' final projects.
- Centralized user interface: A single location where all
event-related information is updated. Rules, timetables, frequently asked
questions, and contact information may all be included. This would allow
participants to stay up to date on the event.
- Timeline: Having a defined timeline can assist both
organizers and attendees better manage their workload. Usually, the procedure
is drafted, which shows that, consists of four phases: the registration
phase, the ideation phase, Project submission phase and The results phase.
These are the most popular time frames for virtual hackathons, but you can
tailor them to your individual needs.
Ensure that your hackathon is well-organized and easy to
participate in. The last thing you want is for people to struggle with the
rules or mechanics of the challenge, especially if the challenge is intriguing
and motivating. It should be something people desire to work on rather than
something they feel obligated to do. Platforms such as Mercer | Mettl make
online hackathons more accessible to all participants.
