FAQ’S

EVENT SCHEDULE (FRIDAY 3PM-SATURDAY 3PM)

Yes it’s a 24hr event and there is programming, meals, activities and teams working through the night.

FRIDAY - JANUARY 24TH

2:30-3:00 PM REGISTRATION

3:00 PM OPENING & INTRODUCTION

PRESENTATION OF THE CHALLENGES

RULES AND GUIDELINES

TECH SHOWCASE INTROS

TEAM FORMATION

4:30 PM TEAMS BEGIN

5:00PM - 7:00PM API HUB & RL "DATA LIBRARY" OPENS

5:00 PM MENTOR CHECK-IN

7:00 PM STUDENT DINNER

9:30 PM OPTIONAL SPECIAL SPEAKER

9:30 PM OPTIONAL SPECIAL WELLNESS ACTIVITY

4:30 PM - 11:59 PM Student Teams working on Projects

SATURDAY - JANUARY 25TH

12:00 AM MIDNIGHT SNACK

12AM - 7AM Student Teams working on Projects

7:00 AM OPTIONAL SPECIAL FITNESS ACTIVITY

7:00 AM - 8:30 AM BREAKFAST

7AM - 11AM PITCH TRAINING

10:15 AM - 11:30 AM LUNCH

11:00 AM SUBMISSION DEADLINE

12:00 PM - *3:00 PM PRESENTATIONS & PRIZES

*Please note that event may run late, depending on Judges Q&A and deliberation

BUT WHAT IF I WANT TO SLEEP?

Of course you can sleep!!!! We will be having dedicated spaces for you to take a snooze on-site if you need a power nap. Some teams work through the night, others don’t… It’s completely up to you.

WHAT DO I NEED TO BRING?

Your laptop. Your ideas. Your creativity.

Meals and snacks will be served throughout the entire timeline of the event. Dietary restrictions are being carefully considered in the planning of the meals, dairy-free, nut-free, gluten-free and vegan options will always be available.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

Participants generally fall into one of the following categories:

Newbie: wants to see what all the hype is about, may not code or even be in a technical major, may feel apprehensive- not knowing what to expect, or just really likes to try new things, curious

Focused First Timer: has heard of a hackathon and understands the immense opportunity, may have an idea for a business/startup/product and plans to utilize the hackathon to create an MVP and get feedback, entrepreneurial minded and looking for potential co-founders or a startup to join amongst the attendees

Repeat: did one, loved it, comes back for more. Likes the way it expanded their skill set, exposed them to new people and ideas, plus they're interested in a job or internship at one of the sponsoring companies

Veteran: participates in every possible hackathon, win/lose doesn't matter because the skills, friendships and connections made are life changing, and really it's just so much fun

Our goal is to have a widely diverse group of students from all genders and backgrounds to participate.

Each ideathon team will consist of 4-6 individuals with diverse skill sets. If you have something you think you can add to the ecosystem – project management skills, a creative or artistic perspective, or an entrepreneurial vision – we’d welcome your talents and skills on one of our ideathon teams.

Please register individually.

FORMAT

Our event starts Friday at 3PM, we kick-off typically with opening remarks, presenting of the challenges/topic or theme for the event, an overview of the resources and schedule. During the opening sessions team formation will begin, with a minimum team size being 4 and maximum team size being 6.
Teams work in self assigned physical spaces in the venue. Periodic check-ins, called PiNGs are scheduled in which one member of each team must report in their teams Progress, Needs, & Goals. Some of these verbal reports are given in front of an audience of mentors who then visit the teams' workspaces to provide feedback.
Check-ins happen throughout the event and overnight, with mentors visiting teams for up to 90 minutes post check-in. Outside of this formal mentoring time, mentors visit each team for additional assistance.
Beginning at 7AM Saturday, teams may begin running their pitch to the event organizers and mentors. This will be your opportunity to refine your message, your presentation flow and use any feedback to make minor adjustments to your presentation.
The big event begins at 12 noon Saturday after lunch. Students presentation begin at 1PM. Each team has approximately 3 minutes to pitch their idea, followed by Q&A with the judges.
At the conclusion of the pitches, judges will deliberate and winning teams will be awarded cash prizes.

JUDGING CRITERIA

Following the final pitches on Saturday afternoon, a panel of judges will evaluate each project and select winners.

Challenge specific prizes will be selected by participating companies and their representatives.

Projects will be evaluated in each of the following categories below:

Technical Concept (25%) is solution feasible
Design (25%) UI/UX, creativity & design aesthetics
Originality (25%) is solution distinctive or fundamentally different from existing approaches
Potential (25%) is solution capable of implementing to create an impact

There is one winner for each challenge.

It is highly recommended to consider them when deciding the focus of your project.

Organizers & Mentors will be onsite throughout the event if you have any questions.