How Does a Hackathon Work? A Step-by-Step Guide for Organizers

How does a Hackathon work? A hackathon is a collaborative event where participants come together to solve specific challenges using creativity, problem-solving, and technical skills. While hackathons are often associated with coding, they can focus on a variety of fields, such as data science, UX design, app development, and even social impact. For organizers, understanding how a hackathon works is crucial to ensuring the event’s success.

This guide provides an overview of the key steps involved in running a hackathon, from preparation to post-event follow-up.

1. Preparation and Planning

Before the hackathon begins, thorough planning is essential. This stage involves defining the event’s goals, format, and audience. Organizers must also decide on the type of hackathon (in-person, virtual, or hybrid) and the core theme or challenge participants will address.

To attract participants, you’ll need to promote the event through marketing channels like social media, newsletters, and partner networks. It’s also essential to secure sponsors, industry partners, and mentors who can support the event with resources, guidance, and prizes. Logistics like venue selection (for physical events) and virtual platforms (for online hackathons) must be finalized in this stage.

Key Tasks During Preparation:

Define the event’s purpose and objectives.

Choose a format (online, hybrid, or in-person).

Plan marketing and participant recruitment.

Secure sponsors, partners, and mentors.

Finalize logistics, including event platforms and materials.

2. Kick-off and Team Formation

On the first day of the hackathon, participants join an introduction session where organizers present the event’s theme, rules, and timeline. If participants haven’t pre-formed teams, this is the moment to facilitate team formation. It’s often helpful to allow for some networking time so attendees can connect with others who have complementary skills.

Organizers may introduce brainstorming activities or icebreakers to encourage collaboration. Teams are then encouraged to start ideating, defining their problem statements, and sketching potential solutions.

Tips for Team Formation: Use team-matching platforms or live networking sessions, encourage a mix of skills (developers, designers, business strategists) in each team and ensure all participants are clear on the hackathon’s timeline and submission process.

3. Hacking and Development

This is the heart of the hackathon, where participants actively work on building their solutions. Teams collaborate on coding, designing, and testing their prototypes. During this phase, organizers should ensure that technical support and mentorship are available. Mentors can provide advice on technical, creative, or business aspects of the project.

The development stage often lasts anywhere from 24 to 72 hours, depending on the hackathon format. To keep participants motivated, organizers can introduce mini-challenges, side events, or wellness breaks.

How to Support Participants During Development:

Provide technical support and troubleshooting assistance.

Ensure teams have access to the necessary development tools, APIs, and datasets.

Organize wellness breaks or side activities to avoid burnout.

4. Submission and Presentation

As the hacking period comes to an end, teams finalize their prototypes and prepare their project presentations. Organizers should clearly communicate the submission deadline and requirements. Most hackathons require teams to submit: A short description of their project, the prototype or demo or a video or slide deck showcasing the project’s purpose, features, and technical details.

Teams often pitch their solutions to a panel of judges. This process gives participants a chance to explain their project’s impact, the problem it solves, and its technical feasibility. Organizers should allocate time for each team to present and answer questions from the judges.

Best Practices for the Submission Phase:

Set clear guidelines on what participants must submit (e.g., a prototype, video, or pitch deck).

Ensure submission deadlines are strict but reasonable.

Allocate presentation slots for each team, allowing 3-5 minutes per pitch.

5. Judging and Awards

Once teams have presented, judges assess the projects based on criteria such as innovation, technical complexity, impact, and feasibility. Organizers should clearly communicate the judging criteria before the hackathon begins.

Judging can happen live after the presentations or asynchronously if video submissions are required. After deliberation, the judges announce the winners, and prizes are awarded. Prizes can include cash, software licenses, internship opportunities, or mentorship sessions with industry experts.

6. Post-Hackathon Follow-Up

After the event, organizers should follow up with participants, mentors, and sponsors to collect feedback and measure the event’s success. A good post-event strategy includes sharing photos, publishing recap articles, and promoting the winning projects. This stage is crucial for maintaining relationships with sponsors, mentors, and participants for future events.

Post-Hackathon Activities:

Send follow-up emails to participants with event highlights, thank-you notes, and feedback surveys.

Promote the winners and their projects on social media.

Share case studies or success stories of teams that continue to develop their projects after the event.

Conclusion

A hackathon is a fast-paced, collaborative event where participants come together to build creative solutions for real-world challenges. For organizers, success lies in planning, providing support, and fostering a sense of community.

If you’re thinking of organizing a hackathon, Tailor Made Hackathon is here to help. With extensive experience organizing both virtual and in-person hackathons, we offer support with everything from event strategy to team formation and judging. Contact us today to see how we can make your hackathon a success.