Everything You Need to Know Before Attending Your First Hackathon

September 25, 2018

Next month, Freedom Consulting Group is sponsoring and participating in HackUMBC, a 24-hour hackathon where students from across the East Coast collaborate on new ideas to build mobile, web, and hardware projects. To get ready for the event, we put together a list of terms, facts, and stats about hackathons. Take a look:

Hackathon Defined

Hackathon
[hak–uh-thon]
noun
a usually competitive event in which people work in groups on software or hardware projects, with the goal of creating a functioning product by the end of the event

Or as UMBC so eloquently put it: A hackathon is a tech innovation marathon. This is where your dreams run wild. Solve a real-world problem with technology or build the next Iron Man suit.

This isn’t our first rodeo. Check out the FCG team at UMBC’s Hackathon in May 2018.

Types of hackathons 

There are many different kinds of hackathons. One important distinction is whether it’s an on-site or online event. Some occur virtually, where teams communicate online via tools like Slack and Skype. Others, like HackUMBC, are in-person. Some hackers are so dedicated that they even pack a sleeping bag and spend the night!

Another important distinction is public vs. internal. Some companies host internal hackathons to solve a problem or project specific to their business. According to HackElect.com’s Hackathon Trends 2017, the majority of hackathons are public (75%); only 25% are internal.

Industries that hack

While tech is probably the first industry that comes to mind when you think about a hackathon, there are plenty of others that can benefit from events like these. Others include finance, retail, health, manufacturing, and telecom.

Source: Hackathon.com and BeMyApp

The Ultimate Hackathon Packing List

Here’s what HackUMBC recommends bringing to the event: “Valid photo ID is required. (State issued ID is highly recommended). Laptops, sleeping bags, and toiletries are highly recommended.”

We decided to add a few of our own suggestions, just for fun:

  • Chargers and spare batteries
  • Headphones
  • Your caffeine of choice
  • Pen and paper. While the theme of a hackathon is all things tech, sometimes it’s best to go old school (and it’ll give your eyes a break from the screen!)
  • Sharpies and post-it notes
  • Snacks (Here’s a list of 10 Foods to Boost Your Brainpower…just in case)
  • Your Geekiest graphic tee (Might we suggest one of these?)

Now that you have everything you need to know about attending your first hackathon, we hope to see you at HackUMBC! For more details and to register, click here.

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