How To Organize A Hackathon: A Complete Guide

Over 80% of Fortune 100 companies have organized hackathons, and more than 50% of these hackathons are recurring events — clear proof that hackathons are not just trendy, but a reliable and strategic tool for sustained innovation. By bringing together developers, designers, and creative minds to solve challenges in a short, high-energy burst of collaboration, hackathons help companies uncover new ideas, fast-track product development, and foster a culture of experimentation. If you’re wondering how to organize a hackathon effectively, understanding the right approach can make all the difference in achieving these outcomes.

Whether you’re an experienced event organizer or a novice looking to bring your first hackathon to life, understanding the intricacies of planning and executing such a distinct event is crucial. This guide will introduce you to the hackathon world, from benefits to stakeholders and the essential steps, ensuring that your event not only meets but exceeds expectations.

What is a hackathon?

A hackathon is an intensive, time-bound event where software developers, designers, strategists, and other innovators collaborate to create solutions for specific challenges. Typically lasting between 24 to 48 hours, hackathons provide a dynamic environment where teams rapidly prototype new technologies, develop innovative features, or build entirely new products. These events encourage creativity, problem-solving, and cross-disciplinary collaboration, often resulting in groundbreaking ideas and practical solutions.

Why should you organize a hackathon?

The answer is simple: hackathons bring a plethora of benefits to your company! 

• Hackathons strengthen developer relations by building strong ties between your brand and the developer community through meaningful engagement and collaboration.
• Hackathons drive innovation by sparking creative solutions to complex problems and fostering creative problem-solving.
• Whether you’re building developer tools, new technologies, or platforms, hackathons allow participants to experience and innovate new ideas with all given resources.
• Hackathons attract top talent by offering a dynamic, hands-on recruitment platform where you can identify and connect with skilled developers, designers, strategists, and creative thinkers from different disciplines.

Hackathon Types and Formats

There are two main types of hackathons: internal and external. Internal hackathons focus on nurturing in-house talent and driving internal innovation, while external hackathons bring in diverse perspectives, broaden technical expertise, and enhance brand visibility.

Internal Hackathons:

• Internal hackathons are limited to a company’s employees, which creates a focused and secure environment for participants.
• They encourage internal innovation by giving employees dedicated time and space to work on new ideas outside of their usual roles.
• These hackathons strengthen company culture by fostering collaboration between different teams and departments.
• They provide a low-risk platform where employees can test experimental ideas and prototype internal tools.
• Internal hackathons also help leadership identify emerging talent and recognize creative problem solvers within the organization.

External Hackathons:

• External hackathons are open to employees, industry experts, partner companies, students, startups, and freelance innovators.
• They bring in diverse perspectives and provide access to broader technical expertise from outside the organization.
• These events increase the chances of breakthrough innovation by inviting creative solutions from fresh external minds.
• They also serve as a powerful recruitment tool, allowing companies to assess talent in a real-time, hands-on environment.
• Additionally, external hackathons enhance brand visibility and position the company as a leader in innovation and developer engagement.

Hackathons can also be organized in two main formats: online and offline. Online hackathons offer flexibility and global reach at lower costs, while offline hackathons provide richer networking, collaboration, and immersive experiences.

Online Hackathons:

• Online hackathons use digital platforms to bring participants together from anywhere in the world.
• They are cost-effective because they eliminate expenses for venue, catering, and travel.
• These hackathons enable wider reach and global participation, attracting talent regardless of location.
• They offer flexibility for participants to work from home, but they demand strong communication and collaboration tools to keep everyone engaged.
• Online hackathons also require creative approaches to virtual networking and team bonding to foster a sense of community.

Offline Hackathons:

• Offline hackathons foster stronger real-time collaboration and organic brainstorming through face-to-face interaction.
• They create an immersive, high-energy environment that builds excitement and camaraderie among participants.
• These hackathons offer richer networking opportunities by allowing participants to meet mentors, judges, and industry leaders in person.
• However, they require more extensive logistical planning, including venue selection, equipment setup, catering, and accommodation for traveling participants.
• Participation is limited to those who can physically attend, which may reduce geographic diversity.

Choosing The Right Hackathon Type and Format to Host

For Hackathon Type:

• If you want to encourage internal innovation, upskill employees, and develop in-house talent, an internal hackathon is ideal.
• If your goal is to leverage external perspectives to foster innovation and expand your network with industry experts and new talents, an external hackathon is preferable.
• Assess available resources, including budget, technical support, and mentorship opportunities, to determine the best type of hackathon for your organization.

For Hackathon Format:

• If fostering deep team interactions, partnerships and project submission quality is crucial, an offline event may be preferable.
• If inclusivity, scalability, and cost efficiency are priorities, an online format is ideal.
• Consider budget, logistics, and outcomes before making a final decision.

While rare, a hybrid approach that combines elements of both types and formats can also be considered. This could include a mix of internal and external participants, or an event that blends online and offline experiences to maximize reach and engagement.

6 steps to organize a successful hackathon

Step 1: Define hackathon goals & objectives 

The first step in organizing a successful hackathon is to define your goals and objectives.

Start by determining the primary purpose of the hackathon, whether it’s fostering innovation, building community, acquiring talent, or increasing brand awareness. Next, identify the specific problems you want participants to solve and the outcomes you expect. Establish concrete metrics to measure these outcomes, such as the number of participants and projects, or the quality of solutions and social impact.

Step 2: Set out the hackathon details

🌟 Theme and Challenge Statement: Start by choosing a theme that aligns with the specific goal that your company wants to achieve, be it adopting new technologies, incubating new applications, or solving societal issues. Create a clear narrative to guide event branding, marketing, and discussions. Furthermore, formulate achievable challenge statements that cater to diverse skill levels and areas of expertise.

Need some inspiration? Discover the hackathon themes of these global companies:

• Databricks Generative AI World Cup: Focused on leveraging generative AI for data-driven innovations, challenging data professionals to develop AI-powered solutions.
• IBM Master the Mainframe: Aimed at helping developers gain hands-on experience with enterprise computing and mainframe technologies.
• P&G Impactful Solutions Hackathon: Encouraged teams to explore innovative solutions with real-world impact, particularly in consumer goods and sustainability.

🌟 Target Audience: Define the demographic that will be interested in your hackathon’s themes and benefits. For example, for students, the focus can be on educational challenges and mentorship. Similarly, for developers, the hackathon can center around in-demand technologies.

🌟 Guidelines: Establish clear rules and guidelines to ensure a fairly organized hackathon. This consists of key deliverables, judging criteria, and intellectual property terms. A code of conduct detailing acceptable behavior, harassment policies, and technical standards is also needed to maintain a respectful competing environment.

🌟 Event Format: Choose the format that best aligns with your goals. In-person events have better networking opportunities but require more budgeting resources. On the other hand, virtual hackathons are more accessible and cost-effective but may face collaboration challenges. Alternatively, a hybrid format combines both benefits but needs careful planning and execution.

🌟 Prizes and Incentives: Rewards can be monetary, such as cash prizes or cryptocurrency, or non-monetary, such as mentorship opportunities, product credits, fast-track job interviews, or exclusive networking with industry leaders. Also, consider offering tiered awards for different categories like ‘Most Innovative Solution’, ‘Best Use of Technology’, ‘Best Design’, or ‘Audience Favorite’ to recognize a variety of strengths and contributions.

🌟 Budget: Estimate the total costs you will need for the venue (or platform if organized online), supplies, technology, marketing, prizes, and staff. You can seek funding from partners, sponsors, ticket sales, or fundraising campaigns. Lastly, don’t forget a contingency plan for unexpected expenses to smooth out any operational risks.

Step 3: Hackathon planning and preparation

✅ Select the Right Venue or Platform:

• For virtual hackathons, choose reliable platforms that support communication, collaboration, and submissions.
• Prepare backup plans in case of technical issues to avoid disruptions.
• For offline hackathons, select a venue that fits your expected attendance, provides necessary infrastructure, and enhances the creative atmosphere.

✅ Plan Schedule and Activities for Engagement and Structure:

• Create a detailed schedule starting with an engaging opening ceremony to set the tone and energize participants.
• Include workshops, coding sessions, networking events, and a closing ceremony to provide value and encourage collaboration.
• For virtual or hybrid formats, integrate online presentation and collaboration tools to ensure smooth communication.
• Offer a variety of activities to ensure participants have a meaningful and enriching experience while catering to different interests.

✅ Create Promotional Materials to Build Awareness and Excitement:

• Develop a unique logo, color scheme, and tagline to create a strong brand identity for the hackathon.
• Use these assets to design social media graphics, flyers, and email templates that capture attention.
• Build a comprehensive, mobile-friendly website to clearly communicate all hackathon details and streamline registrations.

✅ Explore Partnerships and Sponsorships to Enhance Resources and Credibility:

• Seek partnerships with organizations that align with your goals to add credibility and amplify reach.
• Highlight benefits like branding, networking, and database access to attract valuable partners.
• Leverage these partnerships to provide additional resources, mentorship, prizes, and expert guidance for participants.

✅ Find Judges and Mentors to Ensure Quality and Participant Support:

• Recruit experts with relevant experience in your chosen theme or challenge areas to ensure qualified judging.
• Provide judges with clear criteria and evaluation guidelines to maintain fairness.
• Ensure mentors are prepared to offer constructive feedback and ongoing support, helping teams improve their solutions.

✅ Set Up Registration to Attract the Right Participants:

• Clearly outline eligibility criteria and application deadlines to set expectations upfront.
• Offer early-bird discounts or other incentives to encourage early sign-ups and gauge interest.
• Use the registration process to collect key participant information, ensuring you attract the right audience for your hackathon’s goals.

✅ Manage All Event Operations:

• Plan for infrastructure, decorations, catering, security, and supplies, ensuring every detail is covered.
• Test all technical equipment, power supply, and internet connectivity ahead of time.
• Coordinate with on-the-ground staff to manage setup, check-in, and provide real-time support to participants, mentors, and judges.

“The early stages of hackathon organization can feel like navigating a complex maze, where every step in logistics and promotion might distract you from the core creative mission. So it’s our job to swiftly guide clients through that maze, so that they can solely concentrate on designing the best challenge statements and mentoring the next wave of innovators.“

Tricia Neo, Head of Ecosystem Development at AngelHack

Step 4: Promote your hackathon

Promotion is key to attracting participants and third parties such as sponsors and industry stakeholders. Like any event, you need to build anticipation. If you want to attract third parties who might be interested in the outcome and willing to contribute resources, start promoting well in advance.

For participants, you can maximize visibility and engagement with a multi-layered approach using the channels and tactics as below

Social Media Marketing

• Leverage platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, and Discord to create buzz.
• Use targeted ads and hashtag campaigns to reach relevant audiences.
• Engage with developer communities and influencers for organic reach.

Email Marketing

• Send personalized invitations to past participants and industry contacts.
• Develop an email sequence with reminders, key event details, and incentives to register.

Developer and Industry Networks

• Partner with coding bootcamps, universities, and tech meetups to tap into their networks.
• List the hackathon on virtual platforms like StackUp or GitHub.
• A pro tip: Promote through AngelHack’s global community of 300,000+ developers!

Traditional and Paid Advertising

• Use Google Ads to reach targeted professionals and companies.
• Create blog posts and press releases to attract media coverage.
• Distribute flyers and posters at tech events and coworking spaces.

Your promotional content should clearly highlight the hackathon’s theme, prizes, key dates, and how to register. It should also emphasize other benefits of participating besides the prizes, such as networking, mentorship, and potential career opportunities. Featuring testimonials from past participants or success stories from previous hackathons can further boost credibility and engagement.

Step 5: On the hackathon day

The big day is here, and your careful planning is about to come to life! The hackathon success hinges on seamless execution, clear communication, and maintaining a high-energy, supportive atmosphere for participants. Remember, both virtual and in-person events require hands-on management to keep everything running smoothly.

Make Final Preparations:

• Communicate all essential details, including schedules, rules, platform guides, and contact points for urgent queries.
• Keep engagement high by sending regular countdown reminders and motivational updates.
• For in-person events, ensure the venue is fully prepared, including registration desks, tech setup, catering stations, and clear signage.
• For virtual events, conduct final tests on submission portals, video conferencing tools, and collaboration platforms.
• Prepare a troubleshooting guide to handle technical issues quickly.

Manage The D-Day:

• Follow the predetermined schedule to keep the event on track.
• Foster a flexible, creative environment where innovation can thrive.
• Ensure key resources like API documentation, sample datasets, and design templates are readily accessible.
• Keep organizers, mentors, and judges highly visible and approachable.
• Offer encouragement through regular check-ins and small perks (like snacks for in-person events or virtual swag for online events).
• Manage time closely by providing regular reminders about upcoming deadlines.

Here is a sample schedule that we use for a 48-hour offline hackathon – feel free to copy and modify as you wish!

Day 1

• 9:00 AM – Registration and Breakfast
• 10:00 AM – Opening Ceremony & Keynote Speech
• 11:00 AM – Ice Breakers & Team Formation
• 12:00 PM – Hacking Begins
• 1:00 PM – Lunch Break
• 1:30 PM – Thematic Keynotes
• 3:00 PM – Mentor Rounds & Technical Workshops
• 5:30 PM – Submission Briefing
• 6:00 PM – Dinner & Networking
• 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM – Mentor Hours Continue
• 9:00 PM onwards – Overnight Hacking & Progress Reviews

Day 2

• 8:00 AM – Breakfast & Final Coding Stretch
• 11:00 AM – Code Freeze & Submission Deadline
• 11:30 AM – Lunch Break
• 12:30 PM – Project Demos & Qualifier Judging
• 2:30 PM – Finalists Announcement
• 3:30 PM – Live Pitch Competition
• 6:00 PM – Tabulate Scores & Sponsor Remarks
• 6:30 PM – Closing Ceremony & Awards

Step 6: Follow up

Congratulations! You’ve made it through your hackathon, but the work doesn’t end here. It’s crucial to follow up with everyone involved. After the hackathon, follow-up tasks are essential to maintaining engagement and measuring success:

• Plan for Future Hackathons: Use the collected data and feedback to refine and enhance future hackathons, ensuring continuous improvement and sustained participation.
• Collect Feedback: Send post-event surveys to participants, mentors, and judges to evaluate the hackathon experience and gather insights for improvement.
• Show Appreciation: Send personalized thank-you notes to sponsors, speakers, mentors, volunteers, and participants to acknowledge their contributions.
• Summarize and Report: Create a detailed post-event report highlighting participant numbers, project outcomes, media coverage, and key takeaways.
• Share Event Highlights: Publish blog posts, social media updates, and newsletters showcasing winning projects, participant testimonials, and event achievements.
• Engage the Community: Keep attendees engaged by updating them on the progress of winning projects, upcoming events, and opportunities for collaboration.

Tips from the expert

Having organized 500+ hackathons since 2011, our team at AngelHack wants to share a few tips that have been tremendously helpful in ensuring a hackathon’s success.

• Plan well ahead of time: Start preparations at least 12 to 16 weeks in advance to secure the right partners, venues, and tools, giving you ample time to promote the event and avoid last-minute stress.
• Hold training sessions for participants: Pre-event workshops or webinars before the actual hacking period are a must in getting participants familiar with tools and challenges, which boost their productivity and confidence.
• Don’t do it alone: Hosting a hackathon takes months of preparation, which can take a toll on your already busy team. Collaborate with sponsors and other organizations to make full use of the extra resources, not to mention the mentorship and networking opportunities!
• Ensure judges and mentors are involved throughout: Engage them from the start to provide guidance, feedback, and support, which directly enhances both the quality and quantity of project submissions.
• Control costs and timelines: Carefully track expenses and schedules to avoid budget overruns and overtime, which are common pitfalls in hackathon planning.
• Have a solid contingency plan: Anticipate potential issues like power cuts, internet failures, participant dropouts, or team conflicts, and be ready with backup resources and quick solutions to keep the event running smoothly.

Host a Hackathon with AngelHack

AngelHack offers an end-to-end hackathon hosting service, leveraging 14 years of experience organizing global events that drive innovation, in partnership with tech leaders such as Google, IBM, Microsoft, AWS and NASA. With a strong network of industry leaders, and 300,000+ developers worldwide, we ensure your hackathon reaches the right audience and delivers impactful results. Our service includes:

• End-to-End Hackathon Organization: Full support from planning to execution, ensuring a seamless and impactful event.
• Program Design: Custom challenge statements and engaging workshops aligned with your vision to inspire innovation.
• Marketing & Outreach: Extensive promotion through our network of 300,000+ developers and 140+ community partners to attract top talent.
• Event Management: Complete logistics handling, including venue selection, event planning, and on-site management for a hassle-free experience.
• Hackathon Platform: Host your hackathon on StackUp, a robust platform with 160,000+ developers, providing collaboration and project management tools.
• Event Setup: Seamless in-person hackathon experience, including venue selection, branding, tech integration, and catering management.

So whether you’re looking to foster internal innovation, attract top talent, or engage a developer community, AngelHack’s expertise, experience and ecosystem will make your hackathon a success. And don’t just hear it from us – hear from our satisfied customers and their thriving hackathons!

Final words

Now that we have covered the A to Z of hackathon organization, hopefully, you are excited to start one of your own! And to make things even easier for you, we have compacted all the essential knowledge, steps and details into one checklist that you can download and refer back to anytime.

Download the Hackathon organization checklist here

And if you need any advice or support in making your event a smashing success, see what AngelHack has to offer and book a consultation session right away!