Hackathons: From an Organizer's eye

So recently my team finished off with conducting hackCBS - India's Largest Student Run Hackathon. So the phrase India's Largest itself specifies the amount of effort and dedication it would take to conduct the event at such a large scale and that too at a student level. But the goal is not to show ourselves by using phrases like Largest and Biggest. The goal was, is and always will be to provide a platform to the developers for their skills and create a positive impact in the community.

From an Organizer's Eye

For an organizer of one of the most impactful hackathons in India, it is not just those 2 days or the week of the event but a total of 6 months is what it takes to set up everything so that the event is conducted smoothly. So if I break down the tasks and try to provide an overview of the same, this is how it will look like:

• First and foremost: Proposal for sponsorship

• Look out for in-cash and in-kind sponsors with in-cash on priority.

• Develop the website and finalize the registration portal

The main advice here to everybody is to remain patient and calm👨‍💻 and keep reaching out to the companies for sponsorship because this phase is the toughest😓 and after this, you will only have to figure out the things and work your way around them.

When sponsors and partners are finalized:

• Prepare graphics for the posts and flex

• Start with the operations and logistics

Once the registrations of the event are live:

• Start with proper marketing of the event

• Collaborate with community and media partners for quality attendees

Once the Registrations are closed:

• Shortlist the participants based on their Resume, LinkedIn and GitHub profiles.

• Send them confirmation mails

• Finalize the Mentors and Judges on the highest priority

• Set up the inventory oh yes inventory of schwags😃

• Set up the venue and the presentations

And finally, conduct the event which itself involves a lot of other things which have to be planned.

Let's have a look:

• Set up the registration desks at a suitable place to avoid overcrowding

• Welcome the guests 🙏🙏

• Explain A to Z everything to the participants about the hackathon involving the rules and regulations as well as the itinerary

• Conduct the workshops and start with the hackathon by announcing the submission deadline

• Look after the needs of everyone at the venue so that no one faces any problem and everyone feels comfortable at the event

• Make sure that the Mentors are available for the participants

Once the submission time is over:

• Provide data to the judges for a fair judging

• Finalize the winners

• Announce the winners and thank all the sponsors, partners, mentors and judges for their help and contribution.

• Finally closing off the event

Whoooshhh....Event done? Still there are tasks left:

• Provide the certificates and general schwag to everyone

• Transfer the prizes to the winners

• And a lot of after event social media stuff

And the toughest part for every organizer is the after event nostalgia😫but we deal with it anyhow.

PS: If any organizer is reading this blog, please do spare some time to click your team pictures😎 coz these will be some of the many memories that you will cherish.

Thank you for reading and please do show some support. 🙌✌️

Thank you!