How to Organise a Hackathon

So, you want to organise a hackathon. Brave choice. Whether it's your first or you're the person in your group who always gets roped into these things, you're in for a ride. It can be one of the most exciting, creative, exhausting events you'll ever run. But it’s also a minefield of Wi-Fi problems, last-minute cancellations, coffee shortages, and unexpected genius.

I’ve helped run everything from small in-person sprints in borrowed classrooms to global online events with hundreds of participants. Some of them were smooth. Others felt like riding a shopping trolley down a hill. Hopefully, this guide helps you skip the worst of it and pull off something amazing.

Start With a Purpose

Before you book a venue or set up a Discord server, you need to know what the event is for. I once co-organised a hackathon that had no clear focus. It was just called “Hack Something” which, in hindsight, should’ve been a warning. People signed up, showed up, then asked us what they were supposed to build. We didn’t really know.

Compare that with a sustainability-themed event we ran the year after. Everything made sense. The partners we invited were all from the green tech space. The challenges were related to energy, climate, and waste. Even the prizes matched the theme. And most importantly, people actually cared about the projects they built.

Ask yourself this:

A clear purpose keeps everything aligned. It tells you who to invite, how to promote it, which sponsors to approach, and what kind of atmosphere you want to create.

Choose the Right Format

Hackathons are not one-size-fits-all. Some are weekend-long physical events where people don’t sleep. Some are quiet two-week online projects. Both are valid. Choosing the right format is about knowing your audience and your goal.

My personal favourite is the 36 hour in-person format. Long enough to make something real, short enough to keep people engaged without total burnout. That said, our biggest turnout was for a ten day online event. People joined from seven different countries and we barely had to buy snacks.

Build a Reliable Team

You cannot do this on your own. I’ve tried. You’ll burn out fast and the event will suffer. You need at least five committed people.

Choose people who actually care. Don’t just hand out roles to whoever volunteers first. I once gave the logistics job to a mate who disappeared for a week before the event. We ended up ordering tables and power strips the night before. Never again.

Find the Right Space or Platform

For in-person events, your venue is everything. Comfort, power, and connectivity make or break the experience.

What to look for:

• Lots of power outlets and extension leads
• Strong, stable Wi-Fi that can handle many devices
• Decent lighting and ventilation
• Somewhere to nap or chill
• Access to toilets and ideally showers
• 24 hour access, if it’s a long event

We once used a university library over a weekend. It was free, had excellent facilities, and security was already in place. It’s still one of the best setups we’ve had.

If you’re going online:

• Use Discord or Slack for chat and announcements
• Host on Devpost or a shared Notion for submissions
• Run webinars or office hours on Zoom
• Use Google Forms for registration and feedback
• Keep things simple and familiar
• Don’t try to build your own platform unless your event is literally a challenge to build one

Sort Out Food, Drinks and Sleep

You can have the best projects in the world, but if people are hungry, tired, and uncomfortable, they will leave early. Or worse, they’ll stay and hate it.

Must haves:

• Proper meals, not just snacks
• Water stations everywhere
• Tea, coffee and energy drinks (but not too much)
• Healthy options like fruit and cereal bars
• Vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options
• Somewhere soft to sit, or better, nap

If it’s online, encourage people to pace themselves. Suggest breaks, hydration and sleep. We ran a two week hackathon where we had “self care” reminders every day. Some people genuinely appreciated it.

Build a Simple Schedule

You don’t need to fill every hour. People need time to think and code. But a loose structure helps keep energy up and avoids confusion.

Online schedules can stretch longer, but still include clear milestones and time for live sessions or Q and A.

Promote It Properly

You can plan the perfect event, but if no one hears about it, it’s pointless. Promotion is half the work. Start at least four to six weeks before the event.

Mix up your posts. Don’t just post the flyer ten times. Share speaker highlights, past project examples, memes, countdowns, prize reveals, and anything that builds hype.

Get Sponsors and Keep Them Happy

Sponsorship is about more than money. They bring legitimacy, prizes, mentors, and even participants. But you have to show them what they get out of it.

Offer sponsors:

• Branding on the site and in the venue
• A chance to offer a challenge or prize
• Access to participants for recruitment
• Speaking opportunities or judging roles
• A thank you after the event, with photos and stats

Start asking early. The worst you’ll hear is no. A surprising number of small startups are happy to chip in.

Run the Event with Flexibility

Even with a perfect plan, things will go sideways. Someone will forget a cable. Someone will accidentally unplug the Wi-Fi. Just roll with it.

Tips for keeping the weekend smooth:

• Have a group chat for your team
• Send regular updates to participants
• Walk around and chat with teams
• Be ready to fix random problems
• Keep snacks and coffee flowing

Judging and Prizes That Work

Your judging process needs to be clear, fair, and not too intimidating. Don’t turn it into a talent show.

Bring in judges from different backgrounds. Include a dev, a designer, maybe a community organiser, or even a poet. We had a local radio host once. Gave the best feedback of the day.

Also have fun categories like:

• Most Unexpected Use of Tech
• Best Presentation Slide
• Most Likely to Be a Real Product
• Best Team Name

Wrap Up and Follow Up

When the last prize has been handed out, you still have a job to do. Post-event follow-up makes a big difference.

Send a thank you email within two days. Include:

• Links to the submitted projects
• Photos or videos from the event
• Feedback form
• Any follow-up resources or community invites

Save those quotes. They help when you pitch the next one.

Final Thoughts

Running a hackathon is exhausting and amazing all at once. You’ll forget to eat. You’ll panic over cables. You’ll make a new friend at 3am over a broken Raspberry Pi. It’s all part of the fun.

Remember these five things:

• Keep the purpose clear
• Choose the right format
• Build a strong team
• Look after your participants
• Stay flexible when it goes sideways

If you do that, it’ll be a success. Even if half the room ends up asleep under tables and the winning team builds an app that only kind of works, they’ll leave with a smile and a story.

You’re ready now. Go organise your hackathon.