about 8 years ago

Let's Get Ready to Hack: Your Hackathon Checklist

It's almost time - Saturday isn't far now and then we will be all together vizualizing a better Boston at District Hall. A few important reminders! The doors will be open and registration begins at 9:00 a.m. - get there early to network and have some breakfast. Our introduction will then begin at 10:00 a.m. before our brainstorming and hacking start. There will be some optional training workshops following the brainstorm - more information to come on those sessions!

Where's District Hall? Right here, at 75 Northern Ave.

In addition to bringing your best ideas and willingness to say yes to anything, a few more practical suggestions:

Your work gear

Bring any gear and hardware you may need. Laptop, chargers, networking gear and any other equipment you like working with - we unfortunately don't have any extra to lend out.
For those developing for mobile devices, bring your smartphones and tablets.
Bring a power strip if you have one. There are plentiful outlets around District Hall, but central power is an added way to make friends and keep your team together.
The venue has excellent wi-fi - but back-up never hurts.
The walls of District Hall are covered with idea paint - go nuts and mock up and brainstorm your best!
To share code, plans and notes with your team, it might be a good idea to be ready with a GitHub, Evernote, Asana, Basecamp, or whatever account to share.
If you have an idea in mind that requires a particular server/framework, consider setting some account(s) to allow others in your team to work with that resource.

Keep your energy levels up!

We will be providing breakfast and lunch on Saturday throughout the day. Gather, the full-service restaurant connected to the work area, is also running its normal hours.
There are plentiful watering holes and other food options in the Seaport area if you would like to pop out for some fresh air.
Try and stay until then end of the day if your schedule allows - we will also be relaxing and networking at the conclusion of the workshop hours.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out to hubhacks@boston.gov. You'll also be able to easily recognize all of the City of Boston representatives throughout the weekend to ask in-person. We will be providing other details on software, free training sessions and prizes over the next few days, so stay tuned!