Unleash the Beast: How to Hack a Hackathon, Save the World and Make Your Parents Proud

INSTRUCTORS:

Marianne Bellotti (Hackathon vet, 5-time hackathon winner, Developer and Prototype Engineer)

Christopher Kennedy (Hackathon vet - winner of numerous hackathons including Tech Crunch, web developer, UX designer and front-end developer)

REGISTRATION INCLUDES:

Downloadable Seminar Presentations  ♦  Free tickets to the first ever hackathon for Biz Dev and Marketing experts (to be judged by hackers)  ♦  Pizza and Beer 

AGENDA:

• Feed the Beast: a brief overview of the evolutuion of hackthons ♦ what are the various types of hackathons ♦ what's driving this worldwide insatiable thirst for innovation at hackathons and what threatens to destroy that spirit of innovation? ♦ which are the most successful hackathons? ♦ the elements of a successful hackathon ♦ who are the best hackers winning hackathons and what's their secret?  ♦ which technology is dominating hackathons? ♦ how to choose the best hackathons (what to look for, what to avoid)  ♦ what is it really like in the trenches of a hackathon?;
• The Cast of Characters: Hackers, designers, judges, organizers, sponsors, mentors, assorted staff, gawkers and even press... who's who at hackathons and how they all interact with each other to create an innovative experience;
• What to Expect When Hacking: a detailed step-by-step breakdown of every phase of the hackathon (from registration, to presentation) 
• Strategy and Execution: what to hack? ♦ how to hack it? ♦ with whom to hack? ♦ how to measure expectations versus reality (setting realistic goals during the hackathon) ♦ how to formulate and execute a winning strategy ♦ how to pivot to Plan B when your first strategy falls flat;
• Hacketiquette - don't be THAT guy/girl (the one that no one wants to hack with) ♦ the interpersonal politics of hacking with a group of strangers, presenting for judges and getting along with everyone ♦ how to handle (and avoid) hackathon wannabes, psychos and sicophants ♦ what to do and what NOT to do;
• Hacker Hookups: choosing hacker teammates wisely ♦ discerning the hardcore, respected players from the opportunists and the posers ♦ what do other hackers expect of you and what you should expect of them;
• Time Management: how to size up and break down the work to be done on your idea ♦ how to time-manage your team ♦ tips on how to stay focused in the midst of relentless distractions ♦ techniques to get you through two days without sleep at a hackathon;
• The ABCs of APIs: when it comes to APIs, you think you know, but you have no idea... ♦ not all APIs are created equally - what to look for and how to work through technical problems ♦ how to interact with API reps to gain the most insight into their platforms; 
• Rock the Mic: what are the crucial elements of a winning presentation ♦ how do you convey your apps' relevance, functionality and techinical expertice like a pro? ♦ what are the crucial elements of a winning presentation? What do the judges look for? How handle audience questions about your technology ♦ Presentation mishaps to avoid;
• Investors, Business Models and Shameless Self-Promotion:  what are investors looking for at hackathons? ♦ what are companies looking for (talent, ideas, cheap labor?) ♦ how to effectively and tactifully promote your participation at hackathons. 

TAKEAWAYS:

Designed primarily for non-technical hackers (though technical hackers are more than welcome) who want an insider-understanding of hackathon and who are looking for the competitive edge.

Learn how to compete like the pros, how to build meaningful partnerships and how to maximize the opportunities from participating in a hackathon.

Participants will receive a thorough understanding of the hackathon ecosystem and actionable information and strategies for navigating it confidently and effectively.


INSTRUCTOR BIOS:

Marianne Bellotti (@bellmar) is a hackathon vet, having attended Photo Hack Day I & II, API Hack Day I & II, Hackday.tv, GDI Hackathon in the Hamptons for Humanity, Startup Weekend NYC, Meetup's Battle of the Braces among other events, winning thousands of dollars in prizes. 

Currently she serves as a Developer Evangelist and Prototype Engineer at Basic6. She hacks in PHP, Python, and Javascript (including node.js) and is particularly interested in visualizations, data, and machine learning.

Christopher Kennedy (@KennedysGarage), recently named one of Betabeat's Most Poachable Players in Tech and one of the most respected web designers/developers in the business, currently leads the digital design front at M. Shanken Communications.

He recently co-founded Grade Spotter, a full-featured NYC restaurant inspection guide for the iPhone. Lately his main focus has been UX design for tablet & mobile applications, however he's designed and launched several successful websites over the past eight years.

Kennedy also works with 48HOURapps as a UX designer and front-end developer, ushering apps from concept to app store in just 48 hours. Recently, his team PoachBase won second place at the most anticipated hackathon of the year, TechCrunch. 

Facilitator & Organizer

Charlie Oliver’s (@itscomplicated) years of experience in the trenches of media, marketing and branding include working in advertising at such media goliaths as BBDO Worldwide and Condé Nast, to producing sitcoms and dramas at Sony Pictures Entertainment, Paramount Pictures, Warner Brothers, Dreamworks, to event management at such notable events as The Sundance Film Festival. She segued seamlessly into digital  media and technology over six years ago as a web video producer with the launch of her first digital media startup (Art of Talk TV) and as a web developer for small companies and emerging brands.

Currently, she is CEO of   Served Fresh Media which provides digital media strategy and social media amplification for live, large-scale events and startups globally. In additin to managing Served Fresh Media's clients and initiatives (including Innovation Unleashed), Charlie works with web developers and entrepreneurs as an advisor to startups. She also facilitates and moderates discussion and debate on hot-topics on industries, markets and trends at live events.