The Organizer | Just like any other event, organizers are the ones that make sure that the hackathon is in order and well-organized. They are always open to suggestions and provide ideas for attracting participants and sponsors.
The Sponsor | Sponsors play a vital role in hackathons as they often provide financial, goods, services, and sometimes physical assets such as space. They are welcome to offer feedback on the event’s purpose or give their perspective on how the hackathon could be improved.
The Judge | They are often called the smartest person in the room and are known experts in their field, and some are simply volunteers. All judges determine whether or not the presented ideas are effective and worth pursuing. They usually arrive later and have no personal stake in the outcome of the discussion. Because they function as outsiders, their ideas may not always be aligned with the presenters more often than intended. To ensure they don’t get kept off from the presentations, welcome them as ordinary members of the unaware market.
The Subject Matter Expertise | These experts are experienced and skillful in their field to know the strengths and areas of improvement of a project. Their knowledge keeps you on track about the goal of the hackathons. They can be hosts too but mainly work in areas that include coding languages. They work to ensure that proposed ideas are feasible. Subject Matter Experts are there to help you reach a realistic solution. It is best to maximise the discussion with them as they are around during the event.
The Host | The host manages the onsite event, including discussion sessions and introducing people. They organize the hackathon event and can keep their audience informed of what comes next.
The Team Captain | They are either assigned to a group or chosen by the team. Team Captains are responsible for giving guidance from other team members, such as mentors, problem hosts, and experts into practical advice and actionable insights. They also play a key role in challenging the team’s thinking and helping to encourage creative solutions.
The Hackers | Hackers are passionate about providing solutions to existing problems, and this skill has helped create some of the world’s most successful startups and solve major problems.
The Volunteer | Hackathon volunteers are always available to help and provide resources or locations important to your hacking success. They are allowed to set up the event and assist with the registrations and food.
The Social Media Professional | A media professional can be responsible for taking pictures, filming videos, writing blog posts, or using social media to capture an event’s success. When an event wants to create a successful image and content, they often involve these individuals. As a participant, you should be prepared to hear correspondence from at least one of these people via social media channels or email.
The Recruiter | Recruiters from the surrounding corporate community, problem-host companies, participating startup members, and sponsors’ companies may attend hackathons to find new and fresh talent.
The Silent Observer | If you are a potential investor or first-time attendee, and you’re not sure if coding is for you, don’t worry – we would love to have your input and vote on teams. If you like what you see after watching the first few rounds of presentations feel free to jump in! Observers are there to witness how a hackathon works and check out if they want to be a participant in the next hackathon event.
