Hosting an online hackathon is a great way to bring together builders from different backgrounds, without the constraints of geographical barriers, but organizing one can be a lot of work. Without a dedicated hackathon platform, organizers often resort to patching together multiple tools, which is inefficient and prone to errors.
In this article, we’ll explore 10 compelling reasons why leveraging a hackathon platform is the ideal choice for your next online challenge.
What Is a Hackathon Platform?
A hackathon platform is a specialized tool designed to manage all aspects of organizing a hackathon. These platforms vary in features but typically handle tasks ranging from participant registration to project submission and judging. There are a number of different platforms to choose from, so it’s important to select one that meets your needs.
TAIKAI is a virtual hackathon platform that makes hosting virtual hackathon events easier. Talk with us today, we are here to help you with the process.
How to choose a hackathon platform?
Without a dedicated hackathon platform, organizers often resort to patching together multiple tools like Google Sheets for tracking registrations and submissions, standalone landing pages for event information, form platforms for participant submissions, and project management tools for coordination.
This makeshift approach can be chaotic, difficult to manage, and project an amateur image to participants and sponsors. That is why when choosing a hackathon platform, it’s important to evaluate the features it provides. Here are some key features to consider:
- A hackathon platform should allow you to create and customize your challenge.
- It should provide a space for developers to register and participate.
- It should have a submission system that judges submissions based on set criteria.
- It should offer a platform for team formation and collaboration.
- It should be easy to use and navigate.
We’ve conducted a careful review of the major hackathon platforms and created a benchmarking guide, so you have a quick and clear understanding of the features and benefits each one offers.
TAIKAI takes it a step further by providing customized consultancy services to help you organize your hackathon. Learn more about our consultancy services here.
Why should you use a hackathon management platform?
Complications can easily arise when hosting a virtual hackathon by yourself. Tasks like creating a landing page, managing communication, and handling registrations can quickly become overwhelming but these challenges can be effortlessly managed with the right tools.
This is where hackathon management software comes in as your solution, streamlining the entire organizing process and providing a centralized hub for all essential tasks and communications.
Some of the benefits include:
1- Easy accessibility for event information
Having a hackathon management platform for your next hackathon comes with many benefits, the first being a shared space to post all information related to the event.
This ensures that everyone stays informed and up-to-date with any changes made by organizers, minimizing miscommunication and confusion among applicants.
2- Manage participant registrations
An added benefit of hackathon software is its ability to streamline participant registrations. Once you announce your event on the online hackathon platform, applicants can easily sign up without external intervention.
This frees up organizers to focus on essential tasks such as marketing and prize pool setup and simplifies the application process for your developer community.
3- Project management at your fingertips
Online hackathon platforms offer project management tools to keep track of progress, assign tasks, and monitor deadlines. This helps teams stay organized and ensures that all team members are on the same page, leading to a better chance of having a successful event.
4- Collaborative hackathon project submission
Hackathon software is heavily designed to be user-friendly for both the organizers and the community, streamlining the process of submitting the final projects.
Participants are allowed to submit their projects directly to the platform and upload attachments in different formats, ensuring a seamless project submission.
5- Streamlined evaluation process
Evaluating submissions can be a tedious task for organizers, particularly when there is a large number of projects submitted. Hackathon software simplifies this process by providing an easy way for judges to review and score submissions online.
All you need to do is define the criteria projects need to meet to match your objectives, and the rest of the evaluation process is handled by the platform.
6- Team matchmaking system
Online hackathons attract a diverse community of highly specialized and creative minds, offering an ideal environment for finding like-minded teammates who share similar passions and objectives.
Hackathon platforms like TAIKAI help with the team formation process by providing a matchmaking system that allows participants to easily connect, share their skills, and form cohesive teams.
7- Communication tool between participants
Communication is key, especially when collaborating with people around the globe. Digital events don’t have the luxury of spontaneous communication that onsite hackathons have, but virtual hackathon platforms facilitate communication with private messaging features that allow participants to communicate with team members and mentors.
8- Support from leading professionals in different industries
Virtual events allow experts and professionals to be involved in online hackathons and support the community regardless of their geographical location. Mentors can join remotely from different parts of the world, providing guidance on specific areas or industries in which they excel. This creates a diverse pool of expertise for participants to learn from and receive feedback on their projects.
On TAIKAI, you can choose to provide mentorship as an expert in your field by joining an event as a mentor. The platform also allows organizers to invite industry professionals as mentors through their network or reach out to potential mentors through the platform’s network of experts.
9- Global outreach
One of the biggest perks of virtual events is its global reach, allowing anyone from anywhere in the world to join as a participant or mentor. This brings diverse perspectives and solutions to challenges posed by organizers and creates a truly international community.
TAIKAI allows event organizers to set any location as their target audience, greatly expanding the pool of potential participants. The platform also supports multiple languages, making it accessible to non-English speakers around the world.
10- Cost-effectiveness
Finally, a hackathon platform is the most cost-effective way to host your event. You won’t have to spend extra on numerous tool subscriptions when you could be applying that money to prizes and hackathon rewards.
Starknet Winter Hackathon: a web3 online hackathon success story
The Starknet Winter Hackathon is a great example of how a hackathon platform not only simplifies event management but also facilitates valuable connections between developers and companies.
The Starknet Winter Hackathon, hosted and co-promoted by TAIKAI, attracted 390 participants, boosting Starknet’s brand visibility and innovation within the Starkware ecosystem.
TAIKAI streamlined the entire event management process for Starkware with our consultancy services, and our all-in-one hackathon platform that handles all technical aspects of hosting and promoting a hackathon with great user experience for participants, organizers, and judges.
The Starknet Winter Hackathon was a resounding success, drawing in an impressive number of participants from around the world who poured their creativity and skills into crafting innovative solutions using the Starknet stack.
The Starknet Winter Hackathon in numbers:
🗓️ Hacking from January 15h to February 22nd
🏆 Prize pool of $50,000
🤝 10 sponsors
🏎️ 10 bounty tracks + global track
🧑💻 390 participants
💡 43 projects
Whether you’re looking to expand the user base of your technology stack like Starkware, engage with a community of talented builders, or host a hiring challenge that stands out, we invite you to explore the possibilities with TAIKAI.
Our platform offers an all-in-one hackathon management system that handles all the operations providing a seamless and low-effort experience to hackathon organizers.
☑️ Hackathon registration
☑️ Team formation
☑️ Participation management
☑️ Communication between organizers, participants, and mentors
☑️ Livestream capabilities
☑️ Voting system
In conclusion
No matter what reason you decide to organize an online or hybrid hackathon, a hackathon platform is the perfect way to manage and automate the event. A hackathon platform like TAIKAI simplifies the entire process, from registration to prize distribution, ensuring a smooth and efficient experience that meets your organizational goals with ease.
To see how our platform can transform your next event, reach out to us and request a demo of TAIKAI.
We’re here to help!
About TAIKAI
TAIKAI is the leading hackathon hosting platform. It enables you to host development challenges and improve your company’s visibility by providing participants with a gamified experience. Our all-in-one system allows you to effortlessly manage registrations, livestream your event, evaluate submissions, and more.
Our consultancy plan is designed to provide end-to-end support for your hackathon, ensuring a seamless experience from initial concept to final execution.
Discover how we can transform your event by booking a talk with our sales team today.
