Line Up Great Prizes
Prizes are a great way to reward hackers for their hard work. When selecting them, it’s important to seriously consider why you are giving a prize, what sort of behaviors that prize rewards, and how you can go about motivating those behaviors. No one wants to be seen as a stingy starfish, but prizes say a lot about who you are as a community, why you are there in the first place, and they influence the vibe of your event — big time.
Prize Ideas
Gear – Cool Items To Use With Future Hacks
Unreleased hardware
Rechargeable battery packs
Laptop, tablet, etc.
Parts or Gift Cards for Inventables, Sparkfun, or Adafruit
Experiences – A Memorable, One-time Adventure With Friends
Movie Tickets
Trip to Medieval Times or an amusement park
A trip somewhere (may cost $1000/person, but still less overall than many cash prizes)
Lunch with your hero
Laser tag tournament
Conference tickets
Company trip – visit and hang out with your favorite companies for a day
Novelty – Things Hackers Love, But Might Not Buy For Themselves
Retro Video Games
Limited Edition Swag
Personalized action figures
Geeky posters
Office Warfare gear (ping pong ball launcher, nerf guns, etc.)
MLH Tips
MLH doesn’t recommend cash prizes.
Order prizes early — many cool items will be back-ordered.