Hackathon Organizer Guide
  • Introduction
  • overview
    • What is a Hackathon?
    • What is MLH?
    • MLH Hackcon
    • MLH Community Values
    • Event Types
      • Digital Events
        • Digital Mini Events
          • Marble Races
          • Pokemon Showdown
          • Wiki Races
          • Hacker Hangouts
        • Streamyard
  • General Information
    • Hackathon Timeline
    • Finding the Date and Purpose
    • Build Your Leadership Team
    • Locking Down a Venue
    • Hackathon Budgeting
      • Legal Considerations
    • Getting Sponsorship
      • Introduction to Fundraising
      • Understanding Your Sponsors
        • Evaluating In-kind Sponsorships
      • Potential Sponsor Perks
      • Sponsorship Prospectus
      • The 5-Step MLH Sponsorship Process
      • Cheat Sheet: Emailing Your Sponsors
    • Hackathon Website
      • Making an Accessible Design
      • Placeholder Website
      • Main Website
    • Marketing Your Event
      • Promoting Your Event
        • Marketing Email Template
      • Marketing Goals & Timelines
    • Managing Registrations
      • Registrations
      • Free Registration Tool - OrganizerHQ (OHQ)
      • Sending Reminders
        • Email Templates
      • Check-in Process
    • Event Logistics
      • Hackathon Communication Platform
      • Project Challenges
      • Ordering Swag and Prizes
      • Set Up Your Event
      • Working with Food Vendors
      • Hosting Hackers with Dietary Restrictions
      • Distributing Meals
      • Transportation/Travel Plans
      • Hardware
      • Prepare Your Emergency Plan
    • Judging and Submissions
      • Rules for Your Hackathon
      • Judging Plan
      • Cheating Check
      • Judges Communication and Recruiting
      • Hackathon Submission Portal
        • Using Devpost
        • Using Devfolio
        • Using DoraHacks
    • Hackathon Scheduling
      • Detailed Run of Show
      • Run-Through with the Team
      • MLH Tips and Templates
    • Mentorship
    • Day of Logistics and Hacker Experience
      • Help Desk Recommendations
      • Fun Mini Events
      • Workshops
      • Opening Ceremony
      • Closing Ceremony
    • After the Event
  • Organizer Resources
    • Template Links
    • Getting Support from Others
    • Leadership Resources
    • Marketing Resources
    • Registrations Resources
      • GDPR in Europe
    • Host Exciting Mini-Events
      • Cup Stacking
      • MLH Mini Events
        • WereWolf
        • Slideshow Karaoke
        • !Light
        • MS Paint Bob Ross
    • Keeping Records
    • Software for Hackathons
  • Contributors
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  • The first iteration of your site should include:
  • Resources:

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  1. General Information
  2. Hackathon Website

Placeholder Website

The first iteration of your Hackathon website

PreviousMaking an Accessible DesignNextMain Website

Last updated 23 days ago

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Until an event has a website, it doesn’t exist to most people. Publishing a basic website the second you’ve committed to hosting a hackathon will help you drive interest to it, capture potential attendee email addresses, and answer questions from interested students. You don't have to be technically skilled to set this up! We've included a template at the bottom of this page.

Think about your hackathon as a movie. You first release a teaser, then a trailer and then on the eventful weekend, the movie releases! This website will serve as a teaser for your event - the first step to spark a huge interest in your hackathon.

The first iteration of your site should include:

  • Event Date: If you don't have an exact date, try to include at least the month of your hackathon.

  • Pre-Registration Form: Capture the initial interest of your hackers. Getting their name, email and some social channels is a great starting point to send outreach once registrations have opened up. If you plan on working with MLH, including our will speed up the Member Event onboarding process.

  • Email Support: You should keep a team inbox to answer hacker questions. This will have a great impact on the word of mouth marketing.

  • Social Media: Links to your event’s social media accounts. Common platforms include Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn. Staying active on these platforms helps hackers remember your event is coming up.

  • Release Date: A date for visitors to check back for more information.

  • Frequently Asked Questions: A basic FAQ about your event to explain things to someone new to hackathons. See the for some common copy-paste questions.

  • Sponsor Interest Page: A page just for sponsors, including:

    • An email address for sponsorship inquiries.

    • Some information about your event and your team.

Resources:

- Boilerplate code for any new MLH Member Hackathon looking to build a website integrated with MyMLH. Written entirely in Jekyll, which automatically compiles to make hosting seamless.

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