Some time after the HackTM 2017 feedback sessions we sat down in a meeting discussing the outcome of the event and where it will take us next.
Our hackathon is organised by Banat IT, an NGO with the mission of connecting, stengthening and promoting the IT community of the historical Banat region in South-Eastern Europe. The projects we undertake have mid- and long-term effects in mind, as is the case for HackTM, one of the greatests adventures of our organisation so far.
Debriefing the past 4 editions of HackTM and looking ahead towards the future, we disassembled the event concept in an effort to identify the very essence that makes our hackathon succesful year after year. We found that, at its core, HackTM is a platform of experiments and communication. It’s where developers have the chance to play with technology in a low-pressure but focused environment. It’s where companies can demonstrate their expertise and get feedback from unbiased professionals. At HackTM a non-techie can come and pitch their app idea to “hackers” and have a venture in IT.
However, there are no guarantees. Maybe the million-dollar idea is completely impractical, or your friend from college who you always wanted to work with is not a good team mate after all. Or the framework of that company you found really cool is actually rubbish.
HackTM is about all of that. HackTM is the experience of trying something new. Nothing more, nothing less.
So we asked ourselves: how long can this be new? What makes the experience worthwhile year after year?
Getting out of the Comfort Zone
Of course, there is always something that makes your-average-hackathon interesting:
- new gizmos to play with (Echo Dots, just off the top of my head)
- new ideas thrown in the mix (ever tried working on a community project instead of a platformer?)
- new people with fresh perspectives
But HackTM is not your-average-hackathon.
For 2018 we decided to get out of our own comfort zone and find a HackTM location that will allow for a more focused atmosphere. We looked for a venue that had a large open space with modern facilities, workshop areas, safety features, good food, lots of parking and a large networking/relaxation area that was also willing to host us.
We did not find that location.
What we did find is this:
This is a 1.800 square meter open space that will be filled with working tables, chairs, stage, partner booths, hardware corner, sleeping area, and, most importantly, hundreds of hackers, in just a few weeks.
Outside we’ll put together an area for workshops, coffee corner, food trucks, entertainment and relaxation area.
HackTM 2018: Sala Polivalenta Dumbravita
This place is called Sala Polivalenta Dumbravita. Indeed, it is no longer in the heart of Timisoara. We got out of our comfort zone and decided to take a leap of faith with a location that we can customize to our needs. It will take a incredible amount of effort, sweat and budg — , uhm, tears. But we’re sure it will be worth it.
Take this leap of faith with us and hack something in Dumbravita between 11–13th of May. We’ll throw in transportation and lots of parking spaces.
To our sponsors: Thank you!
We would like to give another shoutout to our sponsors:
- Flex Romania — thank you for supporting the local tech community and for being an active partner in our endeavours!
- 123FormBuilder, Continental, Haufe Group, Irian — thank you for investing your time and energy into making HackTM better every year.
- Hella, Ness, NTT Data, Saguaro Technology, BeeSpeed, Unified Post, and last, but not least, Vectron — we wouldn’t be here without you.
Make the risky click of the day ASAP and get your HackTM ticket, because
//Life’s too short to hack alone
