What is a hackathon?

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A hackathon is best described as an “innovation sprint”, which usually happens over the course of a weekend. Anyone interested in creating and building (mostly technological) solutions for pressing problems can attends a hackathon. During a hackathon, you'll learn, build & share your creations over the course of a weekend in a creative and welcoming environment.

 

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Who can participate?

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Hack4Health is open to the public: anyone with an open mind and is interested in the future of our healthcare system is welcome to join! Don't worry, you don’t have to be a programmer to participate, as everyone has a different perspective and skillset to bring to the table. It's the complementarity of these different perspectives that usually drives the best outcomes. To truly make a difference, we need participants with every background or from every field of expertise, whether that's business, design, technology, healthcare, architecture, or any other discipline. 

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Can we work as a team?

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Teams that have interdisciplinary skills are typically the most successful ones. A suggestion for a good team mix is to have members with a complementary skill set, such as User Experience and Design, Business and Marketing, Software Development, Data Analytics, etc. But anyone, with any background, is welcome!

 

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What if I don't have a team?

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No problem! There will be an opportunity for you to form teams with other registered participants at the beginning of the event.

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What if I don't have an idea?

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That’s completely normal! Most people don’t have an idea before they get to such an event. And to be honest, it's often better to start the event without one. Once you start engaging with your team members and using the tools provided during the workshops, you'll come up with something without a doubt. If you meet someone with an idea at the start of the event, no one is stopping you to join him/her if you're interested. Oh, and don't forget that we provide experts to act as a mentor throughout the event, just to steer you in the right direction if necessary.

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What are the exact rules of engagement?

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A hackathon is, by definition, an open innovation event, which means that you will collaborate with others to come up with new innovative solutions. We do understand that sometimes you may have other questions or concerns, so here you will find the official official rules and code of conduct.

 

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Will there be food?

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Absolutely! Your meals for the weekend are all included and there’ll be plenty of snacks and drinks to keep you energized and hydrated.

 

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Where can I sleep?

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We will be building an indoor camping site, to crash for a few hours on a airbed (that's on us). If you prefer sleeping at home, you're more than welcome to do so of course. Usually, it's quite a fun experience to sleep on location as several teams will work almost through the entire night to create a great solution. Showers will be provided as well, but remember to bring your own sleeping bag, pillow and toiletries. There are hotels in Genk as well, but please note that any other accomodation is at your own expense.