+ Who should attend the hackathon?

Anyone with a desire to solve big problems! Attendees from all backgrounds, educations, gender and geographies are welcome. We want to see a wide range of attendees, coders, graphic designers, scientists, researchers, students, business professionals, entrepreneurs – the list is endless. Prior experience within the aged care sector is not a requirement.

+ How much prior hackathon, software development or design experience do I need?

While any experience is always helpful, none is required! If your team is planning to develop an app or website you will need someone on the team with development experience. An info session on Devpost and Slack is scheduled on Friday 21 October at 9PM to help competitors learn how to utilise these platforms. While you only need one team member to know how to use these platforms it's always useful for all members to have an idea of what purposes these platforms serve during the hackathon.

+ Which platforms do I use to meet other competitors and discuss the event?

Slack is the online platform used to communicate among and between teams and organisers. Want to learn more about how to use Slack? Check out how it works here. Then, download Slack to your mobile / desktop and join the New Futures Hackathon Slack team which will be created leading up to the event.

+ What if I already formed a team?

Great! Please register all your team members via the New Futures Hackathon Eventbrite page and register your team on the New Futures Hackathon Devpost event by 11PM 21 October. Details on how to do this will be provided during the info session at 9PM on Friday 21 October.

+ What if I don’t have a team?

No problem, many participants will not. We will host a team forming session as part of the info session on the evening of Friday 21 October. This will allow participants with ideas to pitch them and the skill gaps they are seeking to fill. Those without a team who can add value to an idea / team can indicate their interest to the person pitching and, voila, you are now part of a team! One of the best outcomes of participating in a hackathon is developing new connections.

+ If I want to post about the hackathon, what hashtags can I use?

Please share this event with your social followers! It is #NewFuturesHack

+ What is the cost to attend the event?

Cost of participation is $20 + nominal transaction fees.

+ Will there be any hardware/equipment available for project development?

No. You will be required to bring your own hardware / equipment (including desktops, laptops, monitors etc). The hackathon is taking place on Friday 21 October at I2N Hub Honeysuckle.

+ Are there any datasets available to teams?

Datasets coming!

+ How do I get there?

New Futures Hackathon is held at I2N Hub Honeysuckle, 16 Honeysuckle Drive, Newcastle. A face-to-face event where you will learn, interact and connect with other participants and mentors.

+ What should I bring?

Please have your own computer, support devices, and any equipment you plan to use as part of the hackathon.

+ Is this an overnight hackathon?

No. Hackathon participants are welcome to stay in the I2N Hub Honeysuckle up to 11PM on Friday 21 October to plan their team's activities for the next day. We would like to make this hackathon as carer friendly as possible and encourage participants to log off to attend to family and get some sleep before virtual doors open for the hackathon at 7AM on Saturday 22 October. There are 20 hours allocated for the hackathon with submissions to be entered by 4PM Saturday 22 October. No code is to be generated before 7AM 22 October.

+ What if this FAQ didn’t answer my questions?

Please email us at i2n@newcastle.edu.au if you’re in any way confused or concerned and we’ll do all that we can to help out!