Partnerships for Success

By Carolina Emanuelson

To maximize the impact of a hackathon, it is in most cases crucial to establish partnerships with various organizations. This has proven to be successful not only in national hackathons but also on a global scale. Involving diverse partner organizations and encouraging them to be part of addressing as well as supporting solutions to solve a variety of challenges or problems will in most cases be a factor contributing to the success of your hackathon.

This chapter will cover the following topics:

• The power and purpose of a strong partnership community
• The importance of a diverse partner community
• Finding suitable partner organizations
• Crafting competitive partner packages
• Managing your partner community
• Partner communities in a national and international context
• Value for partner organizations – communication, branding, and recruiting talent
• Relevant resources offered by partner organizations...

The power and purpose of a strong partnership community

Establishing and engaging with a partner community can offer substantial benefits throughout every stage of the hackathon, whether it is in the development phase of the hackathon, creating tangible challenges; participant outreach; resource provision throughout the entire event; or in the final stage, supporting teams in actualizing their solutions. There is no doubt that a robust network of partners becomes an invaluable asset to the success of a hackathon.

Establishing solid partnerships with reputable organizations offers unparalleled benefits. Collaborating with industry leaders may not only enhance the event’s credibility but also attract a diverse range of participants. Open resources from public organizations can elevate the hackathon’s capabilities, being important components resulting in more comprehensive and impactful solutions to the challenges at hand. Partner support with critical resources, such...

The importance of a diverse partner community

The benefits of establishing partnerships with a variety of organizations are many. Not only do such collaborations bring a variety of skill sets to the table but, more importantly, they introduce a spectrum of perspectives where the participants get access to a rich tapestry of knowledge and insights, crucial for solution development. The diversity of organizations in your partner community will become a cornerstone for the participants of the hackathon to rely on.

The examples of how a diverse partner community brings value to your event and its participants are many. Getting the most out of your collaborations and how you nurture your relationships will depend on your creativity.

Collaborating with tech companies can add technical expertise, while partnerships with non-profit organizations may offer a humanitarian perspective. In this brief example, the synergy of these different viewpoints can fuel innovative problem-solving,...

Finding suitable partner organizations

As you now know, identifying and securing suitable partner organizations will in most cases be a critical aspect of success.

To optimize the process of finding suitable partner organizations, it is essential to adopt diverse approaches that allow you to find a broad spectrum of potential partner organizations. The key to success is quite simple. Don’t limit yourself when considering organizations for inclusion in your partner community. By embracing a variety of entities, each contributing resource enhances the overall value provided to the participants, not only before or during the hackathon but also in the post-event phase.

• Targeting a wide variety – casting a wide net across industries, sectors, and geographical regions

  When embarking on the journey of finding relevant partner organizations, one important strategy involves casting a wide net across industries, sectors, and geographical regions. Consider both established...

Crafting competitive partner packages

Crafting a competitive partner package is equally crucial in attracting organizations willing to collaborate as making sure you have a diverse group of organizations in your partner community.

To create an attractive and realistic partner package, you need to have partner packages at different levels, so different kinds of organizations can find an option that suits them and their needs. As you would like to have diversity with organizations from various industries, sizes, and interests, they will have different capabilities and resources. Depending on the capabilities and resources the organizations will bring to the table, you should investigate in which phases they will bring the most value to the hackathon – in Dream!, Hack!, or Build!. More importantly, to create the diversity you need in your partner community, there needs to be at least one partner package that is for non-profit organizations and does not include a monetary investment...

Managing your partner community

Effectively managing your partner community is a critical aspect of ensuring the success and impact of your hackathon and also your partner relationships. Building and nurturing strong relationships with partner organizations from an early stage is essential not only for smooth collaboration but also for maximizing the collective benefits derived from the involvement of your partner organizations. In the dynamic landscape of hackathon management, where variables such as the event’s size, the number of participants, and overarching goals vary, a strategic and adaptable approach to handling diverse partner organizations becomes imperative.

The magnitude of the hackathon, whether it is on a very local scale, national level, or a large-scale international event, can guide you on an array of the number of partner organizations you should aim for as well as the types of partner organizations to be part of the community you are building. But at the...

Partner communities in a national and international context

As mentioned earlier, it’s essential that your partner network aligns closely with the goals you’ve set for your hackathon. Just like in any other scenario, the ability to adjust to changing circumstances is crucial, and this principle applies equally to hackathons. We will use four examples from hackathons to illustrate this aspect. First, we have Hack for Sweden 2019.

Example 1 – Hack for Sweden 2019

“We are bigger, better, and we’re gonna shine so much more this year.”

Ann Molin – Head Project Manager, Hack for Sweden 2019

The Swedish Government’s Hack for Sweden mission emerged as a yearly hackathon and a collaborative platform designed to raise awareness and demonstrate the value and use of open data. To begin with, the platform was a space for government agencies to converge their expertise and resources to collectively tackle specific challenges, with...

Value for partner organizations – communication, branding, and recruiting talent

Partner organizations are looking for what can provide them with value throughout the hackathon. Three of the most important values for a partner organization are, in our experience, communication, branding, and recruitment. The good news is that these important factors are very important to you as an organizer too, so there is a classic win-win situation to be harvested here.

Effective communication, strategic branding, and talent recruitment are pivotal aspects of orchestrating a successful hackathon. As the adage goes, communication is key, and in the context of hackathons, this holds tremendous significance. Your partner community plays a central role in amplifying the reach and impact of your event. Beyond financial resources or other valued contributions, partners bring with them valuable and influential brands as well as expansive networks that can significantly enhance the hackathon&...

Relevant resources offered by partner organizations

Harnessing the full potential of partner organizations in a hackathon involves strategically accessing a diverse range of resources that the hacker teams can use during the hackathon to create innovative solutions. By fostering collaborative relationships and understanding the multifaceted needs of hackathon participants, organizers can tap into a wealth of support from partner organizations. Here is a list of potential resources that organizations may possess, usually very valuable and appreciated by hackathon participants, that will ensure that the solutions created are significantly innovative:

• Open data repositories: Encourage partner organizations, especially those in the public sector, to provide access to open data repositories. Open data serves as a valuable resource for participants, enabling them to integrate real-world information into their solutions. This could include datasets related to demographics, environmental...

Summary

In this chapter, you gained insights into the critical role a strong and robust partner community has in making your hackathon a success. We discussed the importance of a diverse approach, urging hackathon organizers to cast a wide net across industries and geographical regions when establishing the partner community. By fostering inclusive partnerships, you can tap into a variety of expertise and perspectives, enhancing the hackathon experience.

The chapter brought light to and emphasized the need for mutually beneficial collaborations and how to tailor pitches to showcase the value for potential partners. It also stressed the importance of post-hackathon engagement, highlighting how partners can benefit from the outcomes and fostering lasting partnerships for continued impact. Additionally, it suggested empowering partner organizations through strategic communication tools and recognition plans. Overall, this chapter provided a comprehensive guide to optimizing the process...