CHRISTOPHER WHITAKERMIDWEST REGIONAL COORDINATOR

CODE FOR AMERICA

@CIVICWHITAKER#CFASUMMIT

How to Level Up Your Events

First, why are you having an event?• Trying to build out

a fully finished, fully functional app in one weekend?

• Trying to recruit people into your startup?

• Trying to get some free work for a specific app?

• Trying to get people to use your product (instead of somebody else’s?)

Then…a civic hacking event is *not* for you

Civic Hackathons and Hack Nights are tools for *community building*

Building apps take time and effort that doesn’t always fit into a single weekend

Hackathons & Hack Nights build community by: Allowing space to talk about issues Educating your community about a certain skill or

topic Providing a safe learning space to recruit people into

your community

Not to say you can’t build stuff at Hack Night

Hack Nights and Hackathons are great for: Prototypes and brainstorming Working on projects bit by bit each week Getting help with your projects

Set up the game plan for winning

For Hackathons: Start with the problem Have the problem owners start off the day Provide resources Recruit Recruit Recruit Have run-throughs beforehand Communicate Communicate Communicate Have a game plan for post-hackathon

What happens to the project ideas? Whose telling what happened? How to you measure success?

For hack nights,CONSISTENCY is your friend!

Consistency!

• Same time / day of week

• Same venue

• Same agenda

• Same time commitment

Why?

So that if I miss one week, I can always come next time – and I always know what to expect.

Introductions are awesome

Who are you?

What do you do?

What are you working on?

OH! I totally have to meet that person!

It’s not magic!

Hack nights should demystify the work that we do – both on the government side and the technology side.

Make a habit of explaining the tech things – even if you’re *pretty sure* that people know what you’re talking about.

ASK QUESTIONS• This is not easy

stuff

• If you think people are confused, ask the question even if you’re the organizer and already know

• If the organizers ask questions – it sends a signal that its okay to ask questions.

LEAVE TIME FOR BREAKOUTS!(That’s where all the fun happens)

Have a Civic Hacking 101 for new visitorsHave breakouts for areas that interest peopleMake it flexible – be able to add breakouts at

will

Finally, talk about your hack night• Social Media

• Live Stream

• Blog

• Smack Talk with Chicago and Boston

• It helps draw people to your event

• (And smack talk is fun)

@CIVICWHITAKER

#CFASUMMIT

Questions?