HackHQ
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Technical Setup & Infrastructure

Nothing ruins a hackathon faster than WiFi dying at 2 PM or submissions breaking under load. Get the technical foundation right so teams can focus on building.

Why Technical Setup Can't Be an Afterthought

You've nailed the theme, the judging criteria is perfect, and participants are excited. Then hackathon day arrives and the submission form breaks, WiFi can't handle 50 simultaneous uploads, or voting crashes during results. All that planning becomes irrelevant when the tech fails.

Without Proper Technical Setup

  • ✗WiFi crashes when everyone tries to submit
  • ✗Submission deadline passes while form is broken
  • ✗Manual vote counting takes 45 minutes
  • ✗Teams can't demo because projector won't connect

With Battle-Tested Infrastructure

  • Everything works smoothly from start to finish
  • Submissions flow in without issues
  • Results calculate instantly and transparently
  • Presentations run without technical hiccups

The 48-Hour Rule

Test your entire technical stack 48 hours before the event. Not the day before—48 hours before. This gives you time to fix issues before it's too late.

Complete Technical Checklist

This is your comprehensive checklist for technical setup. Work through each category methodically in the week before your event.

Internet & Connectivity

Critical for both in-person and virtual events

Platform & Submissions

Where teams register, submit, and get judged

Presentation & AV Equipment

For demos, judging, and results

Physical Setup

In-person event logistics

The 48-Hour Full Rehearsal

Two days before your event, run through the entire hackathon flow from a participant's perspective. This catches issues while you still have time to fix them.

Document Everything

During your rehearsal, write down every bug, confusing UX element, and "wait, how do I...?" moment. These are the issues participants will hit on event day.

Emergency Preparedness

Even with perfect testing, things can go wrong. Have these backup plans ready so you can recover quickly.

"WiFi is Down" Plan

  • • Mobile hotspot ready (test it works with 5+ devices)
  • • IT contact on speed dial with authority to fix
  • • Extend deadline by 30 minutes and announce calmly
  • • Move to backup location if possible (café, lobby with WiFi)

"Platform Crashed" Plan

  • • Backup submission method: email to specific address
  • • Google Form as emergency backup
  • • Manual judging with printed scorecards
  • • Communicate clearly: "Submit to backup@hackathon.com"

"Projector Won't Work" Plan

  • • Backup projector or large TV
  • • Every adapter type known to humanity
  • • Presentations on backup laptop with all apps installed
  • • Worst case: announce results verbally with screen shares

"Judging Takes Too Long" Plan

  • • Pre-brief judges: "You have X minutes per project"
  • • Use timer and gently enforce time limits
  • • Have backup activities (lightning talks, mingling) ready
  • • Calculate partial results while remaining teams present

Day-Before Setup (In-Person)

If you can access the venue the day before, set up everything possible. This reduces day-of stress dramatically.

HackHQ is battle-tested infrastructure: Built to handle 1,000+ concurrent participants with real-time updates that actually work. Registration, submissions, judging, and results - all load-tested and reliable. See platform reliability

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Running the event from start to finish