We’re delighted to invite you to the Immersive Tech NI Hackathon and Launch Party!

Immersive Tech NI is designed to bring together the most creative minds in Northern Ireland as a community to explore and expand the possibilities created by immersive technologies, including virtual and augmented reality.

The Hackathon will be the first event sponsored by this exciting new group, and we’d love you to join us.

The Hackathon will take place on Saturday 5th November and your free ticket will also give you complimentary access to the Immersive Tech NI Launch Party on Friday 4th November, as well as an optional training workshop held prior to the launch event.

The Hackathon is free to attend, thanks to joint sponsorship from Kainos Ltd, PwC and Digital Catapult NI, and partnership with Belfast City Council and Northern Ireland Screen.

Saturday 5th November: The Hackathon

The 12-hour Hackathon is the first of its kind in Northern Ireland, giving you access to all the tools you need to design and build exciting applications for virtual and augmented reality. It will take place in Europe’s first Google Lab at PwC in Belfast, giving you the chance to experience working in this dynamic environment.

You’ll get hands-on experience of the creative and technical possibilities presented by immersive technologies like Unity, HTC Vive and Microsoft HoloLens.

Working either on your own or with a team, and with the support of experienced mentors from the industry, you’ll get the chance to design, develop and build an idea around Immersive Technology in Education.

Food and drink will be provided throughout the day, and you’ll celebrate your achievements with a well-earned beer or two at the end of the Hackathon. You’ll also be in with a chance of winning some fantastic prizes, and could get support and mentorship from organisations such as Digital Catapult NI to develop your idea further after the event.

Friday 4th November: Training Workshop and Launch Party

As part of the Hackathon you can attend an optional training workshop the night before. This will give developers a chance to brush up on the skills they’ll need for the Hackathon.

You’ll also get you a complimentary ticket to the Immersive Tech NI Launch Party, held on Friday night (after the training workshop), where you’ll enjoy drinks and canapes and hear from expert keynote speakers (more info here) about the latest developments in immersive technology.

WHERE

The Hive at PwC

Waterfront Plaza

8 Laganbank Road

Belfast

BT1 3LR

WHEN

• Optional Training Workshop: Friday 4th November: 6pm – 7.30pm
• Launch Party: Friday 4th November: 8pm – 10pm
• Hackathon: Saturday 5th November 9am – 9pm

WHO

The Hackathon is open to software developers, designers, project managers, and other technologists or creatives. You don’t have to be technical to attend – in fact, diverse teams typically have more success at hackathons. So if you’re interested in design, a confident presenter, or just have an amazing idea around the theme, you’re very welcome to attend.

If you’re interested in immersive technology but you’re not sure the Hackathon is for you, you can register for a ticket to the Immersive Tech NI Launch Party only – click here to find out more.

FAQs

What’s the theme of the Hackathon? How will ideas be judged?

Ideas should be related to Immersive Tech in Education, and the judging criteria is as follows:

• Innovation
• Impressiveness of demo
• Relevance to education
• Future potential

What’s the schedule of the events?

Friday 4th November: 6pm – 10pm

• 6.00pm: Exhibition and interactive demonstrations of immersive technologies / optional immersive technology training workshop for developers attending the Immersive Technology Hackathon
• 8.00pm: Keynote speeches (speakers TBA)
• 7.30pm: Refreshments served
• 9.00pm: Exhibition continues
• 10.00pm: Official close

Saturday 5th November: 9am - 9pm

• 9.00am Breakfast served
• 9.20am Introduction from hosts
• 9.40am Final team forming
• 10.00am Hacking starts
• 12.30pm Lunch served
• 5.30pm Dinner served
• 6.00pm Hack finishes
• 6.15pm Judging commences
• 8.15pm Judging finishes
• 8.40pm Winners announced
• 9.00pm Close

I’m not technical – can I still come to the Hackathon?

Yes, of course! Diverse teams typically have more success at hackathons. So if you’re interested in design, a confident project manager or presenter, or just have an amazing idea around the theme, you’re very welcome to attend. And you’re also welcome to join us at the Launch Party on Friday night!

I am technical but I’ve never worked with immersive technology before. Can I still come?

Absolutely. Most people attending the Hackathon will never have worked with this technology before, and that’s why we’re running the training workshop on Friday. The workshop will help you get set up with the tools and knowledge you’ll need to build immersive technology applications. And we’ll have experienced mentors on the day to help out if anyone gets stuck.

I can’t make it to the training workshop – can I still come to the Hackthon?

If you haven’t worked with immersive technology before we do strongly recommend you attend the training workshop if you can as this will give you a strong foundation for the Hackathon itself. However, if you’re not able to attend, technical experts will be around at the Hackathon to help.

I’m not a developer so I’m not going to the training workshop – can I still come to the Launch Party?

Of course! The keynote speakers will be of interest to technical and non-technical people alike and there will be lots of non-technical delegates in attendance.

Do I need to put a team together before the event? Can I work on my own?

You are welcome to form a team (maximum size: 5 people) but you don’t need to as we can help form teams on the day. You’re also welcome to work alone if you would prefer to but we’d encourage collaboration as diverse teams are usually more successful at Hackathons.

Do I need to have an idea before the Hackathon?

It will definitely help to have a think about what areas around Immersive Technology that you might want to explore on the day, but you don’t need to come with a fully-formed idea. Our experienced mentors will also be available on the day to help you develop your ideas if required.

What do I need to bring?

Bring along your laptop and any tools you might want to use (drawing pads etc). And don’t forget your charger! All food and drink will be provided.

Will there be headsets available to test on?

Yes, although the number will be limited so they will be shared resources between teams. If you have your own device, feel free to bring it along!

What if I want to continue developing my idea after the hackathon?

You will own the intellectual property you develop on the day. You could even earn support from organisations such as Digital Catapult NI to help you develop your idea further.