QUICKSTART GUIDE
(very important!!)
Welcome welcome welcome! This page is a very brief guide that you can read to get an idea of what to expect as an organizer.
Once you read this guide you'll be able to sign up to host your own Sunbeam Social!
Organizing a Sunbeam is gonna be very rewarding because:
you'll meet so many different people
you'll enjoy snacks and food that YOU pick (leave some for the attendees tho hahaa)
you'll make new professional connections with venues + sponsors
you get to hang out with friends !!
BUT there are things that absolutely must be done before so you can enjoy the event on the day.
PART ZERO: WHAT IS A SOCIAL CODING EVENT?!
Now, one big reason that there aren't that many girls doing software or hardware is because it sometimes seems very "nerdy" or "masculine" or intimidating to join. (We know this isn't true 😉) SO we decided to run Sunbeam socials!
Sunbeam is a social coding event: a day-long hangout where girls can make projects together, chat with friends and new people, learn to code FROM SCRATCH, and of course enjoy delicious food.
We want every Sunbeam social to have a friendly, chill, and supportive environment that helps even complete beginners make something they're proud of.
This event is more of a SOCIAL coding get together than a hackathon!!!
PART ONE: SETTING UP
1) JOIN HACK CLUB SLACK!! And the #sunbeam channels:
SUPER IMPORTANT!! Slack is how we communicate with organizers. If your city doesn't have a Sunbeam channel yet, make one (in the format: #sunbeam-city, e.g. #sunbeam-london).
2) (avengers) Assemble a team of 3-6 organizers!
Reach out to people you enjoy working with! Start with a slack channel and a shared to-do list (including steps in this guide!) Delegate tasks based on what people want to do.
Just remember - other people will be filling this form out too, so if you don't know that many girls in your area yet, we'll help you find them!
And one more thing: if your friends aren't very technical or coding-oriented, they can volunteer on the day to help the event run smoothly.
I'd HIGHLY suggest meeting your team in-person or doing calls often to get to know everyone. Good vibes = happy team = fun organizing.
3) Get a custom email and HCB
Want a city@sunbeam.
You will also receive an email to activate your very own HCB account to manage your Sunbeam event's finances. Make sure to keep an eye on your inbox to receive these important updates!!!
4) Setup YOUR Sunbeam website:
Individual city website templates will be sent out where you can then customize the schedule and sponsor list.
5) Make a Budget (template here)
A good Sunbeam social generally only needs three things:
- Food
- Food
- Food (Please buy water if needed)
... And maybe supplies. ;)
But a GREAT Sunbeam social needs:
cool...
GOOD FOOD (Chipotle, CAVA, snacks, drinks...)
Supplies (power strips, tablecloths, surprizes, etc.)
Merch!!
Venue Decorations
Prizes
Track your cost PER ATTENDEE. This will help prevent you from spending too much!
Well-planned budgets have:
- "Cost per attendee" column for each item
- Must be done by [DATE TBD]. (but ideally finished AT LEAST two weeks earlier)
Estimate your attendees as 50% of total signups. Half of the people who sign up don’t show up! (unfortunately ☹️)
Payouts FROM US!!
That’s right - for every signup you get for your Sunbeam Social, we’ll send you $$ to run your event!
$/Signup is based on the number of signups you have.
These rates are for North America: more guidance on international payouts coming soon
That's a lot of moola! Outreach to your community will be your BFF for this!
PART TWO: LOCK IN!!
1) Finding a home... (Venue)
Your Sunbeam social cannot happen if you don't have a venue. You could have a million dollars in sponsors but none of it matters if you have nowhere to host your participants. Finding a venue is arguably the most important part of hosting a hackathon. Lock in.
Reach out to cafes, makerspaces, libraries, and even your school if you're in a pinch.
What makes an awesome venue:
- It's free!! Don't drop $5000 on a venue that's 2 rooms and a couch.
- Roomy (Minimum: One main space, small organizer room, washrooms, TV/projector, speakers/PA)
2) Get moneyyyy
Raising money can be one of the most tricky parts of running a hackathon! You may ask: "But I'm not an English student…I can't write emails!" (don't worry, we have templates!)
Here's how to start:
Compile a list of companies your team have personal connections with. (ex: parents, mentors, club leaders)
Make a list of tech companies of all sizes with offices/hq near you.
Compile a list of food companies. INCLUDING smaller businesses and ones that have done charity stuff before.
Spreadsheets will save you for this, and you can delegate one person to find contacts, one person to email, etc.
3) Outreach
Outreach is an ESSENTIAL part of hackathons. No participants → No event. But how do you reach the ✨right people?✨
Email CS teachers: Make a video with your team and ask them to CC their students or post in their announcements app!
Email local organizations and clubs: Robotics teams, your student council, CS clubs, etc
Print out posters and put them up at schools, libraries, even the gym or your car windows.
Post in parent group chats! Facebook, WhatsApp, WeChat. This is VERY effective in reaching beginners.
Post on Instagram and social media! This is where people can discover your event. AND people will trust your event more if they see it's on instagram and has nice branding.
PART THREE: THE DAY OF 🌟
1) Make a run of show...
Run of show = time block it. You need to know what your organizers are doing and when, which will save time running from room to room to find each other.
PLEASE leave a 30 minute window after submissions are due for last-minute issues. Trust us. (see a sample run of show here.)
2) Run an awesome event!
Key rules for organizers (Please read OUT LOUD with your team on a team sync or the morning of the event):
100x your energy: know that one barista who smiles at you and always looks like they just met Olivia Rodrigo? Be exactly that. Extroverted to the point of too much. You want participants to have an "out of this world" experience 🥹
No phones allowed! DO NOT use your phone in front of participants – no matter what. When you want to use it, go to the washrooms, organizers' room, HQ's basement…
EVERYONE has to ship If you have 10 teams at your hackathon, all 10 must have a project that's visitable by anyone. If a team doesn't "ship" a project (meaning Podium doesn't approve it), then they can't get ANY merch. No t-shirt, no hoodie, no beanie, no squishmallow (whatever you end up doing). This is the best way to get people to make real stuff!!
We are aiming for 100% ship rates. If your event has a ship rate less than 70%, you ran a subpar event and that reflects on you, the point of contact. We chose you because we trusted you to run a good event.
Resources + Support
Organizing Sunbeam is going to be one of the hardest things you've done so far. The Hack Club team is here to support you through the process, and promise to be reliable partners while you work on Sunbeam!
That being said, Hack Club HQ is not organizing this event directly. We will do everything we can to help you have great ownership, but we expect you to take ownership of your event, be proactive, reach out to us when you need support and be an equally reliable partner.
Contact method
Expected response time
When to use
Asking a question in #sunbeam-help in the Hack Club Slack.
24 hours or less.
Any general questions! Especially useful for things that other Sunbeamers can answer for you.
Requesting a 30-minute call with a Sunbeam team member.
You can usually book a call 3-4 days in advance! This will vary for who you need to talk to.
For more complicated situations that need context, or when you need to get back on track with the help of someone experienced.
Service Hours
Organizing a Sunbeam is going to take a lot of your time, so if you document how many hours you worked in a neat spreadsheet, Hack Club can sign off on them for you to use.
What's next?
Thank you so much for reading this quickstart guide. We would really appreciate any feedback in #sunbeam-organizers , and we're super excited to work with you soon.
Let the sun beam in your city!
Written by: Safia and Yanella, with the help of Deven. ♥️