BC Hacks 2024 Lecture

By Joseph Davis Chamdani · July 2024

After helping organize and launch BC Hacks 2024, I was invited to give a lecture at Bellevue College about how to run a successful hackathon. This session was specially arranged for a group of 20+ Korean exchange students visiting from Korea.

After helping organize and launch BC Hacks 2024, I was invited to give a lecture at Bellevue College about what it actually takes to run a successful hackathon. This session was specially arranged for a group of 20+ Korean exchange students visiting from Korea, and it became one of my favorite moments of the summer. It was a chance to reflect on everything our team built together.

What Is BC Hacks?

BC Hacks is Bellevue College's annual student-run hackathon, a weekend where students from all backgrounds come together to brainstorm, design, and build creative projects in just 48 hours. It's completely beginner-friendly and organized by a collaboration of five student clubs: BC Tech Club, ACM, Innovators Hub, AI Ethics Club, and Filmmaking Club.

Collaborating student clubs — Five student clubs collaborated to make BC Hacks possible

The goal is simple: create a space that empowers students to innovate, learn new tools, and connect with mentors and industry professionals.

BC Hacks 2024 participants and organizers

Five Months of Planning

Running a hackathon sounds exciting, but it's really a five-month journey of planning, coordination, and teamwork.

Month 1: Initial Planning

We formed the organizing team, brainstormed the theme, and reached out to potential judges and mentors. Our vision was clear: make BC Hacks open to everyone, not just computer science majors.

BC Hacks organizing team — The organizing team behind BC Hacks 2024

Month 2: Logistics & Budgeting

We secured Room U301 as our venue, drafted a budget of around $31,000, and set up communication platforms for the teams. Every small detail, from tables to name tags, needed careful planning.

BC Hacks venue setup in Room U301 — The venue setup in Room U301, ready for participants

Event room layout planning — Planning the room layout for the event

Month 3: Outreach & Workshops

Marketing kicked off, mentors confirmed, and judges finalized. We sent out judging rubrics and began preparing workshops like Intro to AI, Intro to API, and Intro to Git with guest speakers from Amazon, Google, and Microsoft.

BC Hacks marketing and outreach — Marketing campaign and outreach materials

Judging rubric for BC Hacks — Judging rubric sent to judges and mentors

Month 4: Preparation

The website went live, schedules were finalized, and our food vendors were booked. Everything was starting to come together.

BC Hacks event schedule — Finalized event schedule for the weekend

Food vendors at BC Hacks — Food vendors booked for the event

Month 5: Execution Prep

We tested equipment, trained volunteers, and ran a full dry-run of the event. It was a mix of nerves and excitement, but we were ready.

The Event Weekend

Day 1: Students checked in, grabbed swag bags, and joined hands-on workshops. Everyone was excited to learn and build.

Student check-in at BC Hacks — Volunteers at the check-in desk ready to welcome participants

Workshop session at BC Hacks — Intro to API workshop with industry speakers

Students working on their projects — Group Pictures!!

Day 2: Teams pitched their projects to a panel of six judges and fourteen mentors from companies like Meta, T-Mobile, and Hiya. Submissions were done through DevPost, and each group had to present both slides and a live demo.

Teams presenting to judges — Teams presenting their projects to judges

Project demonstrations — Live project demonstrations and Q&A

By the end of the second day, we announced winners for the three tracks:

BC Hacks 2024 award ceremony — Celebrating the winning teams at BC Hacks 2024

Our club filmed the whole weekend and cut it into a timelapse: setup, check-in, the workshops, teams working through the night, and the award ceremony, compressed into a few minutes. It is the closest thing to being in the room.

But honestly, the best part wasn't the prizes. It was seeing students collaborate, learn from mentors, and make something they were proud of.

What I Learned

BC Hacks taught me that organizing an event like this is just as challenging as building a project in it. Coordinating across multiple clubs meant balancing ideas, responsibilities, and timelines. It pushed me to lead meetings, manage deadlines, and communicate effectively.

More importantly, it showed me how powerful community can be. Mentors gave real-world advice, judges shared career insights, and students supported each other through every bug and crash.

Closing Thoughts

If you're thinking of organizing a hackathon yourself, do it. Start small, stay consistent, and keep your team motivated. The impact you create will be bigger than you think.