Planning a nationwide hackathon is a lot more than opening a Zoom room and calling it an event.

For both Hackathon #1 and FrostByte Hacks, we had to think through dozens of moving parts—from outreach to logistics to technical platforms—while keeping the experience simple for students.

The first thing we did was divide responsibilities. One group focused on sponsorships. Another handled event flow and judging. A third led mentor recruitment and onboarding. Clear roles helped us move fast without stepping on each other’s work.

We kept things remote so students from any school could join. That meant setting up a solid tech stack: Discord for team formation and support, Google Forms for registration, Devpost for submissions, and Notion for internal coordination. We also created documentation to make sure every team had the same info and deadlines.

Mentorship was a priority. We reached out to college students and professionals who could help without taking over projects. We created time slots, FAQs, and backup options in case someone couldn’t make it. This helped students feel supported without slowing them down.

We also learned to expect things to go wrong. A speaker dropped out. Our site lagged during peak hours. A few demo videos didn’t render. We built backup plans for each of these and kept communication open the entire time.

In the end, what made the event work wasn’t a perfect plan—it was a responsive team, a clear structure, and students who brought real effort to the table.

Running these events takes time, but it’s worth it. Seeing students build for something they care about is what keeps us doing this.

— Arnav Bonigala