Zeiss Hackathon

On January 19, 2018, Zeiss decided to expand their hackathon campaign from Munich, Germany, by collaborating with Zeiss India to host the event on the same day in both countries. This would turn out to be Zeiss India’s first ever hackathon event, which would inspire more to take place over the years to follow.

About the Company

Hailing from German origins, Zeiss is a leading multi-national manufacturer of optical technologies and optoelectronics. Over the years, the company expanded into 4 lines of business -Industrial Quality and Research, Medical Technology, Consumer Markets and Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology across 50 countries. Their range of products expand from innovative varieties of camera and optical lenses, microscopes and microscopy software, binoculars and spotting scopes, eyeglasses, planetariums and dome video-systems, optics for military applications (head tracker systems, submarine periscopes, targeting systems), optical sensors, industrial metrology systems and ophthalmology products.

Background

Zeiss planned to conduct a cross continental hackathon to ensure to draw their ingenuity & technical vision to come up with solutions that impacted & improved the existing technology or the business models of their products. The new aspect to this event was the fact that Zeiss would be hosting the event with Zeiss India at the same time. The cross continental 24 hours hackathon required participants to hack or utilize various products of Zeiss in the field of vision & optics.

Key Issues

Through the planning of the event, there can be a lot of unexpected and unpredictable issues, which will require last minute solutions. Some of the key issues are as follows:

The event was planned for 24 hours (5pm -5pm), thus requiring strong support and execution for ensuring that the participants are not distracted away from the objective of the event. 24 hours hackathon can also be physically and mentally draining to the participants, thereby making it essential to serve their basic needs and keeping up their spirits.
The event was to take place in an unoccupied warehouse with electricity supply. The entire venue required a totally new setup to accommodate the participants. Additionally, basic needs like emergency exit planning and safety requirements had to be addressed.
The hackathon required hacking into the Zeiss products, implying that there would be requirements of specific hardware setups to be arranged. Equipment such as electronic boards for the participants to work on required lots of customization.
Introduction and briefing of equipment, technology and products of Zeiss to the participants would prove to accumulate valuable time out of the event day.

The Event

A total of 150 participants turned up for the event in India, thus making 30 teams of 5. In order to account of necessary contingencies, Zeiss adopted the services of Crossworks, an Experiential Marketing agency based in Bangalore. Their expertise in the field was accompanied with end-to-end consulting and a wide range of product options that was essential for quality event planning.

To promote the necessary functioning of the event, the following contributions were provided by the agency:

Crossworks developed an Augmented Magazine Cover app for the on-site Photo Booth setup that created a buzz in the event and let the participants line up for pictures.
The agency designed and customized an app for ordering food & coupons exclusively for the event.
They designed customized countdown timers, and had it strategically placed around the premises to ensure that all the participants are in sync with the timing guidelines of the event.
The agency provided electronic equipment for the participants of the hackathon.
They prepared customized technical boards and products for the participants to work for the objective of hackathon.
In order to facilitate the participants for taking rest and provide stress busters, activities such as a musical hour, yoga exercises, Zumba sessions etc. was planned and executed.

Impact & Outcome

Zeiss was introduced to many new talents and these talents had a platform to showcase their ingenuity helping both the company as well as the participants. The first hackathon organized by Zeiss India turned to be a smooth functioning cross-continent event as well.

The participants performed exceptionally, having contributed to the success of the event, with a cash prize of 3 lakh rupees distributed among the winners. Not only does it raise brand awareness through the participants within India, but it also coincides with Zeiss’ business strategy plans.

By having an on-ground support team and keeping the planned activities constantly monitored, Crossworks managed to meet the main objectives of the event, leading to a successful outcome with satisfied participants and visitors.

Conclusion

A cross continental event takes a lot of precise communication to ensure efficient flow for the occasion. Planning serves to be a vital part, that requires knowing the right sources to rely on, to make sure that the job gets done the right way.

Being aware of the issues that could come in the way of the event implies preparing to face them and find alternatives on the get-go. A successful event is proof of the right kind of contingency planning.

Success of the Zeiss Hackathon strengthened the business objectives of Zeiss, having met along with the demands of the event. Having worked with Crossworks previously, this further enhanced the confidence between client and agency.