Start here
- Register for the in-person event
- Required liability and media form
- Participant Slack for team formation, questions, and announcements
- Official event website
Event guides
- Full schedule, Learn-a-thon tracks, and speaker lineup
- Judging rubric and required deliverables
- How to win a hackathon
- Vibe Coding 101 for first-time builders
- Venue and logistics guide
- Directions to Genuine Works
Tools and sponsor resources
Use any technology stack. AI tools and coding agents are allowed. Anthropic is providing $25 in API credits per hacker, as announced on the event registration page. MLH has confirmed resources and prizes from Snowflake, Google Gemini, ElevenLabs, Backboard, and Vultr. Credit redemption instructions, any usage limits, and the individual award requirements will be shared once finalized.
Bounty briefs
Read the complete sponsor briefs on the hackathon homepage, then opt in through the Prizes section when submitting:
- Zywave: Give brokers a reason to call — $200
- STAATY: Predict the next winning outcome — $100 and an interview for internships
- Prologue Stories LLC: Build an interviewer worth talking to — $250 + a real product integration (pending approval)
- Louisville Bats: Bring the ballpark to the browser — 10 September 13 game tickets + 5 Bats swag bags
Original Louisville Bats announcement.
Before you arrive
Bring a laptop, charger, and photo ID. Flag dietary restrictions when you register. Food, caffeine, Wi-Fi, tables, chairs, and power are provided.
Friday dinner is provided by Papa Johns. Saturday includes grazing breakfast, a lunch voucher, and a dinner voucher for each attendee. The venue closes at 11:00 PM Friday and reopens at 8:00 AM Saturday.
Prepare your submission
Have your working prototype and shareable pitch deck ready before the Devpost cutoff, 5:00 PM EDT on September 12. Check both links in a private browser window. Prepare to explain your customer, problem, solution, and what you learned from testing.
Enter no more than two sponsor bounties. At least one teammate must present in person.
Help
Ask in the participant Slack or email hello@hackkentucky.com.