Dates

Saturday, February 22nd and Sunday, February 23rd from 8am-8pm both days!

Eligibility

We offer three different tracks: Student, Community, and Global Online. More details regarding eligibility for each track can be found on https://www.coe.miami.edu/events/horizon-ai-hackathon/index.html

Project and Submission Requirements

All submissions must be posted to Devpost with any and all resources deemed relevant to the presentation of your project, whether it be prototype screens, presentation decks, concept videos, or functional prototypes.

Track Prizes (7 Tracks):

  • 1st place: $3,000
  • 2nd place: $2,000
  • 3rd place: $1,000
  • Total for all 7 tracks: $42,000

Additional Prize:

  • Solve for Miami Prize ($5,000) sponsored by eMerge Americas.

Important Information for Participants (In-Person Tracks)

 

1. Team Composition

  • Team Size: Teams may consist of 1–5 members.
  • Single Team Membership: Each participant can only be part of one team.
  • Student-Only Track: All members must be full-time enrolled students at a university/accredited educational institution.
  • Mixed Teams: If a team includes both students and industry professionals (non-full-time students), it will be considered for the community track and will not qualify for the student-only track.

2. Originality & Ownership

  • Original Work: Projects must be created solely by the submitting team.
  • Open-Source Libraries: You may include open-source libraries or frameworks but must credit them appropriately.
  • Pre-existing Code: Code previously written for other projects is not allowed unless it is openly licensed and was publicly documented before the hackathon began.

3. Theme & Scope

  • Relevance: Submissions must address the hackathon’s specified theme and the corresponding challenge prompt.
  • Out-of-Scope Projects: Projects that do not align with the theme may be disqualified or judged separately.

4. Submission Requirements

  • GitHub Repository: All code and artifacts must be hosted on GitHub.
  • Repository Link: Provide a link to your GitHub repository in your final submission.
  • Build/Setup Instructions: Include clear instructions (e.g., a README.md) on how to build and run your project.
  • Project Description: Offer a brief overview of your solution’s objectives, key features, and tools/technologies used.
  • Demo: If applicable, include a short demo video or presentation slides demonstrating your project’s functionality.

5. Logistics & Schedule

  • Venue & Tracks:
    • Student Tracks: Lakeside Expo Center
    • Community Track: Lakeside Pavilion
  • Opening Time (Day 1, Saturday, February 22):
    • Venue opens at 8:00 AM.
  • Overnight Arrangements:
    • The venue closes at 8:00 PM on Saturday. All participants must leave by that time.
    • Hacking resumes on Sunday, February 23 at 8:00 AM when the venue reopens.
  • Amenities:
    • Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and refreshments will be provided.
    • Additional Food: The on-site Food Court is open for any extra purchases.
    • Wi-Fi Access: Connect via CanesGuest.
  • Registration Deadline: Teams must finalize their members by [deadline for finalizing team composition].

Day 1 (Saturday, February 22) – *All times are in EST 

  • Program Agenda

    • 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM  - Check-in, Registration & Breakfast
    • 9:00 AM – 9:10 AM  - Welcome from Dr. Pratim Biswas (Dean, College of Engineering, University of Miami)
    • 9:10 AM – 9:30 AM - Opening Remarks by Melissa Medina (CEO, eMerge Americas)
    • 9:30 AM – 10:00 AM - Hackathon Prompts Release, Rules & Team Confirmation
    • 10:00 AM – 10:30 AM - Hacking Begins
    • 10:30 AM – 11:15 AM - Figma and UI/UX Design- Sanne Martens, School of Communication
    • 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM - Lunch & Learn: Power Up Your AI Productivity with Daniel Ortiz
    • 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM - Hacking Continues
    • 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM
      Top Y Combinator Startup (Zoom Session): Journey & Agentic AI in Production – Max Nuyen (Co-Founder, Revi.AI, YC 2024)
    • 3:45 PM – 6:30 PM - Hacking Continues & Pizza Dinner
    • 6:30 PM – 7:15 PM - Panel Discussion: How to Build and Scale AI Products (sponsored by Miami AI Hub)
      • Yana Tornoe (Co-Founder & COO, Question Base)
      • Soren Larson (Co-Founder & CEO, Crosshatch)
      • Georgi Petrov (Founder & CEO, Uxify)
      • Moderator: Devon Mason (BSBA ’25, University of Miami)
  • 7:45 PM – First-Day Wrap-Up
  • 8:00 PM – Venue Closes (all participants must exit)

 

Day 2 (Sunday, February 23)

  • 8:00 AM – Venue Reopens & Hacking Resumes
  • 9:00 AM – Breakfast
  • 10:30 AM – Check-In Sessions (Organizers will meet with teams)
  • 12:00 PM – Final Preparation for Submission
  • 1:00 PM – Lunch & Final Submission Deadline
  • 2:00 – 4:00 PM – Judges’ Evaluations & Presentations
  • 5:00 PM – Final Results & Closing Remarks
  • 6:00 PM – Adjournment

6. Communications

  • Official Channels:
    • Announcements will be made primarily via GroupMe Channels and via [email protected] email ID
    • Urgent updates may also be posted around the venue or sent via email.

7. Liability & Insurance

  • Equipment & Personal Items: Participants are responsible for their own devices and personal belongings. The organizers are not liable for loss or damage.
  • Liability Waivers: Participants may be required to sign a waiver covering personal injury, equipment damage, or other relevant matters, as specified by the event’s terms.

8. Dispute Resolution & Enforcement

  • Complaints & Disputes: Participants should direct any formal complaints or issues to [email protected] or they can reach out to the Organizing Committee members at the Event.
  • Penalties for Misconduct:
    • Minor offenses typically result in a warning; repeated or serious violations can lead to disqualification and expulsion.
    • Organizers reserve the right to enforce additional sanctions as necessary, up to a permanent ban from future events and reporting to law enforcement (UM Police Department).

9. Deadline & Format

  • Submission Deadline: All entries must be received by Feb 23rd Sunday 1:00 PM.
  • Late Submissions: Late entries will not be accepted unless an official extension is announced.

10. Presentation (In-Person Teams)

  • Functional Demo: Teams must be prepared to present a working demo of their solution.
  • Preferred Format: Live demos are encouraged. If a live demo is not feasible, a recorded demo video is acceptable.
  • Q&A: Judges may ask questions regarding any aspect of your project.

11. Final Presentation Format

  • Pitch Guidelines:
    • Presentations must be limited to [3–5 minutes], with additional time for Q&A.
    • Address the problem statement, solution approach, key features, and impact.

12. Judging Criteria

  • Innovation & Creativity: Is the idea unique or does it solve an existing problem in a novel way?
  • Technical Execution: How well is the project implemented? Is the codebase well structured and maintainable?
  • Impact & Usefulness: Does it effectively address a real user need or problem?
  • Presentation & Clarity: Are the project’s goals and functionalities communicated effectively?
  • Solve for Miami: Does the solution contribute to solving a problem specific to Miami?

13. Compliance & Conduct

  • Content Restrictions: Submissions must not include offensive, defamatory, or plagiarized material.
  • Code of Conduct: All participants must adhere to the hackathon’s Code of Conduct and demonstrate respect toward others.
  • Disqualification: Non-compliance with these rules or the Code of Conduct may lead to disqualification.

14. Intellectual Property Rights

  • Ownership: Teams retain ownership of their projects unless otherwise specified by event organizers.
  • Promotional Use: By submitting, participants grant the organizers permission to showcase their project in promotional materials (if applicable).