Chapter 10: Applications & Registration
Getting the right people in the room
Registration isn't just a form — it's your first opportunity to understand who's coming, plan for their needs, and start shaping the event experience. This chapter covers what to ask, how to manage capacity, and how to use registration data to plan smarter.
What to collect
Your registration form should gather enough information to plan well without being so long that people abandon it. Here's the sweet spot:
Always collect:
Name (and preferred/display name — not everyone goes by their legal name)
Email address
Role or job title
Are they new to hackathons? (This one question helps you plan newcomer support)
What kind of participant are they? (Developer, designer, data scientist, domain expert, project manager, student, communicator)
What are they interested in working on? (Free-form — this is gold for matching people to projects)
Team status: have a team, looking for a team, or open to either
How they heard about the event (for marketing tracking)
Agreement to Code of Conduct (mandatory)
Collect for on-site events:
Dietary restrictions (vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal, kosher, allergies)
Accessibility needs
T-shirt size (if providing swag — and never do one-size-fits-all)
Emergency contact info
Photo/media consent
Collect for online/hybrid:
Timezone
Preferred communication platform experience (Slack, Discord)
For hybrid: will they attend on-site or online?
Optional but useful:
Portfolio or GitHub link
Skills they bring (programming languages, design tools, domain expertise)
Which challenge tracks interest them most
Are they interested in any workshops?
Special needs or requests (free-form)
Using registration data smartly
Don't just collect data and forget about it. As registrations come in, actively use the information:
Imagine each person at your event. Literally try to picture how each registrant will stay occupied based on what you know about them. A first-time designer who's interested in sustainability and looking for a team — where does she go during team formation? Which project would suit her? Do you have mentors with design experience?
Spot gaps early. If 80% of registrants are developers and only 5% are designers, you might need to recruit more designers or adjust your challenges. If 40% are first-timers, invest more in newcomer support.
Identify potential project leaders. People who registered with specific project ideas or "have a team" are likely leaders. Reach out to them before the event (see Chapter 9's Project Cultivation Framework).
Plan team formation. Knowing who's looking for a team vs. who already has one tells you how much facilitation you'll need during the event.
Capacity management
The 65% rule
For free events, about 65% of registered attendees will actually show up. This is remarkably consistent across events, regions, and formats. So if your venue holds 100 people, cap registration at approximately 150.
For paid events, show-up rates are much higher (85–95%), because people who've spent money are committed. Even a small fee ($10–25) dramatically changes the equation.
Managing the numbers
Set a hard cap. Know your maximum capacity (venue size, or desired event size for online) and set a registration limit at the appropriate multiple.
Enable a waitlist. When capacity fills, let people join a waitlist. As no-shows become apparent (usually starting 1–3 days before the event), you can admit waitlisted people.
Send a confirmation request. About one week before the event, email all registrants asking them to confirm attendance. This helps you identify likely no-shows and free up spots.
Close registration. Set a deadline — usually 1–3 days before the event. Late registrations make planning harder, especially for food and logistics.
Walk-ins
Decide in advance whether you'll accept walk-ins on event day. If yes, have a quick registration process ready (name, email, emergency contact, Code of Conduct agreement). If no, communicate it clearly.
Screening and applications (optional)
Most hackathons use open registration — anyone who registers can attend. But some events need a more curated approach:
When to screen:
Limited capacity with high demand
Events requiring specific skills (you need people who can actually build)
Corporate events with confidentiality requirements
Events with high production costs where no-shows are expensive
If you screen, be transparent:
Tell applicants you're reviewing applications and when they'll hear back
Explain your selection criteria (skills? experience level? diversity of backgrounds?)
Send decisions promptly — nobody likes waiting for weeks
Offer constructive alternatives to rejected applicants ("This event is full, but here are other events coming up")
If you don't screen, you still curate:
Even with open registration, you can shape your audience through marketing, challenge design, and how you describe the event. "A weekend for experienced full-stack developers to build fintech prototypes" attracts a very different audience than "A beginner-friendly community build day for anyone curious about technology."
Confirmation emails and onboarding
The moment someone registers is when they're most excited about your event. Don't waste it with a boring "You're registered" message.
Your confirmation email should:
Welcome them warmly and reinforce why this event will be great
Confirm the key logistics (date, time, location/link, format)
Link to the community channel (Slack/Discord) — get them engaged immediately
Point them to the challenge tracks on BuilderBase
Encourage team formation ("Browse who else is registered and start connecting!")
Include the Code of Conduct
Set expectations for what to prepare (laptop, tools, accounts)
BuilderBase sends automatic confirmation emails that you can customise with your event's specific details and messaging.
Pre-event communication cadence
Registration is the start of a relationship, not a one-time interaction. See Chapter 13 for the full communication plan, but at minimum:
At registration: Confirmation email + community channel invite
2–3 weeks before: Detailed logistics, challenge details, workshop schedule
1 week before: Attendance confirmation request, final logistics
3 days before: Final reminder with everything they need
1 day before: "See you tomorrow!" with start time and what to expect
Key takeaways:
Collect useful data but keep the form short — nobody likes a 30-field registration
Use registration data actively: spot gaps, identify project leaders, plan team formation
For free events, cap at 150% of capacity (65% show-up rate)
Even a small registration fee dramatically improves show-up rates
The confirmation email is a golden engagement moment — don't waste it
Start the relationship at registration and maintain it through the event