L&D Means Business: Pre-hackathon Session
- Date
- 2024-11-19
- Host
- L&D Shakers Events
About this event
If you’re planning to take part in the L&D Means Business hackathon, this pre-hackathon session is where the real momentum starts. It’s the moment to get clear on the challenge, meet the wider community, and walk in on hackathon day with sharper ideas, better connections, and a stronger sense of what you want to build. This is not a filler warm-up. It’s a practical, in-person session designed to help participants think more strategically, connect with the right people early, and set themselves up to contribute meaningfully when the hackathon begins. About the Event The L&D Means Business: Pre-hackathon Session is an in-person gathering for people interested in learning, development, technology, and collaborative problem-solving. It sits at the intersection of community and action: part orientation, part networking space, and part idea-shaping session. The purpose is simple: make the hackathon better before it even starts. Instead of showing up cold, attendees will have the chance to understand the context, start conversations, test early thinking, and identify where their skills and interests fit best. Because it’s held ahead of the main hackathon activity, this session is especially useful for anyone who wants to move beyond passive attendance. Whether you’re coming with an idea, looking for a team, or just trying to understand where you can add value, this session helps you arrive prepared. Expect a room full of people who care about how learning and development connects to real business needs. That makes this more than a generic community meetup. The focus here is on practical collaboration and better outcomes. What to Expect You can expect a structured but conversational session that helps participants get oriented and start building useful momentum. The emphasis is likely to be on clarity, connection, and early collaboration rather than polished presentations. Here’s the kind of value this pre-session is built to create: Hackathon context and framing so you understand the bigger picture behind the event Space to meet other participants before teams and ideas fully form Early discussion of opportunities and challenges related to L&D, business, and tech A chance to explore where your skills fit if you’re still figuring out how you want to contribute Informal networking that can turn into team formation, partnerships, or better working dynamics later This is also the right setting for asking the questions that are harder to squeeze in once a hackathon is underway. What kinds of problems are worth solving? What makes an idea useful, not just interesting? Where does business relevance meet strong learning design or technical execution? Those conversations are often what separate rushed concepts from thoughtful ones. Because the event is in person, expect a more natural flow of interaction than you’d get in a virtual briefing. Quick introductions, spontaneous conversations, and immediate feedback can help people find common ground fast. Why Attend A good pre-hackathon session can save you time, improve your focus, and make the main event more productive. Instead of spending the opening stretch of the hackathon figuring out who’s in the room and what matters, you can use that time to build. If you’re someone who likes to prepare, this session gives you exactly that advantage. You’ll be able to start thinking in concrete terms about problems, ideas, collaborators, and priorities before the pressure of active hacking begins. There’s also a strong community benefit. Hackathons are better when people know who they’re working with and have already had one solid conversation. Meeting others in advance lowers the barrier to collaboration and makes it easier to join a team, test an idea, or offer your skills with confidence. A few strong reasons to attend: You’ll arrive at the hackathon with more clarity about the goals and landscape You can build connections early, which makes teamwork easier later You’ll have room to shape your thinking before execution starts You can identify useful angles and unmet needs in the L&D and business space You’ll get more from the overall experience by engaging from the very beginning, not just the main event For people working across learning, innovation, product thinking, people development, or technology, this kind of early session is often where the most valuable alignment happens. It helps move ideas from broad interest to actionable direction. Practical Details This event takes place in person on Tuesday, November 19 at 4:00 PM GMT+1. If you’re planning to be part of the hackathon, it’s worth treating this as a core part of the experience rather than an optional extra. Since the format is community-oriented and collaborative, come ready to talk, listen, and share what you’re interested in exploring. You do not need to arrive with a fully formed concept to benefit. In many cases, attending before your idea is finalized is exactly what makes the session useful. It may help to come prepared with a few simple things: A short introduction to who you are and what you work on A rough sense of the kinds of L&D or business problems that interest you Curiosity about other people’s perspectives and approaches Openness to collaboration, feedback, and early-stage discussion If you want to make the most of the hackathon itself, start here. This session gives you a better entry point, stronger context, and a real chance to connect with the people and ideas that will shape what happens next.
Who should attend
This is for people who want to show up to the hackathon better prepared, better connected, and ready to contribute with purpose. - **You’re planning to join the hackathon** and want a clearer understanding of the context, themes, and where you can add value. - **You work in learning and development** and want to explore how L&D ideas connect to practical business outcomes, not just theory. - **You’re in tech, product, innovation, or digital roles** and are curious about collaborating on challenges that sit between learning, systems, and real-world impact. - **You’re looking for collaborators** and want to meet potential teammates before the main event starts. - **You have early ideas but need sharper direction** and would benefit from discussing them with others before building begins. - **You’re community-minded and proactive** and prefer entering a fast-moving event with some relationships already in place. You do not need to have everything figured out before you attend. If you’re interested in the space, willing to engage, and want to get more from the hackathon than a cold start, this session is built for you.