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 21):
  • 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 21) – *All times are in EST

• 8:00 AM – Venue Opens
• 8:45 AM – Dean’s Welcome
• 9:00 AM – Opening Remarks by Guest Speaker (Melissa Medina, CEO of eMerge Americas)
• 9:30 AM – Challenge Prompts Distributed and Available
• 10:30 AM – Team Finalization Deadline
• 10:30 AM – UI/UX Figma Workshop (Prof. Sanne Martens)
• 11:15 AM – Hacking in Progress
• 12:00 PM – Lunch
• 1:00 PM – Hacking Continues
• 3:00 PM – Guest Session
• 3:45 PM – Hacking Continues
• 6:30 PM – Scaling AI Startups Panel
• 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 Hackathon@miami.edu 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 hackathon@miami.edu 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 23^rd Sunday 1:00 PM.
• Late Submissions: Late entries will not be accepted unless an official extension is announced.

10. Presentation

• 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).

9:30 AM – 4:30 PM: Create your own Co-pilot Workshop (Online

• The workshop is sponsored by Microsoft as our pre-hackathon knowledge session. This workshop will introduce participants to Microsoft Copilot Studio, enabling them to build intelligent virtual agents and conversational assistants.

• Meet your fellow participants, learn about the schedule, and get comfortable with our online communication and submission tools.

8:00 AM – 9:00 AM: Virtual Check-in

9:00 AM – 9:10 AM: Welcome from Dean Biswas

9:10 AM – 9:30 AM: Opening Remarks by Melissa Medina (CEO of Emerge Americas)

9:30 AM – 10:00 AM: Problem Statement Release & Team Confirmation

10:00 AM – 10:30 AM: Hacking Session

• Mentor Hours: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM

10:30 AM – 11:15 AM: Figma and UI/UX Design Workshop. (Prof. Sanne Martens – School of Communications)

12:30 PM – 1:30 PM: Daniel Ortiz , Lunch & Learn Session – Powerup your AI Productivity

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, CoFounder of Revi.AI (YC2024)

4:15 – 5:30PM: Hacking Continues.

5:30 PM – 6:30 PM: Guest Speaker Sessions

6:30 PM - 7:15 PM: How to Build and Scale AI products Panel sponsored by Miami AI Hub

• Yana Tornoe, Co-Founder & COO, Question Base
• Soren Larson, Cofounder + CEO, Crosshatch

8:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Continued Hacking & Project Finalization

• Mentor Hours: 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM

• All teams must submit their final projects by 2:00 PM EST.

2:00 PM – 4:00 PM: Presentations & Judging

4:00 PM – 4:30 PM: Awards & Recognition (Recorded / Live-Streamed)

4:30 PM – 5:00 PM: Closing Remarks & Wrap-U

HorizonAI Hackathon is a dynamic 2 day event where students from diverse backgrounds collaborate to create innovative solutions, with a focus on artificial intelligence. This event is designed to showcase AI's potential in addressing various societal needs and challenges.

The HorizonAI Hackathon is scheduled for February 22 - 23rd, 2025 (Saturday & Sunday), and will run from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM EST. It is an in-person event held at the Lakeside Expo Hall, University of Miami.

Participants may join one of three tracks:

Student Track

• Open to full-time students enrolled in a university, school, or college.
• All team members must be students from any academic disciplines.

Community Track

• Open to non-student members of the local tech and startup community.
• Mixed teams (students and community members) qualify under this track.

Global Online Track (Students)

• Open to students from universities partnering with the College of Engineering.
• A college or university representative must serve as a liaison for the team. Contact: hackathon@miami.edu

Admission to the HorizonAI Hackathon is free.

Participants are encouraged to develop AI-powered solutions that address a need or challenge in today's society. The solutions can target any industry, demographic, or issue, emphasizing the transformative and innovative capabilities of AI. 

The hackathon offers seven total tracks.

• In-Person Student Tracks (5)

  • Health & Wellbeing,
  • Environment & Conservation,
  • Education & Learning,
  • Finance & Economics, and
  • Entertainment & Media.

• Community/Startup Participants Track (In-Person)

• International Participants Track (Online)

A team can have a maximum of 5 members.

This hackathon is open to students from all disciplines, and no specific coding skills are required to participate. Teams can submit ideas in various formats—such as prototype screens, presentation decks, or concept videos. While the evaluation will primarily focus on the overall impact and innovation of the idea rather than technical expertise alone, teams that develop functional prototypes will receive additional points. This inclusive approach encourages a diverse range of participants and promotes creative, interdisciplinary solutions.

While having some background in technology or AI can be beneficial, there are no strict prerequisites. The hackathon encourages learning and collaboration among participants with varying levels of expertise. However, Demo / Prototypes developed during the hackathon will be given additional points during evaluation.

‍Yes, mentors and experts in the field of AI and technology will be available to guide participants, offer advice, and help refine ideas and projects.

Submissions should utilize AI to tackle real-world challenges and demonstrate a positive societal impact. Potential areas include Health & Wellbeing, Environment & Conservation, Education & Learning, Finance & Economics, and Entertainment & Media.

Details about prizes and recognition for outstanding projects will be announced. Participants are encouraged to check the event website and communications for updates.

Yes absolutely, you can participate as an individual participant. During registration if you would like to be a part of any other team or join other individual participants, you are encouraged to do so.

All participants must leave the venue at 8:00 PM on Saturday and return at 8:00 AM on Sunday. The organizing team will not provide any sleeping accommodations or arrangements, so please plan your own accommodations accordingly.