Potluck Party Or Hackathon

When it comes to selecting a team-building activity for your organisation, culinary potluck parties and hackathons are two popular choices, each offering unique experiences. But which one suits your team better? During a potluck party, everyone brings their food and then share the meal, mingles around and taste each other’s favourite meal. For many people, it sounds like a nice, warm and chill event, but it has its limitations, and logistical challenges and doesn’t really leave a mark on the map. But when it comes to organising hackathons, we are talking business. Imagine an event, that is full of dynamics, increases morale, creates bonds between new people, participants gain new skills, solving internal challenges and comes up with new project ideas for the company to win the final prize and have fun all at the same time.

We’ve run this comparison for companies weighing dozens of team-activity options across our 600+ events in 20+ countries since 2017, and the pattern holds regardless of team size.

Challenges Of Potluck Parties

One of the primary challenges of organising a potluck party is finding a suitable space. It should be a large, open area with at least a refrigerator, making it difficult to find a venue that permits external catering without using their services. If held at the office, space is often limited to the largest available room, making potluck parties more suitable for smaller teams. Large teams may struggle to fit into a single room, making potlucks less practical for large corporate events. Dietary restrictions present another challenge, especially since professional catering services aren’t involved. It is essential to clearly label each dish, and the entire event can descend into chaos without proper communication. Allergies, intolerances, and personal preferences may leave some team members feeling excluded or uncomfortable. Furthermore, the competitive nature of cooking can negatively impact morale if some employees feel judged for their culinary skills. Those without the time or interest in cooking may end up buying cookies from the shop and putting them on a plate. Like family fun days or volunteer days, the experience can be intimidating or simply uninteresting for certain personality types or backgrounds. Moreover, these events, while entertaining, don’t necessarily contribute to an individual’s professional growth or foster greater loyalty to the company.

Hackathons As Team-Building

Hackathons offer a completely different approach, fostering creativity and problem-solving without highlighting individual weaknesses, if anything it embrace it. During a hackathon there are no mistakes, the whole point is to get out of the routine and create new projects, products, services or prototypes, whatever the case is, the main point is to try something new and take risks. Participants work together to build something tangible, creating a sense of unity. There are no restrictions on creativity or dietary requirements, making hackathons a more inclusive environment. These events focus on solving challenges rather than showcasing skills, which fosters a low-pressure environment where employees can let their guard down and this encourages collaboration and creativity, providing opportunities for employees to learn from each other. The key to successful team-building activities is understanding the strengths and weaknesses of your team members. A hackathon strikes a balance that allows everyone to contribute without feeling overwhelmed since the mentors, judges, and organisers work together to guide the participants as they solve challenges and vie for the final prize.

Benefits

Hackathons are tailored to meet the specific needs of an organisation, whether that involves brainstorming a new product or tackling an internal challenge. They offer a dynamic space where participants can shine, showing off their best skills without the usual office pressures, all while having fun. During a hackathon, companies can gain fresh ideas and engage employees, while participants discover new technologies, learn problem-solving methods, and share best practices. Employees bond unconsciously while working together in teams made up of people from different backgrounds. Hackathons offer a platform for anyone and everyone to shine, providing a space that is inclusive and conducive to learning new skills.

Conclusion

When compared to potluck parties, hackathons offer more inclusive and adaptable experiences that cater to larger crowds with diverse skill sets. Potluck parties, limited in space and focus, can only host a few participants and are limited by dietary restrictions. Hackathons, on the other hand, encourage creativity and collaboration, promoting problem-solving and providing valuable solutions to the company in a fun and dynamic environment. This creates new connections between employees across departments, encouraging them to learn from each other and gain new skills. The challenges inspire fellowship and fresh ideas that translate back to the office. In summary, hackathons are more inclusive, innovative, and engaging space than potluck parties, which can appeal to a narrow audience without adding much professional value or long-lasting results.