Imagine App Challenge Guide

Download a PDF Version of the Imagine App Challenge guidelines »

Event Details

The Event will be held during The Cable Show, May 21 - 23, 2012 at the Boston Convention & Exposition Center in Boston, Massachusetts.

All participants own the full rights to their intellectual property.
The competition is open to students only (in teams of 1 to 4 students).
Students are invited to form teams and submit ideas for applications that leverage broadband internet and take media, entertainment, communications and/or information to the next level.
The six teams with the best ideas will be invited to The Cable Show in Boston to participate in a 48-hour competition to:

build functioning prototypes
present them to a panel of judges
win fabulous prizes

All ideas are welcome - and must be submitted [here] using our simple application form.
Deadline is April 30, 2012.
Those selected will be notified shortly thereafter.

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Selected Teams Receive

Hotel accommodations in Boston - one room per team (you have to get there on your own)
Free admission to The Cable Show 2012
Power and Internet - plus an awesome place to code while everyone watches
Meals, junk food and beverages in Imagine Park

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Platform & Tools

Completely up to you - pick your platform of choice and bring your favorite tools and toys. You can do all the pre-planning and resource-sourcing you like before the event – but all coding must happen during the competition.

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Guidelines & Inspiration

Be creative - and stretch the limits of your imagination.
Apps can fit in most any category: TV, Social, Music, Games, Education, Lifestyle, Sports, Travel, etc.
Think about making these things better - more convenient, interactive, engaging, and useful.
Integrate social, search, navigation, commerce, recommendation, etc.
Try to solve a problem or improve a user experience.
Do a little homework - make sure your idea is new and outside the box.
Be realistic - you have to be able to get it done in 48 hours.

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Schedule

Monday, May 21: Registration, Event Kick-off and Coding Day 1
Tuesday, May 22: Coding Day 2
Wednesday, May 23: Presentations and Awards

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What to Bring

If your idea is accepted, your team should come prepared with your ideas, design tools, or development environments ready to go. You might also pack:

Valid Student ID (mandatory)
Laptop and power supply
Sleeping bag and toothbrush
Warm sweater or hoodie
Business Cards to get your networking on

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Judging and Award Criteria

Teams will have 48 hours to produce working prototypes of their apps. On day three, teams will demonstrate their projects to a panel of judges comprised of cable, content and software company executives during a special live stage event in Imagine Park. Teams will be awarded points for creativity, functionality, design, presentation and likelihood of being deployed. The three teams with the highest combined scores will receive prizes.

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Judges

To be announced soon!

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Winners Receive

First Place -- $10,000
Second Place -- $4,000
Third Place -- $2,000

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Terms & Conditions

If selected, team members agree to:

Register using a valid .edu email address.
Arrange and pay for their travel to and from the competition.
Present a valid student ID.
Follow all on-site rule and guidelines.
Conduct themselves in an appropriate manner at all times.
Have a signed permission form from parent or legal guardian (students under the age of 18).
Sign a release granting permission to take and use photographs, audio, and video recordings of their participation in the competition for the organizer’s unrestricted use including live video streaming, media coverage and other promotional uses.
For the Official Rules of Imagine App Challenge, download this PDF.

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