HackLolla: Open API Challenge for Lollapalooza App
In what appears to be a first in the growing music festival arena, Lollapalooza recently announced HackLolla, an exciting opportunity for software developers to create mobile, web and desktop applications to enhance the festival fan's experience. The coding challenge began on Friday and runs through June 24, with the chance to win flights, a hotel room and VIP tickets for 2 to Lollapalooza!
A collaborative effort between local Austin companies C3 Presents and DoStuff Media, as well as NYC based ChallengePost, the contest offers up interactivity with the festival's database using an open API. The challenge is completely open-ended, meaning that applications can range from festival maps, band ratings, schedule information, changes to the lineup, vote counts, check-ins, after shows, and whatever else fans can conjure up, focusing on before, during, or after the festival.
Michael Feferman, Digital Marketing Director at C3, noted that the idea to create the open API for Lollapalooza began at SXSW this year, as he overheard many people talking about how frustrated they were with SX mobile applications. Most of these frustrations centered around the lack of updates with last minute changes or other more detailed information, such as locations or band/speaker content. Feferman was also aware of many existing unofficial fan-developed applications for Lollapalooza and realized that they could be much more robust with direct access to the festival data.
The challenge's implementation relied upon two main pieces - development of the API and a platform for delivery. Scott Owen from DoStuff Media helped create the API interaction using a simple set of calls and clear documentation, available here. This part was completed about two weeks ago; however, the challenge required a dedicated HackLolla website with rule information, submission page, and all the other details needed to make the interaction run smoothly for contestants. Enter ChallengePost's CEO Brandon Kessler, who managed to pull together all the administration and legal efforts needed to make HackLolla a reality in time.
If you're stoked by this announcement, be sure to check out Hackapalooza Austin, a hackathon organized by local start-up companies Hurricane Party and Keepstream on Saturday, May 28. You'll have 12 hours (10am-10pm) to create your own entry for HackLolla with other like-minded Austinites. Within an hour of announcing the challenge on Friday, over 100 API keys had already been downloaded, so what are you waiting for? Go get your key now and start coding!
A collaborative effort between local Austin companies C3 Presents and DoStuff Media, as well as NYC based ChallengePost, the contest offers up interactivity with the festival's database using an open API. The challenge is completely open-ended, meaning that applications can range from festival maps, band ratings, schedule information, changes to the lineup, vote counts, check-ins, after shows, and whatever else fans can conjure up, focusing on before, during, or after the festival.
Michael Feferman, Digital Marketing Director at C3, noted that the idea to create the open API for Lollapalooza began at SXSW this year, as he overheard many people talking about how frustrated they were with SX mobile applications. Most of these frustrations centered around the lack of updates with last minute changes or other more detailed information, such as locations or band/speaker content. Feferman was also aware of many existing unofficial fan-developed applications for Lollapalooza and realized that they could be much more robust with direct access to the festival data.
The challenge's implementation relied upon two main pieces - development of the API and a platform for delivery. Scott Owen from DoStuff Media helped create the API interaction using a simple set of calls and clear documentation, available here. This part was completed about two weeks ago; however, the challenge required a dedicated HackLolla website with rule information, submission page, and all the other details needed to make the interaction run smoothly for contestants. Enter ChallengePost's CEO Brandon Kessler, who managed to pull together all the administration and legal efforts needed to make HackLolla a reality in time.
If you're stoked by this announcement, be sure to check out Hackapalooza Austin, a hackathon organized by local start-up companies Hurricane Party and Keepstream on Saturday, May 28. You'll have 12 hours (10am-10pm) to create your own entry for HackLolla with other like-minded Austinites. Within an hour of announcing the challenge on Friday, over 100 API keys had already been downloaded, so what are you waiting for? Go get your key now and start coding!
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