Hackathons continue to serve as bustling hubs where creativity meets problem solving. Among them is the SAS Hackathon, where teams collaborate to find the best solutions to a business or humanitarian challenge using SAS tools.

During SAS Innovate in Las Vegas, participants can join the SAS Hackathon boot camps for a chance to create the next big thing in a short time frame. With just two sessions of boot camps on day one of the event, you don’t want to miss out.

This immersive program unites problem solvers in a dynamic, trustworthy AI environment, welcoming individuals from diverse professional backgrounds.

You’ll use your most critical thinking and communication powers, your knowledge of machine learning and model interpretability techniques, your most creative data visualization skills - and anything else in your proverbial toolbox to help you get the job done.

Here are five things you need to know about the SAS Hackathon boot camps.

1. It’s completely free!

One compelling reason to participate in the SAS Hackathon boot camp is that it is 100% free for all registered attendees. So, by registering for SAS Innovate, you’ve secured your ticket to join in on the fun at the boot camp. This gives this opportunity to a wide range of people interested in innovation and technology.

2. Bring your team of two to four people

Teams for the SAS Hackathon boot camp will consist of two to four people. Participants can bring a full team or sign up individually and be paired with others. This setup encourages collaboration and diversity of thought among participants.

3. All you need is your laptop

If you’re participating, you don’t need a bunch of hardware or software tools or books. All you need is your laptop! SAS will provide everything else required, including the use case, data, the SAS^® Viya^® platform to work with and mentors with domain knowledge. Because of this, participants can focus solely on ideation, innovation and implementation during the boot camp.

4. You’ll need to choose between a code or low/no-code environment

Once you have your team and your laptop, you’ll need to choose between coding and low/no code options, which cater to a diverse range of skill sets and preferences. The challenges revolve around collaboration using AI, analytics, and open source tools on SAS Viya. The two use case options provided are "Detecting Bias in Credit Approval Modeling Data" (coding) and "Building Trust, One Dashboard at a Time: Ethical Data Visualization Challenge" (low/no-code). The focus of the challenges is on elevating lending practices, regardless of whether you have a background in the finance industry.

5. For any questions, consult the Hacker’s Hub

For those with burning questions about the SAS Hackathon boot camps, check out the SAS Hackathon Hacker’s Hub for additional information, resources and support.

Everyone is a winner!

All teams are winners through participation, receiving a diploma and a SAS Hackathon boot camp T-shirt. Projects undergo review by jurors/mentors, with the best team eligible for The SAS Hackathon Ideation Game. Evaluation scorecards are provided post-registration.

Secure your spot to participate in the SAS Hackathon boot camps!