# Opening Ceremony

An opening ceremony is an essential part of the hackathon to communicate all the necessary information one might need on the day-of to make the best out of the hackathon experience.

Opening ceremonies should be celebrated like a massive festival start, creating an energy that will stay with the hackers throughout the whole hackathon. 

In the Opening Ceremony, make sure you cover:

* What a hackathon is
* Your organizing team and how to reach them for questions
* The wifi/discord/any venue details
* The event schedule, highlighting the major deadlines
* Any sponsor content
  * Coach them to keep this short and sweet to avoid losing the attention of the audience
* Prize categories and rules
* Your MLH Coach’s 5-8 minute presentation!

Check out an example slide deck [here](https://hackp.ac/openingceremonyexample)