In-person, Online and Back Again - A Tale of Three Hybrid Hackathons

Hybrid hackathons, which combine in-person and online participation, present unique challenges for organizers and participants. Although now widely practiced, research on them remains fragmented, with limited integration between hackathon studies and hybrid collaboration theories. Existing strategies for in-person or online-only events often fail to address hybrid-specific issues, such as managing communication across physical and virtual spaces and ensuring balanced participation. Our work examines hybrid hackathons through the lens of hybrid collaboration theories, focusing on how organizers structure these events and how participants navigate associated challenges. We frame our analysis using established theories of hybrid collaboration, focusing on four key dimensions - synchronicity, physical distribution, dynamic transitions, and technological infrastructure - that shape collaboration in hybrid events. Using an exploratory case study of three hybrid hackathons, involving observations and interviews with organizers and participants, we investigate how these dimensions are implemented and how they shape participant experiences. Our findings show differing organizer approaches to the hybrid dimensions, leading to varied participant experiences in access to resources, communication, and coordination. Implementation styles, favoring in-person, online, or balanced participation, produced disparities in engagement. Organizers often relied on technology to bridge physical and virtual spaces, but overlooked critical aspects such as time-zone management, dynamic transitions, and targeted hybrid team support. Participants, in turn, adapted collaboration tactics in response to gaps in event scaffolding, sometimes enabling collaboration, but at other times creating new challenges, underscoring that considerations for the hybrid format are still not fully integrated into hackathon planning. Learning from our findings, we offer practical recommendations for both organizers and participants to improve planning, participation, and collaboration in hybrid hackathon events.