A datathon is an event where participants typically team up to solve a data problem. The word datathon is a portmanteau, made from data and marathon. Datathons are like hackathons but instead revolve around data analysis, modeling, and interpretation. Datathons are an excellent mechanism for improving many data characteristics for students, employees, or data enthusiasts. Datathons can help improve problem-solving skills because they can be centered around solving a specific problem or challenge.

Typically, an organization or sponsor provides a dataset, and participants are required to analyze and make predictions or recommendations based on that dataset. Datathons often offer an opportunity for participants to win prizes or prestige and inspire a good sense of competition which often leads to more innovative or insightful solutions. Teams are typically made up of diverse individuals with multifaceted skill sets – often times, the datathon will be the first time they have worked together. Working through this unique collaborative opportunity helps individuals become more comfortable with team dynamics and prepares them for future employment. Team members also gain from working with peers who think differently – hearing other approaches to finding a solution enhances each of their own techniques or skills. Finally, participants have the chance to meet other students or professionals who share their interests, and potential employers or mentors who are sponsors or judges at the event.

Participants are not the only beneficiaries of datathons. Hosts and sponsors also gain from the occasion. They profit from new relationships with datathon mentors and judges who are typically industry experts. They also gain access to a pool of talented up-and-coming data professionals and a boost to their brand visibility and recognition.  Sponsors also get the added benefit of gaining insights for their business problem from their data being analyzed by multiple teams using various methods.

At ConradBI, we’ve assisted in hosting, judging, mentoring, and providing datasets and real-world problems at multiple datathons. You could say we’ve got datathons figured out. If you have ever thought of hosting a datathon we would love to help you accomplish that. Reach out to us today!