One role of hackathons that I haven't seen mentioned here is they provide a way for developers and API makers to interact. For developers, it can helps them le

One role of hackathons that I haven't seen mentioned here is they provide a way for developers and API makers to interact. For developers, it can helps them learn about different APIs in person by interacting with technical people from the offering companies. For companies with APIs, it helps them get developer mindshare, first-hand experience with how developers use their APIs, and offers the possibilities of having demos they can show future customers.