CoastHack takes place at the University of Tartu Pärnu College, at Ringi 35, Pärnu.

On Friday evening, we’ll gather in the large lobby on the ground floor. Once you enter through the main entrance, you’ll find yourself right where you need to be. The lobby is directly in front of you and hard to miss. Look out for CoastHack signs guiding you to the registration area.

Throughout the weekend, workshops and teamwork will take place both in the college and in the Pärnumaa Business Incubator, located in the same building. Signs and our organising team will help you find your way, and our host Mayri will keep everyone in the right place at the right time and share all the information you need along the way.

Registration opens on Friday at 16:30, and the CoastHack opening programme starts at 17:00.

We recommend arriving at 16:30 so you have plenty of time to check in, pick up your name badge, and settle in before the programme begins.

Please make sure you arrive no later than 18:00. Friday evening is an important part of the hackathon, including the idea pitches and team formation.

If you’re coming to CoastHack with your own idea and want to build a team around it, you’ll have 90 seconds on Friday evening to introduce it to the other participants. The goal isn’t to deliver a polished investor pitch – it’s to give people a clear enough picture of your idea to find others who want to join you and help build it.

Your 90-second pitch could answer four simple questions:

• What problem or need do you want to solve?
• What is your idea or possible solution?
• Who is it for?
• How could technology help make it possible?

You can finish by briefly mentioning what kind of people or skills you’re looking for in your team.

The pitch must be in English and without slides or other visuals – just you, your idea and 90 seconds. 🙂 We recommend practising at home a few times with a timer, as 90 seconds is a strict time limit. There won’t be extra time on the night – when the 90 seconds are up, your pitch is over.

After the pitches, there will be dedicated time to talk to the idea owners, ask questions and form teams around the ideas that interest you.

If you’re already coming with a team, we still ask one team member to briefly pitch your idea. At the end, simply let everyone know whether your team is complete or if you’re looking for additional members.

No problem at all! You don’t need to bring your own idea to CoastHack.

On Friday evening, you’ll hear 90-second idea pitches from other participants and can see if any of them spark your interest. After the pitches, there will be dedicated time to talk to the idea owners and form teams. You can learn more about what different teams want to work on and join one where you feel you can contribute with your skills, experience or simply a fresh perspective.

And there’s nothing to worry about – Friday’s idea pitches are not a competition and are not judged by the jury. The goal is simply to bring ideas and people together and form great teams for the weekend.

You can come to CoastHack on your own or with an existing team.

If you’re coming solo, there will be dedicated time for team formation after the idea pitches on Friday evening. You’ll have a chance to meet other participants and find an idea and people you’d like to work with over the weekend.

If you’re coming with an existing team, each team member needs to register separately. On Friday evening, one member of your team should pitch your idea and let everyone know whether your team is already complete or if you’re looking for additional members.

So there’s no need to have a team before arriving at CoastHack. Friday evening is designed to help people and ideas find each other.

A CoastHack team can have 3-5 members. This gives you a good mix of skills and perspectives while keeping the team small enough to work quickly and effectively over the weekend.

If you’re coming with an existing team that falls outside this range, or if you have any questions about team formation, email us at info@coasthack.ee and we’ll figure it out together.

Plans change, and that’s completely okay. If you know you won’t be able to attend CoastHack, just let us know as soon as possible at info@coasthack.ee.

CoastHack is free for participants, but we plan catering, spaces and other practical arrangements based on the number of registrations. Even a quick message helps us plan the weekend more accurately and know that we no longer need to reserve a spot for you.

There is a car park in front of the University of Tartu Pärnu College, which is normally paid. As a CoastHack participant, you can park there for free by registering your car’s licence plate number at the parking terminal in the college lobby when you arrive. Remember to do this every time you park in the college car park.

The college car park is quite small and spaces are limited. If it’s full, you can also park on the streets around the college, such as Ringi or Sadama Street. CoastHack takes place in October, when street parking in the surrounding beach area is free.

Always check the local parking signs and conditions when leaving your car.

University of Tartu Pärnu College parking information.
Pärnu city parking information.

Yes! Catering is free for CoastHack participants throughout the weekend. We’ll provide main meals according to the programme, and coffee, tea and water will be available throughout the hackathon.

If you get hungry between meals, snacks and drinks can be purchased from the vending machine at the college.

If you included any dietary preferences or requirements in your registration, we’ve taken these into account when planning the catering.

Alcoholic drinks are not allowed on the premises of the University of Tartu Pärnu College or Pärnumaa Business Incubator. Please keep this in mind if you bring any of your own food or drinks.

During the hackathon weekend, our main communication channel will be the CoastHacki WhatsApp Community. We’ll use it to share important announcements, programme updates and other information you may need throughout the weekend.

Make sure you also join the General group inside the Community. This is where most of the communication between participants and organisers will happen. You can ask questions, chat with other participants and quickly get help when you need it.

For urgent questions, please contact us through WhatsApp rather than email, as the organising team may not be able to keep an eye on emails throughout the hackathon.

And of course, you can always approach our organising team in person – we’re there to help! 🙂

The most important things to bring are your laptop and charger. Everything else depends on what your team ends up working on over the weekend.

We also recommend bringing:

• headphones if you’d like to focus and work independently at times;
• a reusable water bottle or thermos;
• any other devices, equipment or tools you think you might need to develop your idea.

On Friday evening, we’ll head out together after the programme to enjoy the ÖÖvalgel light festival, so make sure to bring warm, weather-appropriate clothing as well. October evenings in Pärnu can be chilly and rainy. If rain is expected, we recommend bringing a rain poncho rather than an umbrella for the festival walk.

CoastHack is designed as a full 48-hour hackathon from Friday to Sunday, and by registering, we expect you to plan to take part throughout the weekend.

Teams are formed on Friday evening, Saturday is the main working and mentoring day, and on Sunday teams prepare their solutions and pitches for the final presentations. Your teammates will be counting on you, so it’s important to be there for your team throughout the hackathon.

Of course, this doesn’t mean you need to spend 48 hours straight at the venue. 🙂 You can head off to rest in the evening and take breaks during the day when needed. The important thing is to be there when agreed with your team and actively contribute throughout the weekend.

No, overnight stays are not allowed at the hackathon venue. At the end of the day, we encourage everyone to get some proper rest and come back refreshed in the morning. 🙂

CoastHack participants can stay at Tervis Medical Spa Hotel at a special rate of 70€ per night for a double room. The price includes a buffet breakfast and access to the sauna and water centre. The hotel is about a 5-minute walk from the hackathon venue.

To get the special rate, book your room directly with the hotel by phone or email: +372 447 9220, sales@tervis.ee. Use the code COASTHACK when booking.

CoastHack takes place on the same weekend as the ÖÖvalgel light festival, which runs from 1-3 October, Thursday to Saturday. On Friday evening, after the CoastHack programme, we’ll head into town together to enjoy the festival.

The festival’s visual theatre performances take place across Pärnu’s public spaces, and the outdoor programme is free for everyone. You’re also welcome to explore the festival at other times if the CoastHack schedule allows.

As it’s an October evening, make sure to bring warm, weather-appropriate clothing. If rain is expected, we recommend a rain poncho instead of an umbrella – it makes it much easier for everyone to move around together and enjoy the performances.

There are also separately ticketed concerts at St Elizabeth’s Church, combining spectacular light shows with live music and orchestra performances. CoastHack participants receive a 20% discount on concert tickets, and the discount code has been sent to registered participants by email.

The CoastHack Community Mixer is our small afterparty at Ringi 5 Lounge – a chance to step away from hacking for a while, relax and spend some time with the CoastHack crowd in a more casual setting.

The Mixer takes place on the second floor of the lounge and is open only to CoastHack participants aged 18+. Entry is with your CoastHack name badge, so make sure to bring it with you.

Each participant gets two complimentary cocktails on us. You’ll receive your drink vouchers at the registration desk when you arrive at CoastHack – keep them safe for the evening. 🍸

The CoastHack Community Mixer is kindly supported by Patchstack and Ringi 5 Lounge.