Amadeus, a leading global provider of advanced technology solutions for the travel industry, today announces it will host its first hackathon in North America, Amadeus HACK@1050, to provide developers and visionaries with an opportunity to develop innovative ideas that will help propel the travel industry forward.

"As a leading technology partner and R&D innovator to the travel industry worldwide, we are excited to be hosting our first hackathon for students and developers in the Boston community"

Amadeus HACK@1050 will be held November 7-9 at Amadeus' new Research & Development center in Waltham, Massachusetts, and is a free three-day event open to college students, professionals and hackers.

"As a leading technology partner and R&D innovator to the travel industry worldwide, we are excited to be hosting our first hackathon for students and developers in the Boston community," said Mary Keagul, Amadeus' head of Research and Development for the Americas region. "At Amadeus, we are always pursuing new approaches in the travel industry and driving innovation forward. By providing students and professionals with the opportunity to address the challenges and opportunities in this ever-changing industry, we hope to foster and showcase how dynamic ideas can ultimately shape the future for the travel industry and travelers alike."

With a total of over $30,000 in cash prizes at stake, participants will work in teams of three to five people toward solving one of four travel industry challenges which will be revealed to them a week prior to the hackathon.

Keagul added that veteran travel technologists, developers and software experts from Amadeus' Boston-area R&D team will be on hand to provide expert guidance to the participants, who will also be using Amadeus technology tools and travel content during the hack.

Hacks will be judged on the following criteria in priority order:

  • Innovation, creativity and originality
  • Challenge and business value focus
  • Technical difficulty
  • Quality of user experience
  • Presentation quality and skills
  • Camaraderie and teamwork

And notable travel and technology industry executives will be on hand to judge the hackathon ideas:

  • Dr. Murray Mazer, head of Innovation and Research, Amadeus
  • Giorgos Zacharia, Chief Technology Officer, KAYAK
  • Valyn Perini, Vice President, Strategic Relationships, Nor1

Cash prizes will be awarded to the winning teams, based on judging criteria and official rules:

  • Entrepreneurial Winner – One winning team will be awarded $4,000 and the opportunity to incubate their idea with Amadeus' R&D team.
  • 1st Place Challenge Winners - For each of the four challenges, each of the 1st place winning teams will win $4,000.
  • 2nd Place Challenge Winners – For each of the four challenges, each of the 2nd Place winning teams will win $2,000.
  • Crowd Favorite Winner – One winning team will win $2,000 based on a vote of all participants.
  • A $50.00 Gift Card will be awarded to each college student that registers for the Contest and identifies a team.

Partnering with Tnooz.com, a leading travel technology news source, to host the event, the hackathon kicks off with a welcome reception on November 7 at Amadeus' Waltham R&D center. Participants return the next morning at 9am and for the next 24-hours will hack the future of travel. Free food and beverages will be provided onsite to fuel their efforts. The event culminates on the afternoon of November 9 where teams will deliver their 7-minute demo and concept pitch to the judges and winners will be announced.

Participants can register as a team or as individuals who can organize a team when onsite. To register for Amadeus HACK@1050, click here. For more information about the event, click here. Click here for the hackathon Official Rules.

For Amadeus hackathon news and updates, follow @amadeusnews and #Hack1050.

Notes to the editors

The Amadeus HACK@1050 will take place at Amadeus' offices located at 1050 Winter Street, 3rd Floor, Waltham, MA 02451.

Amadeus

Amadeus is a leading provider of advanced technology solutions for the global travel industry. Customer groups include travel providers (e.g. airlines, hotels, rail and ferry operators, etc.), travel sellers (travel agencies and websites), and travel buyers (corporations and travel management companies). The Amadeus group employs around 15,000 people worldwide, across central sites in Madrid (corporate headquarters), Nice (development) and Erding (operations), as well as over 70 local Amadeus Commercial Organizations globally and has a presence in more than 190 countries. The group operates a transaction-based business model. Amadeus is listed on the Spanish Stock Exchange under the symbol "AMS.MC" and is a component of the IBEX 35 index. To find out more about Amadeus please visit www.amadeus.com, and www.amadeus.com/blog for more on the travel industry.

Fabrice Marchand