Build the Future of the Gold Coast

Gold Coast Open Data Challenge 2026

What could you create if the Gold Coast became your sandbox?

The Gold Coast Open Data Challenge is a two-day innovation sprint bringing together students, developers, AI builders, designers, entrepreneurs, and community changemakers to create bold ideas that improve life on the Gold Coast.

Hosted at Southern Cross University’s Gold Coast campus on 18-19 July 2026, the weekend combines open data, rapid prototyping, practical workshops, mentorship, and live pitching into one high-energy experience.

You do not need to be a developer to participate.

Whether you’re a coder, creative thinker, strategist, communicator, designer, founder, researcher, or simply someone passionate about the future of the city - there’s a place for you here.

Participants will work individually or in teams to develop apps, AI tools, digital concepts, campaigns, startup ideas, or policy proposals that respond to real community challenges.

Challenge Areas

Transportation & Mobility
Environmental Conservation
Disaster Resilience
Tourism & Visitor Experience
Youth & Student Life
Neighbourhood Services
Planning & Liveability
Wildcard Civic Innovation

You can tackle one of the official challenge tracks or pitch your own idea.

Throughout the weekend, participants will gain access to expert mentors, practical workshops, networking opportunities, and collaborative build sessions designed to help teams move from concept to prototype fast.

While the agenda may change in the lead-up to the event, to give you an idea of how the weekend will run, please find a draft agenda following:

Event Structure (subject to change)

Day 1 — Saturday 18 July

8:00–9:00am Registration, open networking and snack station in the outdoor marquee.
9:00–9:30am Opening address in Building C lecture theatre: welcome from GC Hub (Josh Smith), SCU (Dr John Haw), City representative (Tim Harding)
9:30–10:00am Challenge and prize reveal. Invitation into GC Hub Slack platform to aid communication through event.
10:00–10:30am Workshop 1 (Tim Harding, City of Gold Coast): Navigating City of Gold Coast open data and picking a problem
10:30–11:00am Team formation / challenge selection. Team members introduce themselves to one another to highlight individual strengths and interests.
11:00-12:00pm Brainstorming and ideation. Decide on what tools to utilise.
12:00–1:00pm Lunch + open networking and more brainstorming
1:00–2:00pm Workshop 2 (Libin Joseph, AlphaTales): Rapid app prototyping with a vibe-coding / cloud stack
2:00–3:00pm Build sprint 1
2:30–3:00pm Mentor checkpoint 1 (every team must be ready to articulate user, problem, data source, and prototype plan)
3:00–5:00pm Build sprint 2 + roaming mentors
5:00–5:15pm Daily wrap, community shout-outs, guide to using Slack for optional evening hacking

Day 2 — Sunday 19 July

8:30–9:00am Restart in the Marquee, including quick check-in, Q&A, and morning snacks.
9:00-12:00pm Build sprint 3 + roaming mentors to review progress
12:00–1:00pm Lunch + open networking
1:00–1:45pm Workshop 3 (Antonio Moreira, Brand Gold Coast): Using a storytelling structure to pitch a civic solution in 3 minutes
1:45–2:30pm Mentor checkpoint 2 (every team must reveal their MVP and draft presentation slides to mentor for last-minute feedback and positioning suggestions)
2:30–3:00pm Submission deadline prep, demo recording, slide lock
3:00pm Slides provided to Event Manager
3:00-3:30pm: Teams refine their MVPs and practice their presentations.
3:45–5:00pm Pitch event and judging.
5:00–5:30pm Closing ceremony, award presentation, next-step invitations, social media photos.

Inclusions

Your $20 registration includes:

Lunch, drinks and snacks across both days
All workshops and mentoring sessions
Free parking at the venue
The opportunity to win prizes provided by challenge sponsors.

Event Details

📍 Southern Cross University - Gold Coast Campus, Bilinga
📅 Saturday 18 July - Sunday 19 July 2026
🎟️ $20 Registration

Don't miss this chance to meet ambitious people, experiment with emerging technology, build portfolio-worthy projects, and contribute ideas that could genuinely shape the future of the Gold Coast.

Come for the weekend.
Leave with something real.

Contact the host of Gold Coast Open Data Challenge (2-day hackathon)

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