Leon County and Domi Station Blaze New Trails with Hack-a-Thon
Programmers, developers, designers and outdoor enthusiasts from around the region will gather at Domi Station on April 23 – 24 when Domi and Leon County seek new technology improvements to the user experience for Trailahassee.com, an online resource for information on outdoor recreation in the area.
The event, called a hack-a-thon, focuses on creative insights and developing advances in technology that the County will use in expanding and improving the current website. Trailahassee.com includes featured trails, interactive maps, blogs, social media features, GPS functionality and information on outfitters and associations.
"A hack-a-thon event like this is a win-win for our community," said Leon County Commission Chairman Bill Proctor. "The County helps bring in fresh, innovative thinkers to improve an already great resource, and we also get to build relationships between talented people.”
Trail hacks builds on the success of other innovative events supported and coordinated by members and staff of Domi Station. Previous events helped develop an application to translate sign language to text, establish new methods of modeling physical motion, and much more.
Leon County launched Trailahassee.com in September 2013 for visitors and residents alike as a one-of-a-kind website showcasing information on the more than 600 miles of biking, hiking, running, paddling and equestrian trails in the area.
"We look forward to engaging our best and brightest to make Trailahassee even better," said Leon County Administrator Vincent S. Long. "Trail hacks really showcases what Domi Station is all about: working as a team to come up with new, innovative ideas."
The event lasts 32 hours and includes an orientation period, a team building session and optional workshops for participants. Participants work in four-person teams and the 24-hour “hacking” period begins at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 23.
Domi Station helps entrepreneurs develop their companies through mentorship and business support resources. The development of the Domi incubator is a result of Leon County's support of entrepreneurs. Leon County's community-driven visioning process helped develop a former warehouse into the urban business incubator which has become a catalyst for idea exchange.
To learn more about the event, visit www.trailhacks.io .
For more information, contact Lauren Pace, Leon County Tourism Development, at (850) 606-2322 / PaceL@LeonCountyFL.gov or Mathieu Cavell, Leon County Community and Media Relations, at (850) 606-5300 / cmr@LeonCountyFL.gov .
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