Isle of Man’s techies have been invited to get together with Jersey’s tech community for some fun and games in March. Hackjsy are holding a weekend hackathon at the Digital Jersey Hub and want IOM coders and creatives to come and develop some game ideas and be in with the chance of winning ?1,500. Whether it’s a computer game, sports app or even a well-being idea, if it’s going to encourage some R&R then it’s in with a chance.

A hackathon is a community event aimed at gathering as many members of the digital, technical and creative communities as possible and encouraging them to work together to build an app or digital solution. It’s open to developers, designers, project managers, games enthusiasts and gaming and e-gaming experts. Participants don’t have to stay for the full 36 hours, although some will work through the night.

The event, which is sponsored by KPMG, starts at 8pm on Friday 18th March and runs until noon on Sunday 20th. Several teams have already registered for the free competition which will be judged by a panel of industry experts.

1st prize is ?1,000, 2nd prize: ?500 and third prize will be the latest Oculus Rift Development Kit.

There are travel subsidies available on application for IOM residents who would like to take part.

One of the organisers, Matt Chatterley, said: “This really is meant to be a fun weekend where people who have an idea can join a team and get stuck in with creating a digital app or game. We are a collaborative community so if you don’t have a team set up already just get in touch and we can find somebody you can work with.’

Participants will present their projects to a panel of judges, who include: Genevieve Leveille, CEO of KrypC, and a finalist in the Women in IT Awards, 2016; Ian Hughes, game technology specialist and Giancarlo Achler, Director, SidePlay Entertainment Ltd.

To register for the event or find out more information, visit: https://hackjsy.com.