The tech scene in Chicago may not be as vibrant as San Francisco’s or Austin’s, but it’s a thriving industry that real estate industry professionals are looking to grow alongside.
Transwestern recently announced a first-of-its-kind hackathon in Chicago, taking place August 26-28 at 200. W Madison, the Transwestern headquarters. CREforge is a free commercial real estate hackathon intended to bring technology firms and commercial real estate and development companies together for a three-day event aiming to grow collaboration and innovation in both industries.
The event will pair four companies with developers and programmers to form teams slated to solve problems and build sustainable solutions for each individual business. Transwester, ConneXion, Heitman Architects and Leopardo Construction are the corporate partners for the event and will present specific challenges for developers to help solve.
Specific, cutting-edge technologies will be on display, including 3D printing, virtual reality and more. Live product demonstrations and presentations by industry experts will help spur creativity and cultivate partnerships among the event’s participants, organizers hope.
At the end of the event, prizes will be awarded to the top solutions. Prizes include an HTC Vive virtual reality set and cash prizes ranging from $750 to $2,000.
On Saturday, the event will include four speakers, including Bob Gillespie of Elmspring, Matt Chapdelaine of CartoFront Inc. and Cater Kennedy of SoloInsight Inc. Speakers will focus on subjects such as accelerating real estate technology, real estate data and maps, working with younger generations and security solutions.
Officials from the event expect more speakers to be announced. Registration for developers is still open.
