Trusted by 10,000+ Venues Nationwide

Turn Your Hackathons Into a Brand Experience Destination

Partner with top brands to bring free premium product samples to your developers—boosting engagement, adding value, and earning incremental revenue.

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Hackathons brand activation
Coming Soon
Samples Distributed
9.9K+
Consumers Reached
24+
Top Markets
Coming Soon
Active Brand Offers

Trusted by Leading Brands

Liquid I.V.
Red Bull
Clif Bar
KIND
Kraft Heinz
Anheuser-Busch
La Croix
GT's Kombucha

Everything You Need to Succeed

We've built a platform that makes it effortless to connect with brands and delight your members.

Access Premium Brand Demand

Connect with leading CPG, food, beverage, wellness brands and more actively seeking hackathons like yours to reach engaged developers.

Generate Incremental Revenue

Earn money for every sample distributed—with zero upfront costs, inventory risk, or operational burden on your team.

Enhance Member Experience

Delight your developers with free products from brands they love. Sampling creates memorable moments that boost satisfaction and loyalty.

Effortless Operations

We handle logistics end-to-end—from brand coordination to product delivery. You just provide the space and your members do the rest.

Brand-Safe Partnerships

Every brand and campaign is vetted to ensure alignment with your values. You approve what comes into your hackathon.

Join a Nationwide Network

Become part of 10,000+ venues partnering with Recess to transform how brands connect with consumers in real-world spaces.

How It Works

Get started in minutes and start earning with your very first campaign.

1

Create a Listing for Your Hackathon

Create and list your profile in under 5 minutes. 100% free to join and no obligations.

2

Get Matched with Brands

We connect you with brands looking to reach your specific developers. You review and approve every campaign.

3

Receive & Distribute Samples

Products ship directly to your hackathon and surprise and delight your community.

4

Get Paid

Get paid for every sample distributed to your developers after completion of event.

Brand Success Stories

See what brands achieved at Hackathons venues

We partnered with a beverage brand for a sampling event during our monthly hackathon, and it was the perfect fit for our community. The activation brought in sponsors who were impressed by our engaged audience, and we ended up securing three new corporate partnerships as a result.

DI

DigitalHub Innovation Space

Brand Partner

The product sampling activation we hosted generated incredible buzz among our members and attracted walk-in traffic we wouldn't have gotten otherwise. It felt natural to the space, and the brand was genuinely invested in our community—they even sponsored our next networking event.

MO

Momentum Coworking Collective

Brand Partner

Hosting the activation was seamless from start to finish, and our members appreciated having access to innovative products in a curated environment. The revenue share we received was solid, but what really mattered was seeing our community energized and the venue feeling more vibrant with the extra activity.

CA

Catalyst Tech Labs

Brand Partner

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cost to me?
Nothing. It's 100% free for your organization. There are never any costs or fees associated with using the Recess platform.
When and how do we get paid?
Within 7 days of distributing the products and completing your recap survey, you'll receive payment via ACH transfer.
Are we responsible for getting the product to our venue?
No. Products are shipped directly to your location during a timeframe that you provide. We coordinate all logistics to make it as convenient as possible for you.
What happens if we deny a brand's offer that isn't a good fit for our venue?
There are no penalties. You always have the option to accept or deny offers and aren't penalized in any way. We want to make sure it's a program you would be excited about and that aligns with your brand values.