Why is SummerStage holding the HackSummerStage App Challenge?
City Parks Foundation and SummerStage have launched the HackSummerStage App Challenge to challenge software developers and SummerStage fans to create the best apps that increase fan engagement and help fans get the most from their SummerStage experience before, during and after the festival.
How do I enter?
To enter you must do the following:
- Create an account on, or log in with, an existing ChallengePost account. On HackSummerStage.com click the “Register” button to confirm your interest in participating. This step ensures that you will receive important challenge updates.
- Get a SummerStage API key from UPlanMe, Inc. by clicking here
- Create a working software application that utilizes the SummerStage API
- Complete all of the required fields on the submission form, and submit your product design by including a link, video (5 minutes maximum length), text description, and at least one screenshot of your working application and confirm that you have read and agree to the challenge rules.
What are the key competition dates?
The submission deadline for applications is May 8, 2013, at 5 p.m. ET. Judging and public voting will begin on May 13, 2013 at 10 a.m. ET, and will end May 16, 2013 at 5 p.m. ET. Winners will be announced on or around May 21, 2013.
Is my submission required to use the SummerStage API?
Yes, for your submission to be eligible for the HackSummerStage App Challenge it must utilize the SummerStage API.
How do I get access to the SummerStage API?
To get access to the SummerStage API you will need access to our FTP server. You can find out more by heading here.
How frequently must my app access the SummerStage FTP server for content?
Because many of the SummerStage programs are subject to change, it is important that your app access the FTP server once a day for any updates to the data.
Who do I contact if I have questions about the SummerStage API?
For technical questions you can contact sean@UPlanMe.com.
Will the SummerStage FTP Server Access remain active after the competition?
Yes, the FTP server will remain active after the competition, provided you continue to comply with the UPlanMe Developer Terms of Service.
What are the criteria for the winning applications?
Software applications must utilize some part of the SummerStage API and will be judged on the Quality of the Idea (elements of creativity and originality specifically applied to SummerStage), User Experience (including design, ease of use and visual appeal), and Impact (potential impact on the festival experience of SummerStage attendees). The Popular Choice Award will be determined by public voting on HackSummerStage.com.
How does public voting work?
Visitors to the site can vote for as many submissions as they like, but no more than once for a single submission. At the end of the public voting period, the votes will be tallied and verified for eligibility to determine the Popular Choice award winner.
Who is eligible to enter the competition and from what countries?
The HackSummerStage App Challenge is open to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States (including Washington DC) and Canada (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their state or province of residence at the time of entry. The HackSummerStage App Challenge is also open to legally registered corporations or organizations that are domiciled in the fifty (50) United States (including Washington DC) or Canada (excluding Quebec).
Do I retain intellectual property ownership?
Yes, you retain any applicable intellectual property rights in your submission. However, by entering the competition, you grant the sponsor of the HackSummerStage App Challenge (City Parks Foundation), the competition administrator (ChallengePost) and the competition data provider (UPlanMe) the right to promote your submission to the public on HackSummerStage.com, SummerStage.org, UPlanMe.com and partner sites during the competition and for 2 years after its conclusion. City Parks Foundation, ChallengePost and UPlanMe will also be allowed to publicize your name in connection with the submission and the challenge.
If I charge for my app, is it still eligible for HackSummerStage?
No. As City Parks Foundation is a non-profit organization and the SummerStage festival provides predominantly free programming to New Yorkers throughout the five boroughs, our app should be free and accessible to everyone as well. If submitting a previously existing app that has been modified for SummerStage, the version submitted for the Hack SummerStage App Challenge must be free, even if other versions are charged for.
Can my app include advertisements?
The challenge rules do not prohibit advertising in applications. Please note, however, that if the content of the ads is deemed inappropriate, your submission may be disqualified.
Can more than one person work on an application and receive credit for it? And if the app wins a prize, will the prize money be split among the creators?
Yes. If a team of individuals, a corporation or an organization is selected as a prize winner, the prize will be awarded to the representative entering the submission and it will be up to them to split or appropriately allocate the prize.
Can I enter more than one application?
Yes. There is no limit to how many times an eligible person or organization may enter. And, an individual may join more than one team, corporation, or nonprofit organization.
Do the submitted apps have to be newly created for this competition, or can they be pre-existing applications adapted to utilize the SummerStage API?
Submissions may be pre-existing applications provided they comply with all of the requirements outlined in the Official Rules, including that they must utilize some part of the SummerStage API provided by UPlanMe, and they must be free, even if the previous version of the app was not.
Why do I have to upload a video?
The Popular Choice award is determined by public voting. Some viewers may not have access to the desktop, web, or mobile platform you used to build your app. A video helps ensure that all users can view and experience your app. The video will also be helpful to the panel of judges. Your video should clearly and concisely demonstrate the functionality and purpose of your app. You may create a screencast or use a handheld video camera to make your video, or choose any other method that captures the app’s value and user interface. Your video is not required to have audio, but narration may help viewers understand and appreciate your app.
Does my app need to have store approval prior to the submission deadline?
No, but your app must be submitted to the relevant app store for review by the submission deadline and you will need to provide us with access for testing (see next question for details).
How can I provide SummerStage with access to test my app if it hasn’t been approved yet by the relevant app store?
iOS Apps
If you developed an iOS app and it has not yet been approved by the app store, you can send it to us via TestFlight. Enter our email address and UDID to share a build with us for testing.
Our TestFlight account email is: sean@UPlanMe.com.
Our UDID is: iPhone 4 GSM (iOS 5.0.1) e68f63af192d1c06a398c8b3d91db497d9e3d50d
sean@UPlanMe.com.
Android Apps
If your Android app has not yet been approved by the app store, send us a .apk file at sean@UPlanMe.com
What is SummerStage?
SummerStage, a program of City Parks Foundation, presents performances of outstanding artistic quality, free of charge, to serve the diverse communities of New York City. The artists represent a breadth of genres and cultures and perform in an outdoor setting accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds. SummerStage strives to develop audiences’ deepening appreciation for contemporary, traditional, and emerging artists as well as the communities in which these artists originate.
Check out SummerStage.org for more information on the festival.
How do I follow the HackSummerStage 2013 challenge and get updates?
Sign up and click “Register" to receive all updates. Click “Follow” to be alerted when public voting begins and when the winners are announced.
Who can I contact if I have questions about the HackSummerStage App Challenge?
Email us at gmaloney@cityparksfoundation.org.