Cajun Code Fest 2012: The Louisiana Code-a-thon

Background

The Cajun Code Fest 2012 is a FREE two-day coding competition focusing on transforming “data” into health care solutions, specifically addressing childhood obesity. This exciting coding marathon will bring together innovative thinkers and programmers of all types: professional software developers, software designers, undergraduate and graduate students, health care leaders, educators, and entrepreneurs. Participants will organize themselves into teams; either before arriving or during the event, and over a 36-hour period will build exciting new prototypes and tools for improved health care.

The event will feature a number of excellent tech talks and buzz-worthy speakers including Todd Park, US Chief Technology Officer; Bruce Greenstein, Secretary, Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals; Eric Dishman, Intel Corporation Fellow and Director of Health Innovation and Policy, Digital Health Group; Jay Walker, Founder of Priceline.com and curator of TEDMED.

This event is SOLD OUT, to add yourself to the waiting list, please visit www.CajunCodeFest.org.

Description

WHY LAFAYETTE, LA?
Lafayette, LA is a regional medical hub located in South Louisiana and home to some of the leading health care providers in the country, like the Lafayette General Medical Center, Acadian Ambulance, the Schumacher Group, LHC Group, among several others. Led by the Center for Business and Information Technologies (CBIT), the city is fast becoming the hub for next generation health care innovations in technology and analytics. The city’s entrepreneurial culture, and its world-class, ubiquitous, and community-owned fiber infrastructure enables Lafayette to be the testbed in the use of networked technologies and innovations for design and delivery of health care solutions.

This event follows official designation of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette by the National Science Foundation as the Center for Visual and Decision Informatics (CVDI), an Industry-University Cooperative Research Center in partnership with Drexel University. Launched on February 6, 2012, CVDI is the only NSF center in the US with focus on visual and decision informatics, and the 1st NSF Center ever in the State of Louisiana. Big data and health care are major focus areas of CVDI, as well our code-a-thon.

CELEBRATE
This inaugural two-day event is part of Innov8 Week in Lafayette, and the special bonus is these events run in conjunction with Festival International de Louisiane, the largest outdoor, FREE Francophone event in the U.S. The Festival places special emphasis on highlighting the connections between Acadiana and the Francophone world. Each year performing, visual and culinary artists from Europe, Africa, Canada, the Caribbean and the Americas share their talents with Louisiana artists, residents and visitors. Cajun country is known for its awesome food, music and innovation! You will have lots of all three. Come create, innovate, and celebrate with us!

WHO IS SPONSORING & ORGANIZING?

WHO ARE YOU EXPECTING?
The event will draw physicians, scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, students and enthusiasts that want to change the world and improve health care outcomes – all during an intense and enjoyable 2 days of hacking, developing, innovating and creating. We will be featuring a number of excellent tech talks and buzz-worthy speakers who will discuss cutting edge issues in health care technology.

HOW DO I REGISTER?
Registration is FREE. Seating is limited to 125 participants, so reserve your seat today. Contact Dr. Ramesh Kolluru, at Kolluru@louisiana.edu or 337.482.0611 or visit CajunCodeFest.org for details.

FOOD/ACCOMMODATIONS:
Your FREE registration also includes breakfast, lunch, dinner and a special invitation to a Cajun Crawfish Boil on Friday and Saturday. The official Cajun Code Fest hotel is the Wingate by Wyndham. When making reservations, please mention group code “CGCCAT” to receive the group rate. Group Room Rates: Single/Double or Triple/Quad: $79.00/night. We will provide free lodging for programmers and encourage teams to bunk up 2-4 per room to save on lodging fees.

*Rooms reserved using the group rate will be provided at no cost to participants of the "Cajun Cost Fest”. Rooms must be guaranteed on participant’s credit cards. At the time of checkout, room charges will be invoiced to the "Cajun Cost Fest”; however, all incidentals will be the responsibility of the room occupant. In addition, any participant cancelling attendance at the event and not cancelling hotel reservations will responsible for charges as per hotel cancellation policy. To ensure availability, reservations should be made by April 1, 2012. After this date, rooms will be made available at the conference rate on a space available basis.

Wingate by Wyndham
702 E. Kaliste Saloom Road
Lafayette, LA 70508

For Reservations:
Toll Free: 866.434.0298
Direct: 337.234.3700
Email: wingate.reservations@gmail.com

If the Wingate by Wyndham is full, please call:

Fairfield Inn & Suites
1606 West Pinhook Rd
Lafayette, LA 70508

For Reservations:
Direct: 337.233.5558

When making reservations, please mention group "codeathon” to receive the group rate. Group Room Rates: King or Queen/Queen: $99.00/night.

LOCATION:
The coding event will be at University Research Campus at Picard Center for Childhood Development and Lifelong Learning, 200 East Devalcourt Street, Lafayette, LA 70506. Parking is free in the UL Research Campus. There will be free transportation from the Hotel and on-campus housing.

PRIZES:
First place will receive a $25,000 cash prize and an automatic entry to the invite-only National Health Datapalooza, to be held in Washington, DC on June 5-6, 2012. Additional prizes of cash and services will be announced in coming weeks as sponsors are confirmed.

LIST OF SPEAKERS, JUDGES, AND SPECIAL GUESTS

Agenda

Thursday, April 26th, 2012

• 5:30-8:00pm - Informal Welcome Reception
• 8:00pm-midnight – Festival International de Louisiane, downtown Lafayette (casual attire), sponsored by the Lafayette Economic Development Authority

Friday, April 27th, 2012

• 8:00-8:45 am – Registration
• 8:45-9:15 am – Introductions and Welcome
• 9:15-9:30am -- Launch of the Center for Visual and Decision Informatics
• 9:30-9:45am -- Bruce Greenstein, Secretary, Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals
• 9:45-10:15am -- Todd Park, US Chief Technology Officer
• 10:15-10:40am -- Description of Data and Challenges
• 10:40-11:40am -- Inspirational Roundtable for Potential Solutions
• 11:40 -12:00 pm – Team Logistics
• 12:00-1:00pm – Lunch (coding begins)
• 1:00-3:00pm -- Coding Continues
• 3:00-3:15pm – Terry Huval, Director, Lafayette Utility Systems, Fiber to the Home
• 3:15-6:00pm -- Coding Continues
• 6:00-7:30pm – Cajun Crawfish Boil at Abdalla Hall, home of the Center for Business and Information Technologies (casual attire)
• 7:30-midnight – VIP Reception at Festival International de Louisiane, downtown Lafayette (casual attire), sponsored by the Lafayette Economic Development Authority

Saturday, April 28th, 2012

• 8:00-12:00pm – Welcome Back (coding continues)
• 12:00-1:00pm – Lunch
• 1:00pm -- Coding Stops!
• 1:00-1:20pm -- Overview of Judging and Awards Process, Farewell and Best Wishes from Todd Park
• 1:20-1:45pm – Teams move to respective presentation areas & setup
• 1:45-4:30pm -- Semi-final round of presentations to simultaneous panels
• 4:30-6:30pm -- Reception in lobby
• 5:00-6:00pm – Final round of presentations in Auditorium
• 6:00-6:30pm -- Final deliberations by judges
• 6:30-7pm -- Awards Ceremony / Check Presentation
• 7:00 pm – Festival International de Louisiane, downtown Lafayette (casual attire)

Full agenda and venue location info can be found at CajunCodeFest.Org.

Venue