Why do hackathons/startup weekends insist on cramming “talks” into an already tight schedule?

OP here. I meant sponsors etc use it to promote themselves but it is <em>not</em> necessary for the event. To promote themselves, why not limit it to announcements thanking sponsors @ start/end like other events do? And this obviously in addition to visible signage showing company logos all over the location...

It IS necessary if it means the attendees get a chance to familiarize themselves with the sponsors technology. Sponsors money doesn't grow on trees. Signage mean shit if nobody uses the tech.

By forcing it down your throats some of you may like the taste and use it.

Plus you are free to code during the talk, so I don't see why the ungrateful bitching.

As a Woman I feel deeply offended by your sexism. You show, once again, that tech is always attacking women and disregarding our feelings. Couldn't you find a less gender biassed expression to refer to this person?

Eyeroll

Bitching is gender-neutral. Get over it.

It isn't gender neutral. I'm tired of the constant word-rape us women have to endure all the time.

I think this might be a troll man

If you look up the event OP refers to, you can't code during the talks because projects haven't been pitched and teams have not yet been formed. What part of spending an <strong>entire</strong> day (9-5pm) just on talks/workshop that won't help actual hackathon sounds like a good use of time to you?? GTFOHWTBS