I really want to organize one of these where I live, but I'm afraid nobody would come. This is the sort of stuff that I love doing, and this really is a great hack.
developer/organizer here. hi! arranging a stupid hackathon is almost too easy, and loads of fun. attendees are usually very forgiving and happy, and if something fails it is stupid and therefor on brand. i make them annually in sweden, and this was year no3. fantastic experience.
Thanks for the info! Unfortunately the tech community where I am has shrunk to almost nothing due to the recession, so I don't think there would be enough people joining :(