About the author: Becky Mollenkamp is the city manager of StartupCity Des Moines, a tech startup incubator hosting StartupIowa‘s OpenIowa event.

Note: With registration for this weekend’s OpenIowa event still open, we’ve asked the organizers to give us preview of what’s to come. To register, visit tickly.co.

Like Startup Weekend Des Moines (above), OpenIowa will challenge attendees to build an app in a little more than two days’ time.

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Ready for a challenge? StartupIowa is daring developers, designers and data junkies to turn public data sets into something useful at its first OpenIowa event. The code-a-thon is similar to other open-data events sprouting up around the country, like the recent Hack Omaha.

Similar to Startup Weekend, OpenIowa challenges attendees to launch a product in one weekend using the vast data sets available at openiowa.socrata.com. Teams will form around the best ideas to implement the projects. On Sunday evening a panel of judges will name one team the winner.

Winners at similar competitions have created everything from an app that helps diners avoid restaurants with health-code violations to another that allows users find pick-up basketball games anywhere, anytime.

Here are the details of the first OpenIowa event:

• What: OpenIowa
• Where: StartupCity Des Moines (317 6th Ave., 5th floor)
• When: April 27-29
• Tickets: $30, register at tikly.co
• For more information: Visit startupia.org

Christian Renaud, one of the event’s coordinators, shares his top 10 reasons to attend OpenIowa.

1. You’ll meet great people. OpenIowa attendees come from many walks of life, including developers, designers, government types, and others fascinated by data. This is a rare opportunity to work side-by-side with the city’s brightest and most creative minds.
2. You’ll learn a lot. Whether you use the weekend deciding if the startup world is right for you or spend it working on a new skillset, you are certain to walk away wiser than when you arrived.
3. You can make your idea come to life. Have an idea you’ve been toying with for a while? This is the time to make it reality. You’ll have access to a team of people that complement your skills.
4. You can join even without an idea. Even if you aren’t dreaming of “the next big thing,” you can join a team of innovators to create something great.
5. You’ll push yourself. If you’ve never done a marathon session of building and creating, OpenIowa is the perfect time to give it a try. Spend an intense weekend improving your skills, re-igniting your passion, and discovering talents you didn’t know you have.
6. You’ll great feedback. With so many experienced judges and attendees at your disposal, you will have access to instant and valuable feedback to see if your great idea really has merit.
7. You can launch in a weekend. No matter what you are creating, OpenIowa will give you the foundation and fuel needed to get your product started.
8. You’ll get a deeper understanding of your government. As a tax-paying citizen, that’s pretty darn cool.
9. You get six meals delivered right to you at the StartupCity offices.
10. Tickets are only $30. Where else can you get a weekend’s worth of entertainment and meals for so little?

Credits: Photo by Riane Menardi.