The build floor
One hall, 300 people, far too many extension cords. Teams claim a table on day one and defend it until the final demo.
Transmission 002 / About
The signal behind
the noise.
SIGNAL/27 is a three-day festival for people who build things — with code, with hardware, with paper and glue. It is part hackathon, part classroom, part very loud reunion.
01 / Origin
Why we are doing this
Built by students who kept waiting for someone else to build it.
Every year, the same conversation happens in the lab after midnight: someone has an idea, someone else knows how to build it, and nobody knows where to put it. SIGNAL/27 is the place we decided to put it.
It is not a recruitment fair and it is not a pitch competition. There is no dress code and no keynote about synergy. There are three days, a roof, a ridiculous amount of coffee, and a few hundred people who would rather make a rough prototype than talk about a perfect one.
We are keeping it small enough that you can meet everyone and ambitious enough that you will leave with something you did not expect to make.
“The best thing I made at a hackathon was not the project. It was the four people I still text at 2am.”
— every organiser, eventually
02 / What to expect
Four rooms, one weekend
The stage
Keynotes and lightning talks from engineers, designers and founders who have actually shipped the thing they are talking about.
The labs
Hands-on workshops that assume nothing. Walk in curious, walk out with something running on your laptop.
The yard
Food stalls, a silent disco, a screenprinting table and enough open space to remember why you like doing this.
03 / The fine print
Everything you would otherwise DM us about
- When
- 19—21 March 2027
- Where
- Engineering Campus, USM — Nibong Tebal, Penang
- Who
- Students and recent grads from any campus or major
- Cost
- RM 45 — meals, coffee and a shirt included
- Format
- Teams of 1—4. Solo builders get matched on day one.
04 / Questions
Answers, mostly
Do I need a team to sign up?
No. Register solo and we will run a team-matching session on the morning of day one. Plenty of people arrive without one — that is half the point of showing up.
I have never written code before. Is this for me?
Yes. The labs are built for first-timers, and every team gets a mentor. There is also a no-code track for people who would rather design, write or organise than ship software.
Is it an overnight event?
The venue stays open through the night on days one and two, but sleeping is allowed and encouraged. There is a quiet room with mats, and the coffee never really stops.
What should I bring?
A laptop and charger, a water bottle, and anything you need to think clearly. Meals are covered, but the good snacks are always the ones someone else brought.