Blog 2 min read

A day in the life of an Optimizely OMVP - We Hacked the Future: Netcel's Opal Hackathon Adventure

Ever wondered what happens when you mix AI, creativity, and a dash of competitive spirit? Welcome to the Opal Hackathon 2025—where we rolled up our sleeves and built something game-changing.

G

Graham Carr

Author

Ever wondered what happens when you mix AI, creativity, and a dash of competitive spirit? Welcome to the Opal Hackathon 2025—where we rolled up our sleeves and built something game-changing.

So, what’s Opal anyway?

Think of Opal as your AI-powered co-pilot inside the Optimizely Digital Experience Platform. It helps marketers:

  • Automate repetitive tasks
  • Surface actionable insights
  • Personalize content like a pro

Basically, it’s the smart assistant you didn’t know you needed.

The Hackathon Challenge

This isn't just any hackathon. It's an exclusive playground for OMVPs (and their teams) to:

  • Get early access to the Opal Tools SDK
  • Build tools that make digital experiences smarter
  • Show off some serious innovation chops

Our mission? Create an Opal integration that manages events through natural language chat.
Imagine saying:

“Show me upcoming events”
or
“Create a new event in Eventbrite and sync it to CMS”
…and it just happens. No more juggling spreadsheets, CMS, and Eventbrite tabs. Just chat, done.

Why This Matters

  • No context switching = more focus
  • Fewer errors = happier teams
  • Faster delivery = better experiences

What We Learned

  • How to wrap APIs into Opal tools
  • Building advanced workflows and agents
  • Deploying tools via Opal Connect Platform (OCP)
  • Using SDKs in JS, Python, and .NET

Basically, we leveled up big time.

What’s Next?

We’re not stopping here. Expect smarter workflows, deeper integrations, and maybe even a killer demo at Opticon. The future of digital experience? We’re building it—one hack at a time.

Stay tuned. Big things are coming.

👉 Want to know more? Get in touch with us.

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