JOPLIN, Mo. – ( March 8, 2012) Nearly a year after one of the deadliest tornadoes in U.S.
history struck Joplin, Mo., government website developer CivicPlus will host a weekend
Hackathon with the City of Joplin to create new website technology and design features
focused on community engagement and emergency management.

Website designers and developers across the nation are invited to form their own teams of
up to five people and join CivicPlus in Joplin’s City Hall, April 27 – 29, 2012 , for a creative
and inspirational event. The result will be a new official government website for the City of
Joplin, and a citizen engagement model for cities and counties around the world. Interested
teams can apply at www.joplinhackathon.com by March 30, 2012.

“Keeping the public informed is a priority for the City every day, but that priority became
magnified immediately following the tornado,” said City Manager Mark Rohr. “Through this
Hackathon, and in working with CivicPlus, it is our goal to rebuild our website to not only be
comprehensive and easy to navigate, but also a resource for our citizens to respond to the
City by sending us their concerns, ideas and ways to improve the City. Ultimately, when the
site is completed, visitors will be able to find information quickly, whether they are looking for
meeting agendas, activities in Joplin, building permits or critical information during a
disaster.”

CivicPlus serves 39 million citizens in more than 1,000 cities and counties across the United
States, Canada and Australia, and has a history of helping local governments prepare for
and manage communications during emergencies.

“As a technology business in a neighboring state, headquartered in a town with
demographics and tornado risks very similar to Joplin, we wanted to reach out and help in
the best way we could,” said Ward Morgan, founder and CEO of CivicPlus. “CivicPlus
specializes in helping local governments connect with their residents, and the Hackathon is
a fun, energetic venue where many talented individuals who also want to help Joplin can
work together to produce amazing results for the City.”

Inspired by the company’s participation in the 2011 New York City Hackathon, the Joplin
event is modeled after a similar Hackathon CivicPlus held for its hometown of Manhattan,
Kan. last fall. In addition to the design and functionality created during the Hackathon,
CivicPlus will donate its CivicPlus Premium Website Package, which includes ongoing bestpractice training, 24/7 support, and a waiver of annual maintenance, support and hosting
fees for as long as the City and CivicPlus remain in partnership.

The Joplin Hackathon will begin with registration and a kick-off celebration at 5 p.m. on
Friday, April 27. The competition will close at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 29 with judging and
awards following. A panel of distinguished judges will evaluate the prototypes and distribute
prizes for best overall design and best functionality in two categories – emergency
management and community engagement.

City residents and business owners also are encouraged to submit ideas on what they
would like to see in the City’s new website. Ideas and digital photos may be posted on the
Joplin Hackathon website at www.joplinhackathon.com.

Teams interested in participating in the event may visit the Joplin Hackathon website for
details and to submit their applications by Friday, March 30, 2012. CivicPlus and the City of
Joplin will pre-qualify teams and notify them of acceptance by Monday, April 2.

The new website is expected to launch the week before the one-year anniversary of the
tornado when the eyes of the nation will be on Joplin as residents remember and honor the
victims and heroes of this tragedy.

About CivicPlus
Based in Manhattan, Kansas, CivicPlus transforms municipal websites into powerful twoway
communication platforms that let citizens talk to and participate in local government.
The company invests more than $1 million each year to research and develop new
customizable, integrated eGovernment applications. The innovative CivicPlus Government
Content Management System™ now offers more than 60 applications including Citizen
Request Tracker™, MuniMobile™, Facebook and economic development tools. Founded in
2001, CivicPlus was selected by Inc. Magazine as “One of the Fastest-Growing Privately
Held Companies in the U.S.” in 2011, and is a recipient of the Center for Digital
Government’s Best Fit Integrator Award for delivering extraordinary digital solutions to public
IT projects. For more information, visit www.civicplus.com.

###