Tips for a successful DEFCON

August 6th at 12:00am

I've had a couple of days to recover from DEF CON 21 and want to jot down a few general observations, notes and tips as reminders for next years CON.

Observations / things to expect:

  • If you show up right when registration opens, you'll be at the back of the line. It's best to show up early and get a better place in line
  • There is no limit to the number of badges you can purchase. As I stood in line there were people who were selling badges at an inflated price to people who want to avoid the line (which was quite long)
  • If there is a popular presentation the goons (DEFCON Event staff) will enforce filling every seat even if the people sitting next to you require a bit more than one seat to contain their girth. :)
  • Food is expensive in the casnio. I know it might seem obvious, but it's good to point out. Since the Rio is off-strip, restaurants outside the casino are inconvenient. For reference, it was about $7 for a 6-inch pizza or chicken strips or hamburger and about $4 for 20-ounce bottle of soda
  • I didn't easily find a schedule that listed the presentations going in the villages (wifi, Hardware, Tamper evident, etc...). I'm sure I probably missed some sessions that I'd rather have attended.
  • If you are looking for a Digital Conference Badge it is hit or miss. This year (21) it was a non-digital year.

Tips:

  • If you are within Driving distance of the conference (6 hour one-way drive for me) and are budget conscious, it makes sense to stay at an off-strip m|hotel. 
     
  • I stayed at the Motel 6 on Tropicana Avenue and paid about $225 for 4 nights. It was about a 10 minute drive from the motel to the Rio Hotel & Casino.

  • To make the most out of the conference it makes sense to plan out what specific sessions you want to attend BEFORE you arrive. I picked out my sessions about a week before
    • Don't stick to your plan 100%. I had fun swapping out sessions that I had planned for some presentations at the villages or other talks that sounded more interesting when I was 'right there'.
       
  • For the safety or security conscious, it's probably a good idea to:
    • Keep your phone in airplane mode (Bluetooth, NFC, Wifi, Cellullar all OFF) most of the time. There are people who attend DEFCON who can spoof cell towers and hack into phones
    • Take a laptop you don't care about if you will be connecting to the wifi provided by the conference. It's a war zone out there!

  • Take notes during sessions you care about. I'm glad I did- now I have something I can look back on to refresh my memory. :)

  • There are no receipts for anything sold at the convention (Badges included). If your work is going to be paying for your trip, make sure they know that going in. It's kind of hard to file an expense report without a receipt.