One of the Reasons We Go to Cybersecurity Conferences
While attending HackSpaceCon a couple of weekends ago and last weekend at BSides Tampa, I had several discussions with friends, colleagues, and attendees about the reason why we really attend conferences. Is it for the food? the swag or the opportunity to get out of the office for a day? Realistically, for a lot of us it was the conversations held between, during or after the conference. Affectionally called HallwayCon or LobbyCon, folks spend time conversing with colleagues, friends, former coworkers or even new people about current threats, ongoings in the office, the latest video game or sometimes Monday morning Quarterbacking (sports ball reference – sorry, not sorry) the conference, in what they can do to improve, or I would have done ‘x’ this way etc. Either way, there are a lot of conversations of all sorts happening at small, regional, national or global conferences.
For me personally, it depends on the conference, but at the point in my career, I find myself more in LobbyCon catching up with folks, discussing current threats and issues.
Based on these conversations specifically at HackSpaceCon, I was curious, what do the folks in my network think of their primary reason for attending conferences? So, I posted a poll on LinkedIn asking the fine and wonderful people in my network one question: What is the primary reason you attend conferences?
Eighty-three people voted. Here is what they said:
- ~48% go for sessions and education
- ~50% go for LobbyCon — the hallway conversations, the lobby meetups, the side discussions
- ~1% go for vendors and SWAG
That 1% for SWAG made me chuckle a bit as there is always the fine people who get the large bags and go around to get all the latest SWAG for their kids or themselves. I wonder if there is a landfill somewhere that collects all of our SWAG? but that’s for another story.
However, and more importantly, the near-even split between sessions and HallwayCon? That tells a real story.
Link to the poll and comments: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jmcquiggan_hallwaycon-lobbycon-activity-7459618329964658688-RkNO
What LobbyCon Actually Is
If you have never heard the term, LobbyCon is what happens while it is still going or the scheduled program ends. It is the conversation you have waiting for coffee. The impromptu group that forms near the elevator just before lunch. The mentorship moment that happens because two people happened to sit next to each other.
Bronwen Aker put it well in the comments: “You can’t hug a video call.”
She is right. You can watch a recorded session later. You can download the slides. You cannot recreate the moment where someone who has been in the industry for twenty years decides to spend forty-five minutes with you explaining how they would approach your career differently if they were starting over.
What the Numbers Are Really Saying
When half your respondents say they come for LobbyCon, that is not a vote against education. Check out the comments, as folks are not skipping sessions to avoid learning. They are recognizing that some of the best education, connections, and inspiration happens outside the scheduled rooms.
Tina Sippel said it clearly: “I can watch a recorded session online. I can buy a nice sweater on Amazon, but bumping into and connecting with folks in real time, that is priceless.”
Jere Amos framed it from a career perspective: “You never know what it will lead to. A great mentor, great friendship, a great new role.”
That is not hype. That is how this industry actually works.
Wil Klusovsky mentioned in the comments that he works for a CEO he met at a conference. One conversation. One connection. Career changed.
What About the New People?
Jared Cecil, transitioning from 17 years in the U.S. Army into cybersecurity, attended HackSpaceCon as his first conference. He came to learn and make connections. He said the hallway conversations about career paths, certifications, and how others got their start had the biggest impact on him. The community showing up for people like Jared, that is what makes these events worth attending. For everyone.
Note for everyone else reading this – if you are already in the industry, you might forget what it feels like to walk into one of these events for the first time and not know anyone.
So What Should You Take From This?
If you are planning to attend a conference this year, go to the sessions that genuinely interest you. Take notes. Ask questions.
And then close the laptop, walk out to the lobby, and talk to someone you do not know. If you’re sitting in the audience when for the speaker to start, you could say hello to the person sitting next to you.
Goto questions you can ask:
- First time here at this conference? If they are, you can share the same experience. If not, you can ask what do you they like about it.
- “Any particular sessions you’re interested in seeing?” – Strikes up an interest of what they’re looking for out of the conference.
- What’s the coolest thing you’ve seen or heard at the con so far or any interesting SWAG?
The scheduled program will teach you frameworks and techniques. The people in the hallway will teach you how to actually use them and who to call when things get hard.
That 50% who voted for LobbyCon are not skipping the conference. They are finding the part of it that does not end when the last speaker leaves the stage.
You can look for me at upcoming events like SecretCon, BSidesLV, DEFCON, ISC2 Security Congress or WWHF, as I will have stickers and I will see you in the lobby.
“Thanks for stopping by.”
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