According to Wikipedia
The RSA Conference is a series of IT security conferences. Approximately 45,000 people attend one of the conferences each year. It was founded in 1991 as a small cryptography conference. RSA conferences take place in the United States, Europe, Asia, and the United Arab Emirates each year. The conference also hosts educational, professional networking, and awards programs.
RSA Conference 2019
RSA is almost to start, so check out my top 8 tips to make the most of your meeting!
RSA can become overwhelming even for the most experienced showmen. The continued growth of the show, which has spanned several buildings from the center of Moscone to further afield, combined with the number of concurrent events / sessions / classes from dawn right up to the weekends is dazzling. In addition, the sheer noise level in the showrooms, the mass crowds around and the pressure to fit four weeks into a five-day business, all are subjected to anxiety and/or panic attacks. Here are the 8 intelligent things to do while at RSA to maintain your health.
- MAKE A PLAN
Make your day and schedule a priority in accordance with the objectives that you want to participate. Learn as much as you can before you get on site, so that you can view the conference from a “big picture” view and time things right. This is an extensive conference, which could make you feel irritated or lead to a journey more like a Vegas holiday than a security conference, if not planned correctly.
- DON’T STICK TO PLAN
The Captain Barbossa in the Caribbean Pirates is one of my favorite film lines. He says, “The code of the Order of the Brothers (the Order of Brothers) is more what you would call guidelines than real rules.” Make sure you’re keeping track of what you’re doing, but don’t be afraid of taking in something that you’ve been interested in during the show–even if you haven’t sprung to paper during your pre-show program. For example, you might walk by “Open Garages-Learn how your car drives technology” and find out that your in-house tinkerer is called. Go for that. Go for that. This might be the kind of experience that can either make your trip or that you will miss.
However, to counter this point, do not hesitate to step out and try another session if it is in a session and it is not what you expected. Side note: Make sure that the RSA can keep their sessions up to date with both good and bad sessions.
- FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH the landscape.
Try to get to know as many conference venues, calendars, shows, local neighborhoods, and weather in advances of the conference, before the conference. This will help you to make your day more comfortable–going back to your hotel can costs you precious session, trying to find the sitting room can cost you a seat, etc. And there is little in life that’s more wretched than trying to learn late, stand, tired, or wet because you have forgotten a parachute.
- Absorb & learn Things
While everyone knows that RSA is doing a great job in developing its conference sessions, there is so much to be learned outside the conference room. Be sure to introduce the people around you–since they have the same interest as you, they have ended up next to you. One of our long-term advantages is the expansion of your professional network. Check out the display hall for new technology vendors. Connect back to current vendors. There is a lot to offer in the Exhibition Hall (free food, prizes, donations and solutions for your business problems) so you can find the technology & services that appeal to you, put them in the business chart and be sure to stop at the stands on your hall tour.
- TAKE CHANCES
This advice applies to those who want to spend time with computers rather than with people in industry. You know who you are. You know who you are. You go right in the heart of the trade show floor and try hard not to get in touch with any of the booth staff. You only receive gifts when the person who hands them out doesn’t seem to be talking.
You may feel more comfortable engaging in discussions if you can turn your perspective around and see the exhibitor’s view of the trade show experience. Exhibitors look for a kind face to the crowd, talk to someone and explain how they can support you and your company. You are prepared on the basis of how little or much you know of your offer or your specific expertise. From the point of view of an exhibitor, it is easy to feel as if a robot is spending hours on a stand, so it’s true conversations that make the most impressions. The displayers don’t want to just pitch you; they want to help you learn.
- ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS
There is another thing that you will probably see when you walk the aisles while we are on this subject: each stand seem to say the same thing. “Best Cyber Threat Defense,” “Ultimate Endpoint Protection,” “Security Only Solution,” etc.. Booth signage can say just before there is too much to read and you don’t even try, so you must ask the right question so that you can understand what is different from one service or technology.
Here are some ideas:
- Who are your greatest competitors?
- What distinguishes you?
- Who’s your client?
- Which industries depend most on your solutions or services?
- TAKE NOTES
There is a lot of information to eat all day, and you don’t want anything to depend on your memory with all the many options to relax during the night. Overload of information is the same as mush for the brains, particularly when combined with lack of sleep. Take notes at the backs of business cards that you collect to highlight the conversation, make notes in the catalog or the exhibition hall map, or take notes on your device–no matter how good the method works, you will certainly be delighted to have something to mention long following the conference’s over.
- BE SAFE
San Francisco is a beautiful town, but it is important to watch your safety while there, just like in any major town. In a big city, you have seen 20% of property and violent crimes in the last couple of years in the world outside the general risk of travel safety data (unsecured Wi-Fi networks, greater device volume potential and prying eyes on airports or aircraft, etc.) which is well known to us all. Know your environment and know where you go. Neighborhoods can vary significantly in the city every block–in a wrong turn and in an uncomfortable environment. Do not leave precious items in the sight and do not try to go the city streets in the night alone.