In all industries, attending conferences and industry specific events are a prime way of giving professionals the opportunity to learn about new and recent developments in the particular industry, to get valuable insights from leading experts and network with other professionals. The information security sector is an ever changing industry and there is a very high demand to stay as up to date as possible with the latest tech trends and research findings, in order to compete against others in the tech industry.
Tech Conferences and events allow firms to create networking opportunities with either new customers or new vendors, while also providing great access to the latest ideas and concepts in a bid to promote not only professional growth but also personal growth. While it is a costly experience and potentially time consuming, attending tech conferences are the most educational and eye opening events your company will ever benefit from. Whether you are a developer, software engineer, a systems administrator, security analyst or a quality assurance expert, there are endless reasons as to why you should attend a tech event/conference. As a first-timer, the amount of events can be overwhelming and confusing, which is why Salt Communications have developed a list of the top tech events to attend.
1. Black Hat
Black Hat is a computer security conference that provides security consulting, training and briefings to hackers, corporations and government agencies all around the world. It is regarded as the most technical and relevant information security event series in the world. It brings together a variety of people, ranging from non-technical attendees to industry leading professionals, all of whom are interested in information security. The conference was founded in 1997 by Jeff Moss, who also founded DEF CON. The first conference took place in Las Vegas, however, over the years it has since grown from one annual conference to a global conference series taking place in the likes of London, Abu Dhabi, Amsterdam, Tokyo and Washington DC.
From its creation it has become one of the most anticipated conferences of the year for security practitioners and executives, providing attendees with the latest in research and development. The key topics discussed at the event are: cyber security, data leaks, hacking and encryption. Attendees are provided with the latest information security research in a strictly vendor-neutral environment. Black Hat differentiates itself from other tech companies by working at many levels within the corporate, government and underground communities, enabling all attendees to be aware of the newest vulnerabilities, defence mechanisms and industry trends. The event allows attendees to meet face to face with the top international talent committed to defining and defending the future of security. Attending the event provides the additional opportunity to get your name out to the best, new and seasoned talent in the industry.
2. RSA Conference
The RSA conference is a series of IT security conferences, they refer to themselves as ‘the driving force behind the world’s cybersecurity agenda’. It is one of the world’s largest cybersecurity events, based in the Moscone centre, San Francisco. The RSA conference was founded in 1991 as a small cryptography non-corporate conference.
Over the years, the RSA has expanded from their one San Francisco Conference to hosting more conferences in many other countries, such as: Asia, United Arab Emirates and Europe. As many as 45,000 people attend each conference every year. From 1995, every year, each conference has a different theme which highlights a significant example of information security. The 2020 theme is ‘Human element,’ because they claim that the most powerful tool to prevent cyberattacks are humans, due to the huge role they play in protecting the digital world.
One of the RSA’s major goals is to improve cyber awareness and knowledge throughout the world. They therefore aim to bring to light new cybersecurity technologies and designs that will help businesses move beyond a ‘reactive’ cybersecurity stance to embrace a proactive cyber security posture. According to Network World, the conference’s focus expanded from cryptography into cloud and cybersecurity in 2005 when Microsoft CEO, Bill Gates, did a keynote presentation. So now, topics at the conference include the likes of: enterprise-class cyber risk, cloud-scale cybersecurity analytics and API security. The RSA conference are committed to providing the best new opportunities for the next generation of cybersecurity innovators. In order to do so, the event hosts an Early Stage Expo, as well as hosting an annual awards ceremony and innovations sandbox contest which greatly sets them apart from other tech events.
3. Web Summit
The Web Summit is an annual technology conference held in Lisbon, Portugal. It was founded in 2009 and was originally held in Dublin until 2016, when it was permanently moved to Lisbon,a more ‘cosmopolitan city’, with further events being held in the likes of Toronto and Hong Kong. Forbes have labelled the event as the “best technology conference on the planet”. The event began with 400 attendees, however, it very quickly grew to having 70,000 attendees. It is claimed that the Web Summit hosts some of the fastest growing technology companies in Europe.
The key focus of the summit is on technology and the web, with 21 separate conference occuring within the 2 days. At the summit, there are more than 70,000 attendees from 160 countries, with 1,200 world class speakers, 11,000 CEOs and 2,000 journalists. The main topics that are discussed are the likes of; internet technology, emerging technologies and venture capitalism. Over the years the event has had a combination of prominent tech and non-tech speakers, such as: Stephan Hawking, Elon Musk, Al Gore and the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guerterres. The summit tend to select speakers who are the driving force in expanding technology globally and who aim to reshape entire industry, such as: entrepreneurs, engineers, inventors and key individuals from companies like: Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook and Twitter. The Guardian refers to the summit as the “Glastonbury’s for Geeks.” One of the key focuses of The Web Summit is to create the best networking experience with Forbes claiming that the summit successfully “create collisions between startups, investors and others so they share insights and forge relationships.”
4. Infosecurity Europe
Infosecurity Conference is Europe’s number one information security event, showcasing the most up-to-date information security solutions. Over a period of 3 days, more than 400 international exhibitors of security solutions showcase their products and services to more than 19,500 industry professionals, ranging from industry analysts, worldwide press and policy experts who are looking to learn about and buy these state-of-the-art products. Additionally, there are over 200 industry speakers who are linde up to take part in the free to attend conference seminar and workshop programme.
According to the content manager of the infosecurity group, Victoria Windsor, “it is the must attend event of the year.” The event is the source and knowledge hub for Europe’s information and cyber security, it is arguably by far the most important event for people in the cyber industry to be exhibiting at. Being a part of this particular event offers the most cost effective business and networking opportunities for the world’s information security community. The infosec conference’s goal for the last 23 years, has been to inform, inspire and enable the best business connections as possible in the information and cyber security industry. They select the most innovative suppliers and cyber experts to allow attendees to immerse themselves in the knowledge of brand new tech products, while listening to world-renowned speakers.
5. Viva Technology Conference
Viva Technology is an annual conference held in Paris, Frane, dedicated to innovation and startups. The conference is regarded as the world’s rendezvous for startups and leaders to celebrate innovation, it’s a gathering of the world’s brightest minds, talents and products taking place in Paris. The event was founded in 2016 with 45,000 visitors and 5,000 startups. The fourth edition of the event was held in 2019 and it had 124,000 visitors, 13,000 startups, 450 prominent figures and 125 countries, it has now become a “Ginormous event.”
VivaTech attracts attendees such as, entrepreneurs and some of France’s biggest corporations and top policy makers. People attend the event to discover new tech trends and interact with the likes of drones, robots, VR and AR. There are endless opportunities to network and optimise success and potential investment funds. On the exhibit floor, attendees can learn from sector leaders and megawatt names in the tech industry such as, Google, Cisco and Facebook. In a period of 4 years, the event has grown dramatically and it is claimed by Forbes: ‘VivaTech will be on the must attend list for global players as the future of technology continues to unfold.’
6. Google Cloud Next
The Google Cloud Next is a 3 day global conference bringing together as many as 23,000 of the brightest and most innovative thinkers in the world. The event appeals to those who are interested in hearing more from Google executives about new and updated cloud services. Attendees would consist of: customers, partners, developers, influencers and greater global cloud community come to get inspired and learn. Topics discussed at the conference includes: service scale and maturity, usable machine learning, enterprise friendliness, how large enterprises and organisation are embracing the cloud, cloud native architecture, as well as product demos and presentations from startups and the venture capital community of the future innovations.
Attendees have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with Google experts on a wide range of topics from AI and machine learning to security and infrastructure. The conference consists of sessions, news, overviews of different products and how to build different solutions. Additionally, attendees have the opportunity to attend bootcamps which offer full day training sessions and code labs, with the additional possibility of obtaining certifications from an exam. Attending this event unlocks new opportunities for your business by interacting with the entire cloud team.
7. Pure//Accelerate
The Pure Accelerate event is an annual conference held by Pure Storage, a company that develops all-flash hardware and software products. According to Forbes, it is ‘the place to be for any enterprise, developer, analyst or industry insider who shares this viewpoint.’ Pure storage understand the value of data as a strategic asset. Through their conference they want to teach attendees how to turn data into a strategic asset, it allows those who attend to have a better understanding on how they can explore new routes to the market (XaaS) and improve customer loyalty.
The main topics of discussion include: unlocking data’s potential for digital transformation, AI, business advantage of data analytics, using data to drive growth and modernise data protection. This content tends to be directed to those who are busy conceptualising and constructing the next generation of IT. Furthermore, when attending the conference attendees have the opportunity to be certified on leading platforms such as Amazon, and VMware training, all at no additional cost. Pure Accelerate aims to open up future career opportunities for their attendees.
8. World Congress on Information Technology
The World Congress on Information Technology is one of the largest and most prestigious ICT events in the world, featuring discussions related to the digital age. For 23 years it has been attended by the world’s leading academics, technologists and entrepreneurs to stimulate a decentralised network of experiences. It is a one of a kind event to attend and shape conversations around the digital future and discuss the outcomes that the information and communications technologies have on our lives. By attending, there is an exceptional window to expand ones network and shape new business opportunities with many global leaders.
The key topics discussed are the likes of: AI, IoT, cybersecurity, national digital agendas, FinTech, E-Health and E-commerce.The event consists of plenary sessions, special sessions, lightning rounds and special speakers present, such as Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, Ginni Rometty and Lary Ellison, to name only a few.
9. Gartner Data and Analytics Summit
The Gartner Data and Analytics Summit is hosted by the world’s leading research and advisory company, with 1,000 attendees, 40 exhibitors and 70 research driven sessions. It’s intention is to build and execute a world class data and analytics strategy, making analytics and insights a key part of the core of every employee driving innovation through groundbreaking technology. By attending this event, one is joining a community of trailblazers, through leaders and industry experts pushing the bounds of data and analytics. Attendees include: experts in analytics and business intelligence, information management, master data management and senior IT, business leaders and Architects.
The Gartner Data and Analytics Summit offer research backed sessions, expert advice and also the opportunity to interact and network. The attendees will be the first to hear about emerging data and analytical trends and will be aided to develop a shortlist of the world’s leading technology and service providers who can be met to discuss your specific needs.
10. Data Innovation Summit
The Data Innovation Summit is one of the biggest and most influential data and advanced analytics events in the Nordics. There are 2,200 delegates, 120 sessions, 74 exhibitors and 30 workshops. The event is constructed equally to address all the elements of data-driven and AI-ready business: data, people, processes, technology and an isight to the entire spectre of data-to-insight-to-action process from data collection to visualisation and automation. Attendees have the opportunity to learn and network with professionals and organisations who work with the utilisation of data for increasing profit, reinventing business models, develop data driven products and increase customer satisfaction.
The event hosts the most innovative data analytics and AI case studies on the stages. As well as having many various sessions on the stages such as: an applied analytics data science stage, a visualisation stage, a data engineering stage, an IoT stage and a machine and deep learning stage. Attendees include the likes of: LinkedIn, Facebook, Google, Uber, Reddit, Zalando and DNB. All attendees have the opportunity to attend speed networking sessions, keynote speakers and various other sessions to learn the most they can.
For more information about Salt Communications or to trial the Salt Communications platform, email us at info@saltcommunications.com.
About Salt Communications
Salt Communications, ranked in the top half in the Cybersecurity 500, provides a fully enterprise-managed software solution that enables absolute privacy in mobile communications. It is easy to deploy and uses multi-layered encryption techniques to meet the highest of security standards. The Salt Communications Desktop and Mobile apps are intuitive and easy to install and use. Salt Communications’ Communication Manager provides a console for tight management of users and can be configured for the management of regulatory compliance. Salt Communications is headquartered in Belfast, Ireland, for more information visit saltcommunications.com.
