Dan Guido

@trailofbits employees attend @EmpireHacking in large numbers and are given instructions to meet new people. If you’re new, then someone will talk with you (it’s welcoming). If you have feedback, you know where to give it. A 1:15 organizer:attendee ratio is typical.

We’re responsive to attendees and conduct outreach. We seek out topics and speakers among our attendee’s networks. Every meetup reiterates that speaking slots are available. Listening to your attendees increases their commitment to your event too. https://www.instagram.com/p/BIaUEJ5Alij/ 

It’s not enough to only conduct outreach for speakers. We need to reduce their risk, too. We do this 3 ways: 1st, we have a stake in their success by offering private dry-runs with @trailofbits employees. 2nd, we limit talks to 20 minutes. 3rd, Chatham House Rule.

The importance of dry-runs cannot be understated. Many young, first-time, or minority speakers lack a network that can help refine a talk. Dry-runs can help an existing talk fit our audience or build an offbeat speaker’s confidence. You know @trailofbits respects your talk.

20-minute talks limit the time invested by speakers, focus their content, and leave room for attendees to bond with each other, arguably the most important outcome of the event. THREADS was my first experiment with 20m talks, and I’ve never gone back.

There’s one piece left: the venue matters for inclusiveness. @EmpireHacking is hosted in corporate event spaces, not a bar, which sets a professional tone and behavioral expectations appropriately. While alcohol is available, we ensure non-alcoholic options are too.