We would like to thank all the researchers, participants, sponsors that contribute to ekoparty’s growth! See you back next year to find out how this story goes on!
By Jennifer Steffens @securesun
For those who know me, I’m no stranger to the world of conferences and have attended both big and small cons around the world. I love experiencing the different communities and learning how different cultures impact the world of security as a whole. I recently had the pleasure of attending my second Ekoparty in Buenos Aires with IOActive’s Latin American team and it was again one of my all time favorites.
To put it simply, I am blown away by both the conference and the community. Francisco, Federico and crew do an amazing job from start to finish. The content is fresh and innovative. They offer all the great side acts that con attendees have grown to love – CTF, lock picking stations, giant robots with lasers, a computer museum as well as the beloved old school Mario Brothers game. Even the dreaded vendor area is vibrant and full of great conversations – as well as a bit of booze thanks to both our bar service and Immunity’s very tasty beer!
But the real heart of Ekoparty is the community. The respect and openness that everyone brings to the experience is refreshing and gives the conference a very “family-like” feel – even with 1500 people. I met so many interesting people and spent each day engaged in inspiring conversations about the industry, the culture and of course, how to be a vegetarian in Argentina (not easy AT ALL!).
A special thanks to Federico and Francisco for the invitation and generous VIP treatment throughout the week. It was a great opportunity for us to bring IOActive’s Latin American team together, which now includes 12 researchers from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Mexico; as well as meet potentially new “piratas” in the making. I am amazed every day at what that team is able to accomplish and am already looking forward to Ekoparty 2013 with an even bigger team of IOActive “piratas” joining us.
¡Gracias a los organizadores, speakers y asistentes de la Ekoparty 2012. La semana fue fantástica y espero verlos el año que viene!