So last year we came back to DEF CON from a COVID-induced hiatus. We deployed several dozen Corsi-Rosenthal filter assemblies (and helped other villages and events do the same), socially distanced our seating, masked up… And had a pretty successful time doing it with a relatively low self-reported case rate among staff and attendees. COVID ain’t over, kids… but neither are we, and we’re coming back for 2023!
As we all know during this ongoing pandemic era, conditions may change, and we reserve the right to change our minds and cancel the event if we believe conditions warrant it. The first two years in COVID times we did not feel that we could safely deliver a quality Skytalks experience; as such we decided not to participate based on that, and out of concern for the health and welfare of everyone involved with Skytalks — attendees, speakers, volunteers, and staff. Last year, we make the call that we could return while taking precautions, and we feel like we had a pretty successful event. While we still have concerns, we think that the risks are still manageable this year, and with last year’s experience under our belt, plus learning from other events, we’re going forth and making this happen.
We intend the same setup as last year: masking required in our space (even if DEF CON goes mask-optional, and regardless of the shit-show that Vegas otherwise will be), socially distanced seating, and Corsi-Rosenthal boxes everywhere to try to provide a filtered air supply of at least 6 full air changes per hour, as best as we can manage it. We’ll look at other potential controls as they come to our attention. And we’ll keep an eye on the situation as far as COVID variants, case rates, and the like are concerned. We hope it will be enough, as it seemed to be last year. And if the situation forces us to change our plans, we’ll do our best to keep the community informed, as early as we can.
As in years past, we will not run a hybrid nor a virtual component to this event. We’re known for trying to keep stuff “off the record” and really, once stuff hits the wire, it’s there to stay, DRM or not. So while doing our parties/NYE events are one thing, the actual talks are quite another. This is what we do.
We truly hope to see all of you this year in-person in Vegas!