How to Prepare for Attending RSA Conference 2019

TL;DR

Pick up your badge early, bring a valid government-issued photo ID, download the mobile app, and plan travel time between conference buildings. The RSA Conference 2019 campus spans Moscone North, South, and West plus the Marriott Marquis, with registration, sessions, keynotes, exhibits, innovation programs, food, transportation, and networking activities distributed across these locations.

Transcript

Hello, everyone, and welcome to this virtual session all about what you need to know before you go to RSA Conference two thousand nineteen. I am your host, Brenna Dobbins of RSA Conference. During this session, all participants will be in listen-only mode. Um, throughout the session, if you do have a question, please use the chat feature, which is ... Read More

Key Insights

• The RSA Conference 2019 campus consists of the Marriott Marquis and Moscone North, South, and West. Attendees should account for movement between buildings because walking from Moscone South to the Marriott typically takes about seven minutes, depending on walking speed.
• Moscone South contains the larger of two registration areas, conference-material pickup, a coat check, the South Stage, special-topic sessions, track sessions, peer-to-peer sessions, and part of the connected expo. Full conference attendees must visit South to collect their conference bag and program guide.
• The renovated expo level is one contiguous space connecting the South Expo and North Expo. It also contains two briefing centers and the RSAC Security Operations Center, while an escalator from the North Expo provides access to the second registration area in the Moscone North lobby.
• Moscone West houses the West Stage keynote room at street level, Broadcast Alley, and help desks for information, the mobile app, and housing. Its upper floors host pre-conference seminars, training, tutorials, later track sessions, and the after-hours Game Night event on level two.
• The Marriott Marquis serves as the conference's innovation hub, including the early-stage expo, Innovation Sandbox, Sandbox, and a Monday seminar for innovators and entrepreneurs. It also hosts the law track, first-timers orientation, and a networking reception for people attending the conference for the first time.
• Registration requires a valid government-issued photo ID, and attendees may collect badges in either the Moscone North or South lobby. Monday and Tuesday morning become particularly busy, so people already in San Francisco over the weekend can use the available Saturday or Sunday pickup hours.
• The RSA Conference mobile app provides the agenda, session details, schedule-building tools, seat reservations, speaker and exhibitor profiles, interactive campus maps, and session feedback. These functions help attendees organize activities and navigate a conference spread across several buildings.
• Transportation and safety services include hotel shuttle buses, a complimentary Clipper card for guests at Oakland's Waterfront Hotel, and the new Safe Walk program. Shuttles run every fifteen minutes during peak service and every thirty minutes during midday service, while Safe Walk adds patrols along designated walking routes.

Questions & Answers

Q: How should attendees prepare for RSA Conference 2019?

Attendees should download the conference mobile app, review the agenda, build a personal schedule, and use the interactive maps to understand the four-building campus. They should also bring valid government-issued photo identification for badge pickup. People arriving during the weekend can avoid the especially busy Monday and Tuesday morning registration periods by collecting their badges on Saturday or Sunday.

Q: Where can attendees register and collect conference materials?

Badge registration is available in the lobbies of Moscone North and Moscone South. Moscone South is the larger registration location and is the only location identified for conference-material pickup. Full conference attendees who register in North must still cross to South to collect their conference bag and program guide. A valid government-issued photo ID is required to receive a badge.

Q: How is the RSA Conference 2019 campus organized?

The campus uses four principal buildings: Moscone North, Moscone South, Moscone West, and the Marriott Marquis. Moscone South and West contain many track sessions on their upper levels, while North and South share a contiguous expo floor. The Marriott functions as an innovation hub. Walking from Moscone South to the Marriott usually takes about seven minutes, depending on pace.

Q: What can attendees do with the RSA Conference mobile app?

The mobile app allows attendees to view the conference agenda and detailed session information, create personal schedules, reserve seats, and review speaker and exhibitor profiles. It also includes interactive maps covering the entire campus. After attending sessions, participants can submit feedback through the app, which the organizers describe as important to their conference planning and evaluation.

Q: Where are the keynotes and conference sessions located?

The South Stage is on the Esplanade level of Moscone South and operates from Tuesday through Friday. It is available to all badge holders from Wednesday through Friday and to full conference attendees on Tuesday. The West Stage keynote room is at street level in Moscone West. Track sessions primarily occupy upper levels of Moscone South and West from Tuesday through Friday.

Q: What food options are available at RSA Conference 2019?

Full conference pass holders receive continental breakfast from Tuesday through Friday at locations in the Moscone lobbies and on levels two and three of Moscone West and South. The Marriott Marquis has a full-service coffee bar called Side Brew Cafe. Attendees can also use Moscone concessions, nearby Metreon food outlets, and seven Street Eats food trucks that accept cash and credit cards.

Q: What transportation and walking support is available?

Official conference hotels may receive shuttle service, with buses running every fifteen minutes during peak periods and every thirty minutes during midday service. Guests staying at the Waterfront Hotel in Oakland receive a complimentary Clipper card for travel on BART or AC Transit instead of a shuttle. The new Safe Walk program also provides increased patrols along specified walking routes.

Q: What activities are located at the Marriott Marquis?

The Marriott Marquis is presented as the center of RSA Conference innovation programming. Its Yerba Buena level includes the early-stage expo, Innovation Sandbox, Sandbox, and a Monday seminar for innovators and entrepreneurs. The hotel also accommodates the law track, plus a Monday orientation and networking reception designed for first-time attendees. Access to second-floor rooms is limited to elevators during renovation.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• RSA Conference 2019 uses four main buildings: Moscone North, Moscone South, Moscone West, and the Marriott Marquis. Moscone South is about a seven-minute walk from the Marriott. The completed Moscone construction provides renovated lobbies, new meeting areas, a covered North-South footbridge, and one contiguous expo floor.

• Registration is available in the Moscone North and South lobbies, but conference materials for full conference attendees must be collected in South. Attendees need valid government-issued photo identification to receive badges. Monday and Tuesday morning are especially busy, so weekend badge pickup can reduce waiting time for early arrivals.

• The mobile app supports agenda browsing, personal schedules, seat reservations, speaker and exhibitor profiles, interactive campus maps, and session feedback. Full conference pass holders receive continental breakfast Tuesday through Friday. Other practical services include concessions, food trucks, hotel shuttles, a complimentary Clipper card for Waterfront Hotel guests, and Safe Walk patrols.