How to Plan Your Week at RSA Conference 2015

TL;DR

Plan your RSA Conference week before arriving by selecting priority sessions, building a personal schedule, and using the mobile app for current activities and locations. Moscone West hosts most track content, while North and South contain expo halls and keynote viewing areas. Use hotel shuttles when needed, arrive early for popular keynotes, and protect connections on the open conference Wi-Fi with a VPN.

Transcript

Today's presenter is Linda Gray, who's General Manager of RSA Conference. I would now like to turn it over to Linda for the presentation. Thank you, Ally, and welcome everybody. As Ally mentioned, I'm Linda Gray. I'm the General Manager of RSA Conference, and we're really looking forward to seeing you in San Francisco in just a couple of weeks' tim... Read More

Key Insights

• The Moscone Center is divided into North, South, and West buildings, each serving different conference functions. Registration is available in the North Lobby and Moscone West, while attendees can reach expo halls, keynote spaces, session rooms, Sandbox, RSAC TV, and lounges through the mapped venue layout.
• Moscone West is the primary location for conference content. Most track sessions are held there, with individual tracks generally remaining in the same rooms throughout the week. The building also contains Learning Labs, peer-to-peer sessions, and the Monday pre-conference tutorials and seminars.
• The mobile app is a central planning tool for attendees. It provides the full agenda, session dates, times, locations, and speakers, plus current activities, exhibitor information, personal notes, evaluation surveys, and access to schedules created through the conference website.
• The conference Wi-Fi is free across all three Moscone buildings, but the network is open and unsecured. Attendees are advised to take appropriate security measures when connecting, with a VPN offered as a specific example of how to protect their network activity.
• The conference program includes more than 350 sessions in multiple formats. Attendees are strongly encouraged to research sessions before arriving, choose priorities, consider remaining within one relevant track, or coordinate with colleagues using a divide-and-conquer approach to cover more subjects.
• Learning Labs provide two-hour, interactive, in-depth instruction aimed at more senior information security professionals. Four labs are offered, advance registration is required, and participants will almost always have pre-work to complete before attending. Details are available in the website's agenda section.
• The personal scheduling tool supports planning but does not provide session registration. Selecting Add to My Schedule makes an itinerary available on the website and mobile app, while Add to My Calendar places a time placeholder in a personal calendar such as Outlook or Google Calendar.
• Keynotes can be attended in person in the Esplanade Ballroom at Moscone South or watched through live-streaming spaces such as the Viewing Point. Lines can form for in-person attendance, particularly on Tuesday and Friday, so attendees who prefer the ballroom should arrive early.

Questions & Answers

Q: How should I plan my RSA Conference schedule?

Review the conference agenda before traveling because the program contains more than 350 sessions in several formats. Identify topics that matter most, add preferred sessions to your personal schedule, and use the mobile app to check times and locations. You can simplify navigation by staying within one track, or coordinate with colleagues so each person covers different subjects for the group.

Q: Where are the main RSA Conference activities located?

Moscone North contains registration, the North Expo, RSAC TV, and Sandbox. Moscone South contains the Esplanade Ballroom for in-person keynotes, the Viewing Point, and the South Expo. The lower North and South areas connect the two expo halls. Moscone West hosts most track sessions, Learning Labs, peer-to-peer sessions, Monday tutorials and seminars, plus another registration area.

Q: What can the RSA Conference mobile app do?

The mobile app displays the full agenda and detailed session information, including dates, times, locations, and speakers. It also shows activities happening at the current time, provides exhibitor information, stores personal notes about sessions, exhibitors, and events, and accepts evaluation feedback. Attendees can also view the personal schedules they created through the conference website.

Q: Does adding a session to My Schedule reserve a seat?

Adding a session to My Schedule does not register you for the session or reserve a place. It creates a personal itinerary that can be viewed through the conference website and mobile app. A separate Add to My Calendar option places a time placeholder in a personal Outlook or Google Calendar, helping attendees organize their week alongside other commitments.

Q: How should attendees use Wi-Fi safely at the conference?

Free Wi-Fi is available to conference attendees throughout all three Moscone buildings. However, the wireless network is open and unsecured, so attendees should use appropriate security measures when connecting. The presentation specifically recommends using a VPN connection as an example. Network details and the relevant SSIDs are also provided to attendees when they arrive on-site.

Q: What food and refreshments are provided during the week?

Full conference attendees receive a grab-and-go continental breakfast on Tuesday, with breakfast and coffee also available at keynote streaming areas. Wednesday and Thursday include continental breakfast and morning snacks in Moscone West, plus afternoon snacks outside the keynote room. Friday includes continental breakfast, tea, coffee, and morning snacks in West. Some evening events also include catering.

Q: What are RSA Conference Learning Labs?

Learning Labs are a new session format offering two hours of interactive, in-depth learning. Four are available, and they are targeted at more senior information security professionals. Participants must register in advance, and the sessions almost always include an element of pre-work. The agenda section of the conference website contains the information needed to prepare and register.

Q: How can attendees travel between conference hotels and Moscone Center?

The conference has rates with more than 40 San Francisco hotels and accounts for around 40,000 hotel nights. Some participating hotels are within walking distance, while others are served by shuttle buses traveling to and from Moscone Center. Six routes operate every 20–25 minutes, with route details available on the website and in the on-site program guide.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• RSA Conference spans Moscone North, South, and West. Registration is available in the North Lobby and Moscone West. The two expo halls are connected below street level, keynotes are held in the Esplanade Ballroom, and Moscone West serves as the main hub for track sessions, labs, tutorials, and seminars.

• Attendees should review more than 350 sessions before traveling and identify their highest priorities. The online scheduling tool and mobile app help organize sessions, events, notes, exhibitors, and locations, but adding a session to a personal schedule does not reserve a seat. Colleagues can divide topics to expand their combined coverage.

• Practical preparation includes downloading the app, learning the venue layout, planning meals, and checking shuttle routes. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout all three Moscone buildings, but it is open and unsecured, so attendees should take precautions such as using a VPN. Early arrival is advisable for popular in-person keynotes.