BSides events are intimate affairs, where all participants can engage each other to develop professional understanding and connections. Our goal is to foster communication and collaboration while elevating the level of typical conference conversations.
Sponsors for BSides Austin have direct access to those conversations. Rather than just setting up sponsor tables and handing out swag, we hope you will also be an active participant in our conference. We need your money to make this event happen; that's no secret! But we also want our sponsors to come and be a part of the conference—sharing ideas, meeting people, and interacting with the local infosec community.
We understand that every organization considering sponsorship will have different goals and priorities, which is why we offer various levels of participation. We have specifically designed options for any sized organization to participate in and support this event. Please join us this year. It's going to be a good one!
Is your company interested in the benefits of sponsoring our event? Download our 2023 Sponsorship kit version 3
{BEFORE THE EVENT}
How many of our people may we send to staff our sponsor table, and how much extra will it be for additional booth staff?
Each sponsor company may send two staff members to work their booth (Note that a booth is not included at the Core level).
In addition to those two booth staff, each sponsorship level comes with a number of attendee tickets to the event (one for Core, one for Silver, two for Gold, and three for Platinum). If you want more people from your company to attend the event, you can just register them on our Eventbrite page.
How do we get our attendee tickets and booth badges?
We will register your attendee tickets and booth staff for you. On the day of the event, vendors are required to sign in on site to receive badges. Badges must be worn by all the members of your exhibits team. You will email us your exhibitor/attendee names and email addresses by (date to come) so we can register them (more details will be shared in sponsor information emails).
We want to partner with another company for our sponsorship. How can we do that?
As a sponsor you will receive a number of attendee tickets to the event (1 for Silver, 2 for Gold, and 3 for Platinum) in addition to being able to send 2 staff to work your booth. Those tickets are yours to split up with your partner if you want to share the booth. However, we typically promote one brand per sponsorship. Therefore, if you partner with another company, you will need to let us know whether to use your logo or your partner’s in all the event materials (on the shirt, in the program, on the website, etc.).
How many of each of our marketing pieces should we ship for inclusion in the swag bags?
In an effort to hold a more gree event, we will not have swag bags this year. Any materials you want to share with our attendees should be shipped to the conference center or brought with you to be handed out at your booth. We recommend bringing 600 of each item you want to distribute.
How do we send materials to the conference center for use at our booth?
Any items you want to ship to the venue in time for the event may arrive no earlier than Monday, May 1st (the facility assures us that any that arrive early will not be accepted). Ship to:
10100 Burnet Road
Commons Learning Center Building 137
Austin, Texas 78758
Phone: 512-471-5898
*Please indicate that they are for BSides Austin.
Should we forward tracking information to you about the materials we’re shipping for the event?
There is no need to provide us with tracking information.
What forms of payment do you take to secure a sponsorship?
Once you decide to become a sponsor and sign the sponsorship agreement, we will send you an invoice. Because of the volunteer nature of this event, we are not set up with a merchant account, but we are happy to take payment by check, direct deposit, or bill.com. Full payment must be made before our sponsorship agreement goes into effect.
Please make checks payable to BSides Austin, L.L.C. and mail to:
BSides Austin
c/o Janice Daquila-Pardo
13492 Research Blvd. Suite 120 #235
Austin TX 78750-2254
If you wish to pay by direct deposit, please contact us for the details you will need.
{AT THE EVENT}
Where do we park at the event center?
Closer to the event date we will be emailing sponsors parking passes provided to us by the event center. Please be sure to print out as many parking passes as you will have cars on site. The Center is part of UT-Austin and is said to be ruthless about ticketing. We have no power to help you get out of tickets. The event contact at Pickle Center has suggested exhibitors park near the water tower.
When can we begin setup of our booths?
You may arrive on site starting at 7:30 am Friday (5/5) to set up your exhibitor table. Tables are being assigned; please look for your name on the tables.
Do exhibits run for the full day of the conference?
Yes, conference sessions and exhibits run all day:
Are vendor tables assigned or first-come first-serve?
We assign tables to our vendors based on their level of sponsorship and the layout of our booths area. We will indicate table assignments with signs at the event.
Will our vendor table have power?
Yes, there will be power at each vendor table. However, because we don’t know how many outlets will be provided by the conference center at each table, we ask you to bring a surge protector.
Will you provide draping for the vendor tables?
Yes, we will provide draping. However, if you have branded draping that you want to use instead, please let us know so we don’t order draping for you.
What size is the exhibitor table?
The tables are 5 feet by 30 inches.
Will there be connectivity in the event center?
WIFI will be available to all, and the password will be shared on site.
What is the lead-retrieval method?
We encourage you to collect contacts using a contest with a giveaway. If you decide to put out your fishbowl to collect business cards, we recommend that you display the prize at your table. It can also help drive traffic to your table to post about your giveaway on Mastodon/Twiter and use #BSidesAustin.
Because of BSides rules we do not provide the attendee list. We also do not provide/support badge scanners.
If we offer a giveaway/prize at our booth, how do we handle announcing it and delivering it?
You have three options for the handling of your giveaways:
How can we ship our booth supplies back to our home base at the end of the event?
This information was provided to us by the Commons Learning Center, where we are holding this event: