Call for Parties & Meetups is Now Closed
Announcing the DEFCON 32 Call for Parties!
If you are interested in throwing a kick-ass party at DEF CON, submit now! This is where you can help! We want to make sure that when night time falls, there are plenty of options available for DEF CON attendees. The deadline to submit for a party or meetup is March 15th, 2024.
We provide the space, we provide your room layout, and you throw a party that keeps everyone entertained until the early morning hours. Parties of any size will be considered, so if you think "This will be good for maybe 100 people", let's chat. If you are like "We can throw a party for 10,000 people", shoot us an email too! We want to hear crazy ideas, we want to hear how you can bring it, and how we can help you make it a success!
Does your company want to rent out the pool and throw the biggest, loudest DEF CON party ever? Want to take over the forum ballroom and fill it with arcade machines and carnival games? Let us know, we want you to come sponsor the type of epic event that spongy new ones will be hearing about from their elderly hacker grandparents decades from now.
Don't want to be the one in charge, but have money available to help make this happen? Reach out to us and we will do our best to match you up as a sponsor with a party. Have a small budget? Perfect! Have a large budget? Fantastic. We want to make night time at DEF CON possible for many different people and bring some brand new ideas to the table, we will be happy to help connect you, small or large and make things happen!
Besides parties, we know there are many different organizations built around DEF CON where people tend to come together in Las Vegas, in a singular place. You want some space to meet up in, to get all 40 members of your DC group together for a group photo or to just grab a couple of drinks and hang out. Let us know, and we can try and find you an official space at DEF CON, making it easier to get together in large numbers! Do you and your friend want to discuss how the internet of things is ruining lives and want to try and get ~20 people together to discuss how to unplug the internet, let's do it!
"What type of nighttime events will DEF CON be interested in?” You may be asking...
Here are some examples:
Host a room to play cards or board games.
A Murder Mystery Party
90's hip hop &/or alternative "house party"
Escape room (with or without locks for those lockpick savvy)
Hacker Haunted House
Drink & Code sessions
Silent Disco
LAN Party
Nocturnal Lockpick Village
Costume Party
Phreaker's Party Line
Laser Tag
The MST3k Room
Comedy or Improve night
Some additional information for your party/meetup requests: DEF CON can provide the following, do note that requests may not be possible, and we make no guarantees about availability (some items may have additional costs, we will let you know well in advance):
Stages
Rectangular tables:
6 ft by 30 inches wide rectangular tables
6 ft by 18 inches wide rectangular tables
Round Tables:
Highboy tables 30 inch diameter, 42 inches tall (standing fits 2 - 4 people)
Cocktail tables 30 inches diameter, 30 inches tall (seats 2 - 4 people)
60 inch round (seats 8+ people)
72 inch round (seats 10+ people)
Black linens for the tables are standard, white can be requested.
Chairs:
Standard cushioned banquet chairs.
Audio/Visual gear: Speakers/Microphones/Amps/Projectors/Screens
Food and beverage can also be arranged, please make note of this and we will get you the food and beverage menu as soon as possible to help you make your selection. Please note that no outside food or drinks are allowed in the conference spaces, unless you are willing to pay corkage fees. Either way, email us!
Bars Bar carts & bartenders can be arranged in or nearby your party space.
The deadline for getting information to us is March 15th, however we would prefer you to do it sooner rather than later so that we can start nailing down the details! If you are accepted here are the important deadlines you need to meet.
April 1st, 2024 — Art/Logo, Website, Hacker Tracker & Program data due.
May 1st, 2024 by 12:00 — Equipment requests due. Unless approved otherwise DEFCON will provide the following basic setup. I understand that I am responsible for providing all other necessary equipment to host my village.
- 1 to 5 tables based on our assessment of your needs.
- 1 power drop with 1 power strip.
- Wireless Internet.
If you are looking to throw a party, please fill out the form below and send it to us:
Call for Parties Form
Party name:
Primary organizer (Contact):
Name / Handle:
Email:
Cell:
Secondary Organizer (Contact):
Name / Handle:
Email:
Cell:
If your party is accepted, do you consent to inviting the primary & secondary contacts to the official DEF CON planning project on "Basecamp"? We will use the email addresses you included on your application (unless stated otherwise). Yes/No
How are you and your secondary involved in the hacker community?
How will you or your party contribute a new perspective to the content at DEF CON?
Desired day(s) of party:
Start time/end times (Desired):
Please note that we shut down parties at 02:00. The earliest your party can start may be dependent on the room you are assigned, this is due to the logistics of the hotel changing the layout from day to night. For good measure plan not to start until 21:00 (9pm) unless approved otherwise. Your time to setup may vary, please estimate how much time you need to setup (exluding tables, chairs, power, sound, etc).
How much time to setup do you guess you might you need? 1 hour? 2?
ESTIMATED number of people attending (if you have attendance numbers from previous years please include them):
Theme of party (please remember to check the DEF CON theme for this year):
Describe your party (details, details and more details please):
What kind of space do you think you will need? Small: 1000 sq ft (20 x 50), Medium: 2000 sq ft (40 x 50), Large: 4000 sq ft (80 x 50), and extra extra large: 10,000 sq ft (90 x 125). (Dimensions listed are for example only, requesting a particular size does not guarantee you will receive said size room):
Do you have any ceiling or height requirements?:
Please provide a quick sketch of your floor plan with tables/chairs/stage/audio visual/other (napkin sketch is fine) and attach it. Use the size selected above with the listed dimensions. See the information above on what DEF CON can provide for your party.
Load-in details (such as structures, stages, audio gear or anything else you are bringing to support your party)?:
Any special requests (PLEASE NOTE: NO PYROTECHNICS OR FOG MACHINES WILL BE APPROVED)?:
What will set this event apart from all other events past or present?:
What are you bringing to the table that we have not seen before?:
If this is a repeat event from previous years, do you believe it will still be as successful as it has been in the past?:
Would you be interested in being connected with potential sponsors? What might you need help with?
Your party will be governed by the DEF CON Code of Conduct (https://www.defcon.org/html/links/dc-code-of-conduct.html).
I acknowledge and understand the above:
Email form to: [email protected] by the deadline for consideration. You will be contacted by the DEF CON party staff with any further information or requests to the party organizers at the email addresses provided in the form.
If you are looking to have a Meetup:
Meetup name:
Primary organizer (Contact):
Name / Handle:
Email:
Cell:
Secondary Organizer (Contact, may be left blank):
Name / Handle:
Email:
Cell:
NEW! If your meetup is accepted, do you consent to inviting the primary & secondary contacts to the official DEF CON planning project on "Basecamp"? We will use the email addresses you included on your application (unless stated otherwise). DEF CON staff, and other party coordinators would be able to see your email address once you accepted the invitation. Yes/No
How are you and your secondary involved in the hacker community?
How will you or your meetup contribute a new perspective to the content at DEF CON?
Desired day(s) & time(s) of meetup:
Start time/end times:
ESTIMATED number of people attending (if you have attendance numbers from previous years please include them):
Describe your meetup:
If you have requests around floor plan/tables/need a projector/audiovisual/other please tell us here:
Would you be interested in being connected with potential sponsors?:
Any special requests (do you need a quiet space?, you don't mind sharing space with other attendees?):
Your meetup will be governed by the DEF CON Code of Conduct (https://www.defcon.org/html/links/dc-code-of-conduct.html).
I acknowledge and understand the above:
EMAIL this form to: [email protected] by the deadline for consideration. You will be contacted by the DEF CON party staff with any further information or requests to the meetup organizers at the email addresses provided in the form.
Sponsors: If you or your company would like to help sponsor an event at DEF CON, instead of taking on the full burden of running a party yourself, please reach out and we will do our best to match you up with a party or meetup that could use a sponsor to help make their party a success. More information on the Call for Sponsors page.