DCX sponsored by....

[astcell]

I wonder about the feasability of getting some sponsors at the con. Maybe Dell, Gateway, IBM or other computer sales folks, or maybe Microsft can be there with their technet CDs, or to be realistic, maybe a few of the Las Vegas bail bondsmen can set up a 24 hour booth in the lobby.

Just thinkin' out loud....

[converge]

hmmm... sponsers do bring $$ and attention, but they also usually tag along requirements, requests, and pressures

[russ]

Sponsors

Probably aint happening. We've discussed it quite a bit and it just doesnt fit. This is a hacker convention. Who wants to have their product affiliated with people who supposedly cause detriment and harm?

[Chris]

Re: Sponsors

Originally posted by russ
Probably aint happening. We've discussed it quite a bit and it just doesnt fit. This is a hacker convention. Who wants to have their product affiliated with people who supposedly cause detriment and harm?

Oh I don't know..there would be a certain irony to Micro$oft sponsoring a hacker convention...god knows they have kept enough script kiddies busy for the last 15 years or so.

[astcell]

image is everything

Do we want to keep the image that we are evil hackers bent on destruction? I'm not counting the path lights at the hotel. :D

[noid]

Sponsorship == bad. Its fine if you're a professional athlete, but we're a collection of folks that enjoy giving the finger to the establishment at large. To suddenly turn tail and take sponsorships would make us sell-outs. I personaly dont like the message it would send.

[simple3]

would it make us sell outs if we just used them like the toolsheds they are.

But seriously now, I am also against sponsorship. It just doesn't sound right. "DefCon X. With Intel inside." or "DefCon X. Powered by Sun." It just doesn't sound right.

simple3

[converge]

as for the hacker image, I don't think it's so much about maintaining/losing the evil technophreak auro, but staying seperate from the societal norm that delegates what others are thinking about technology... I'd rather judge what's right or wrong, better or worse, etc and let all the others wonder than inversed

[GackMan]

Originally posted by simple3
But seriously now, I am also against sponsorship. It just doesn't sound right. "DefCon X. With Intel inside." or "DefCon X. Powered by Sun." It just doesn't sound right.

simple3

How about just certain events? Like Defcon X Open Bar night, proudly brought to you by CISCO? Hell, I'd be convinced to reccomend their products.

~J

[russ]

The Right Company

I think that there could be a FEW companies that I'd consider for a sponsorship.... But they can't really be these huge conglomerate that rape the world financially and keep good technology from reaching the masses.

I mean, seriously, the reason Microsoft is so successful is that they have managed to sell technology to dumb people. And they can keep those same people in Microsoft products by convincing them that they don't have the ability to keep up with the "complexities" of "those other systems". So what you end up with is a world of people who think "Well Golly gee, why in the world would I suffer through using that 'other' operating system or product when my handy dandy golly gee Microsoft godsend is right here and does the same things and better!?!?"

If we're talking sponsors, let's talk sponsors that don't necessarily interact in those arenas. 3dRealms? Sierra Studios (TFC tournament)? Think Geek (Caffiene anyone)?

[zero]

Sponsors

We already HAVE sponsors, just not big corps. CHS sponsors the DEFCON Shoot, Ghettohackers sponsor CTF, DW last year supported Social engineering, Coffee wars was ????? Uncle Ira (MECO) provided door prizes. I think there's a lot of sponsorship already, it just at a more interpersonal level. I can't see inviting the likes of Sun, Compaq, Intel, MS <g>, even if anyone believed they'd actually attend.

That being said, I could see someone asking SecurityFocus, @Stake, or any number of groups that were founded in the hacker culture and focus on security.

[skroo]

Re: Sponsors

Originally posted by zero
That being said, I could see someone asking SecurityFocus, @Stake, or any number of groups that were founded in the hacker culture and focus on security.

Hmm... People used to bring banners for their groups and suchlike to Defcon. Apart from the theft factor, I wonder why that's stopped happening.

[zero]

Re: Re: Sponsors

Originally posted by skroo


Hmm... People used to bring banners for their groups and suchlike to Defcon. Apart from the theft factor, I wonder why that's stopped happening.

Guessing, they thought BlackHat was a better op, as they are trying to be legit, and that's where the customer$ are. I would suspect though that if asked they'd still do it, but if they had to pay, what's the ROI? Most of there groups are bonifide corps now, and not a few have shareholders to answer to.

[tommEE]

Speaking of banners... Our group (moloch) always has aour banner when our group is together, not so much to sponsor or anything like that but to identify who we are. We aren't tryingto media whore or say we are elitists by having it. We would like people about who is throwing the party, website, etc. That way it is used more of a conversation piece. We didn't even bring it down to sell tshirts. Now if we sponsored a con, we might hang it up but we usually just like to drink a lot at the cons, so it's better hung at the party instead...

[beahacker.com]

Sponsoring!

BAH would like to be a sponsor.

I can donate new stuff -- and a small ammount of $$.

Email me all the info -- if possible.

webmaster@beahacker.com

P.S. We are getting one (1) vendor table.