What is the best city to have DEF CON?

[TheCotMan]

Disclaimers:

Trolling? No. I do not control DEF CON, and this is not meant to be a question to be acted-upon by Jeff, or anyone else.

I know of no plans to move DEF CON to any location outside of Las Vegas.

This is idle curiosity, between DEF CON, when few DEF CON tourists are around the forums.

What location, anywhere in the world would be a better location to host the yearly convention DEF CON?

How would you decide?
* Climate?
* Capacity to support hotels rooms, foods, booze, and a convention with ~15,000 people?
* Technology?
* Crime?
* Something else?


A tweet from someone the other day mentioned that most people that attend DEF CON don't go to Las Vegas for any other reason; they pretty much avoid Las Vegas except for DEF CON. I agree. I've seen most of what I want to see in Las Vegas that is non-DEF-CON, and don't like the climate, quality of food, hotel room value, etc.

If you were Jeff, would you move DEF CON to a new location, and if so, where? Why would you choose that locations, and how would you try to convince attendees that your choice was the right one?


NOTE: how you vote in the poll is published, so other people can see which options you voted for.

[YenTheFirst]

Re: What is the best city to have DEF CON?

$my_location, so I don't have to travel.

Also, $my_location has great amenities, good conference halls, and a unique local culture.

There live at least 3 real-life hackers in $my_location.

$my_location is less hot than Las Vegas, but has stricter laws related to alchohol and nudity.

[shrdlu]

Re: What is the best city to have DEF CON?

I selected the "I'll reply below" because I am indifferent as to where it is, since I no longer attend. I think that Las Vegas is one of the few (perhaps only) cities that can handle defcon properly, or at all. Years ago, I remember suggesting (okay, complaining) that it ought to be moved, and that I loathed Las Vegas, and hoped it would be moved.

Jeff provided a succinct and sensible reason as to why it was there, and I believe that reason still stands. (paraphrasing, and from memory) Many people who attend Defcon have "poor social control" and Las Vegas is one of the cities that offers 24/7 distraction. I suspect that the ratio of adults to children (speaking here of maturity, and not chronological age) hasn't changed much from when there were 500 or so attendees, but the ravaging hordes are a fearsome sight.

I think the cost, especially for insurance, would be far greater. I'm pretty sure that there's no place near Los Angeles that would be welcoming.

It would kill the shoot, which I loved attending. Very few states have such a comfortable attitude towards that type of event.

Holding it in any city where there was a large technological base would make it easier to attend. I suggest that this is not a positive. It's better that it actually takes some effort to get there. I'm sure I'll think of more reasons, but that's a start.