Can Defcon seminars be used as credit for certification renewal?

[Salem]

Become valuable enough to your company that you can tell them that you're going to a convention in vegas, when you're leaving, when you'll be back, and how much it's going to cost them.

I have personally never used defcon for CPE's, but I can't see that it would be a problem.

This is pretty much what I did with my company and the upcoming LayerOne conference. Other than the price for the room at the Hilton, the bosses were completely ok with the idea. As for DefCon, avoid telling them about anything that happens after the sun sets. Explain to them that the seminars you will be attending will help further your ability to do your job at the utmost ability. Describe some of the topics that will be covered in the seminars and make him believe that if you knew this stuff, it would make his life easier.

Once I convinced the two bosses directly above myself that if they let me do the things I tell them Im going to do that it makes their lives easier, they pretty much trust my word that things will run how they should.

[dataworm]

This is great to know :).

Now how to explain to my employer why the company paying for my trip to a hacker conference is necessary, any ideas?

Hum you could tell them about that other job your thinking to accept if they don't send you to defcon