Blackhat sold to CMP

[converge]

One decision I am only a little worried about has to do with corporate decisions on profit, in having the BH registration include payment for DefCon passes.

I think you're looking at this from the wrong angle. It is uncertain from the laymans perspective how the ownership will effect Blackhat costs, operations etc.. other than the fact that Mr Moss will continue to run things for x amount of time. While the cost of attending Defcon changes slightly from year to year, it has been well established by the person running the conference

that DEF CON will never be for sale

Now, the way I see it.. it becomes logistics/cost of DEFCON as to whether or not admittance of BH attendees stays free. The only way it could theoretically effect Blackhat is if DEFCON charged Blackhat $x per admission to pass out those 'get in free' stubs, ranging from cutrate to full price per attendee. But ultimately the pass and its carried cost through Blackhat attendance only effects the operating cost of running DEFCON. Greater attendance at Blackhat passively increases attendence at DEFCON. In the past years this may have been a problem due to existing Defcon attendence, hotel space, etc.. but it doesn't appear that this is the case anymore. Given that past attendees payed $0 to attend Defcon afterwards, the question becomes whether or not it is necessary to fund their attendance now.

From what I understand, the average BH attendee is better educated/experienced than the average DefCon attendee. DefCon benefits from having BH people also visit DefCon.

Moreso to point out that people attending Blackhat are more likely to be attending for a mature purpose.. learning, work, etc... compare the environment, compare the cost of attending. Now compare this to the vast percentage of Defcon attendees exclusively attending to party, drink, drug, and rave. Now include the fact that most Defcon talks are given by those that talk at Blackhat (insta-free cause their styleecool and shit) ... and you have a recipe that implies charging these fellows more does not make sense. It would make more sense to charge the ravers and clingons (except Worf) a little extra to handle the assumed costs of these extra Blackhat attendees.

So the way I see it, it is contigent upon both Mr Moss and TheDarkTangent to agree on how this cost will be assumed; the real decision about cost of the pass lying in DT's corner. If DT says Blackhat attendees are free.. it doesn't matter what CMP thinks on the matter. Whether you have the little stub or not, it can/will happen through the ninjitsu skill of reg goons and reg grannies. If the pass is deemed free, it would be in the best interest of CMP to give the coupon out as an extra perk; simple value added at no cost to the CMP botton line other than printing it. The only reason I can think othercase would be if Mr Moss held a beef with TheDarkTangent and those already attending DEFCON... then Mr Moss might have the pull to persuade CMP to deviously undermine logic to thwart the benevolent plans of DT. ...

... my grandma says non-issue. :p

[TheCotMan]

The only way it could theoretically effect Blackhat is if DEFCON charged Blackhat $x per admission to pass out those 'get in free' stubs, ranging from cutrate to full price per attendee.

This is something I am a little worried about.

During the process of separating the resources used for each convention along clear-cut borders, decisions will be made about things like the free pass to DefCon for BH people.

A common method for dealing with such things that have been tied closely together is a system of chargebacks. This allows paper to show money flowing in two directions even though no money exchanges hands-- a kind of barter or trade is what really takes place.

If there is no money passed from BH to DefCon to allow BH people to attend DC for "free" (instead subsidized by DefCon attendees who are actually paying for DefCon) then my worry is a non-issue, and everything is happy, from my point of view.

... my grandma says non-issue. :p

Does she use "teh" (the) Ouiji? I've heard it is better than the magic Eight Ball.

/me hopes you and your grandma are right on this.