By virtue of the strength of the Schwartz IT security PR practice, more than a dozen Schwartz practitioners were on the show floor at the Moscone Center during the week of Valentine's Day this year. We visited tradeshow booths, attended keynotes and observed the show from a high level.
A couple of Schwartz team members also covered the show from afar, noting trends that reporters and bloggers tracked in their own writing. Several weeks removed from RSA Conference, the IT Security PR practice group collaborated on an eBook written by Tiffany Darmetko, Katerina Korfias and me. We decided to quickly review what we observed at the show and also what key reporters and bloggers wrote about as they covered the conference.
Part of the Schwartz team on the ground at RSA Conference 2011 this week.
From left to right: Nicole Solera, Laurie Falconer, Jill Reed, Kristin Allaben, Alexis Laliberte, Bryan Scanlon, Dan O'Mahony, Bill Keeler, Ross Levanto, Tommy Owens, Heather Craft, Matt Grant, Sam Sok, Tim Galbreath, Lauren Pitcher.
Last year I made the comment to my taxi driver on the way to the airport that during the week of RSA Conference, I stay within a San Francisco bubble that extends maybe a half mile from the Moscone Center.
It's holding true this year as well, though that's not necessarily a bad thing. San Francisco is a great host for the RSA Conference. Within a few blocks of the Moscone Center, there are several restaurants and lounges for informal meetings and private receptions. [In an hour or two, I am off to one such location, Jillian's, for the Securosis Recovery Breakfast.]
A huge plus for Schwartz's IT security PR practice is that our San Francisco office isn't far from the action. We're at the corner of Market and 2nd Streets, a mere five-minute walk from the convention center. It is essentially the center of operations for the agency's activities during RSA.
Sometimes the hardest part about being on a tradeshow floor is finding a booth. The organizers at RSA Conference 2011 are doing something very simple that is making life a lot easier for IT Security PR pros like me.
Above each aisle on the show floor is a sign telling what vendors are in a given row. Brilliant! Why was this not incorporated a long time ago?
Fellow Schwartz IT Security PR pro Heather Craft snapped a photo from her smart phone of the line at this morning's Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) Summit. Without question, cloud security stands out as one of the hot topics as RSA Conference 2011 kicks off today in San Francisco. Schwartz has heard that upwards of two dozen journalists and analysts are expected to attend the CSA meeting. We hope Heather is wearing comfortable shoes!
More than a dozen Schwartz IT Security PR pros will descend on the Moscone Center in San Francisco this coming week for RSA Conference 2011. Some of us are veterans who have attended the conference many times in the past. One or two are looking forward to marching across the RSA trade show floor for the first time. Regardless, our expectations meet reality in just a two short days. And here's what we are looking out for next week:
"I’m always interested in checking out cool new security products and seeing what my clients’ competition is up to. It would be cool to catch a glimpse of Bill Clinton in person, but that’s probably unlikely. I’ve heard his 'Embracing our Common Humanity’ talk before, but it was via satellite. Finally, I am curious to see what Alice & Bob will be up to at the event and how they will be depicted." -- Jill Reed, director (Editor's Note: Alice & Bob are the key figures in the RSA Conference theme this year.)
"I’m looking for companies to be discussing their strategies for cloud and mobile security as the proliferation of smart phones and mobile devices on the network and the expansion of the mobile workforce present new challenges for IT administrators in 2011. Globally, criminals are being well funded, they are patient and they will continue targeted attacks about gov’t agencies, blue-chip corporations and the vast majority of the Global 2,000 companies." Bill Keeler, vice president
"I will be on the lookout for the most unique and creative swag at all of the vendor booths. Note: Then I plan to write a blog about what I find, and if their marketing was effective." -- Nicole Solera, assistant account executive
"I’m interested in taking a look at over 350 vendors in the Expo as well as meeting with security influencers and media about what they’re seeing as this year’s industry trends." -- Matt Grant, senior media strategist
“At RSA 2011, I’m on the lookout for ideas that are beyond the everyday norm. One such idea is that of the psychology of forensic investigations. I’m looking forward to the keynote exploring this topic since I’m particularly interested in psychology and am always on the lookout for a new book. Perhaps Michael Capuzzo could appear on my ‘new authors to read’ list.” -- Kristin Allaben, senior account executive (Editor's Note: Micahel Capuzzo is one of the keynotes at the conference.)
"I always love to witness creative booth activity, especially activity that is strategic to a given client's technology or solution. I know from personal experience participating in numerous brainstorm sessions that corporate marketing teams invest quite a bit of creative energy into their booth designs and tradeshow activity." -- Ross Levanto, senior vice president
For the second year in a row, Schwartz's IT security PR practice is sponsoring the SC Mag Awards dinner. Held each year, typically the Tuesday evening of RSA week, the dinner is a showcase of the IT security industry's leaders and innovators. The prizes are the unofficial "show awards" for the RSA Conference. This year, the awards dinner is scheduled for Tuesday, February 15 at 6:30 p.m. at the Intercontinental Hotel.
Schwartz's sponsorship is just part of a series of planned activities at RSA. A dozen or so Schwartz staffers will be on the show floor coordinating meetings for the companies we represent. In addition, a few of our practice members will be writing for this blog about trends from the conference.
Schwartz is also sponsoring the Securosis Recovery Breakfast, scheduled for Thursday morning of the RSA show week (Feb. 17) at Jillian's from 8-11 a.m.
If you are at RSA, no doubt you will see a Schwartz security PR pro in your travels!
The many of us who have contributed to the security PR programs at Schwartz appreciate the “no-bull” approach of Mike Rothman, Rich Mogull and Adrian Lane at Securosis. The tone at Securosis is legendary. Our clients find it helpful as they determine the messages that will resonate with prospects and partners. And reporters find their style both entertaining and informative.
Schwartz is teaming with Securosis to host a morning event during RSA 2011 on Thursday, February 17 from 8 until 11 a.m. at Jillian's Billiards Club of San Francisco. Called the "Recovery Breakfast," the event is meant to be a repose of sorts following a week of cocktail receptions and other RSA-related debauchery. For those attending RSA, we invite you to stop by. As noted in the official invite, no marketing will be allowed, just the chance to mingle, wake up and recover from the week's events. You can email rsvp@securosis.com if you are attending to help them get a good estimate of numbers.
The sponsorship of the Recovery Breakfast hints at more comprehensive discussions the analysts at Securosis and the tech PR pros at Schwartz are having about ways we can work together to benefit our mutual clients. Independent, objective Securosis content is a natural fit for content marketing programs that Schwartz is executing for its clients. Content marketing works well when it’s part of a broad communications and visibility strategy. Bringing Securosis content into these programs adds value and increases response.
In keeping with the no-bull nature of the breakfast, we won't discuss possible content marketing programs during the event. We are happy to arrange a separate time at RSA to discuss.
Kelly Jackson Higgins is senior editor at Dark Reading, an online publication covering IT security. Tim Whitman from Schwartz spotted Kelly on the show floor of the RSA Conference last week and asked her a few questions about the show.
Tim Whitman from Schwartz Communications caught Pete Lindstrom of Spire Security on the RSA 2010 trade show floor. Pete graciously agreed to share his thoughts about the conference.
Walking the floor of RSA 2010 in San Francisco is a lesson in over stimulation. As is the case with many other trade shows, vendors are constantly trying to grab your attention. The ways they capture your eye, and more importantly your time, vary.
The contest is a popular one. I saw live trivia game shows and a game where two contestants tried to grab and shove ping pong balls flying within a wind tunnel. I also saw the standard "give-us-your-business-card-for-a-drawing" offer. One vendor was giving away iPads. (I didn't know they were even available?)
When it comes down to it, though, the most attractive booths were those that gave away food and drink. I have to admit even the popcorn stand at one booth was very attractive (popcorn scent travels far). The Qualys (Schwartz client) booth, pictured below, had a full-length bar in the center of the booth, and from that location gave out a variety of concessions. Soda was available all day, and at certain times I spotted beer and sliders (those mini little hamburgers).
It's not a huge surprise that those vendors catering to our most basic needs receive the best response. How hamburgers relate to IT security? Well that's another question entirely, I guess.
For several years, SC Magazine's annual award ceremony at the RSA Conference has been a place to see and be seen. Last night, more than 400 IT security industry luminaries packed the Grand Ballroom at the InterContinental Hotel in San Francisco for the awards gala.
I had the honor of presenting an SC Magazine Award for "Best Security Company" to IBM.
With awards across more than 30 categories, last night's event no doubt sent many PR professionals scrambling to write press releases once the accolades were announced. Winning an SC Magazine Award always boosts the enthusiasm around the winners because respected awards such as these provide nice proof points for prospects, partners and investors. Winning them is an important objective for IT security PR teams. Further, attending the SC Magazine awards ceremony itself is in many ways a rite of passage for growing IT security companies.
I answered many questions last night about the SC Magazine Award submission process, the importance of the awards, etc. No doubt members of the Schwartz security practice will write much on the topic in this space in the future.
Last night, the expo portion of RSA 2010 kicked off with a reception. I walked the floor and snapped a couple of pictures. [Full disclosure: The companies pictured are current Schwartz clients.]
Just two weeks to go until the floors of the Moscone Center in San Francisco will serve as the center of the IT security universe.
From a PR perspective, members of the Schwartz Security Practice have been in contact with reporters for weeks, on the phone and via Twitter and other channels, to learn what stories are trending well as we head into the conference.
Schwartz wants to help the many IT security vendors out there who are getting ready for the big show. We created a tip sheet, downloadable for free form the Schwartz website, which outlines five tips to maximize the PR value of RSA.
Las week, we also hosted a webinar to discuss other RSA PR strategies, and we invited former full-time journalist (who still contributes to the eWeek Security Watch blog) Matt Hines to share his insight in our discussion. The webinar was recorded and is available on the Schwartz website.
Finally, I encourage you to visit this blog during the week of RSA. Tangled Web will be publishing daily "trending" reports that show which stories are creating the buzz at the show, and we will provide updates from the show floor.
