It is often said you can’t schedule innovation; it happens on its own terms not at designated times. While this is true, you can however, make time in your schedule at RSA Conference to visit those that have dedicated their lives and careers to cutting edge technologies and new approaches to information security. 

On Monday, February 13^th you can visit the Innovation Sandbox competition at The Viewing Point in Moscone South. The competition is dedicated to encouraging out-of-the-box ideas and the exploration of new technologies that have the potential to transform the information security industry. The top 10 finalists will deliver a short presentation to a diverse panel of judges, who determine “RSA Conference 2017’s Most Innovative Startup.”  If you are curious about the competition’s alumni, check out our Gallery of Victors to see who was acquired, who had a successful IPO and how much funding winners raised after being awarded this coveted prize. 

Beginning on Tuesday, February 14^th, you can visit our Early Stage Expo, a new space in the Marriott Marquis where you can meet with emerging startups and discover new solutions from these up-and-coming companies.

This brand new area will provide emerging startups with a unique opportunity to tell their company’s story to the 40,000 influencers, decision makers and investors who attend RSA Conference. We are committed to helping seed innovation and are thrilled to see this new area is filled to capacity in its first year!  For a list of companies you could meet, please visit our Early State Expo page. 

From there, on Wednesday, February 15^th and Thursday, February 16^th, you can visit RSAC’s Sandbox which includes a number of hands-on interactive experiences to test your infosec skills. The Sandbox will be located in the Marriott Marquis Golden Gate Ballrooms, adjacent to the Early Stage Expo. In this area, attendees can demo and discuss how pervasive computing and connectedness will inevitably lead to a broader threat landscape in healthcare and business; expand their thinking about threats to smart cities, electric grids and industrial processing plants; and challenge their infosec skills for network and digital forensics. 

For a full run down of activities, check out:

• SANS NetWars in the Sandbox
• Industrial Control System (ICS) Sandbox
• Internet of Things Sandbox 

In addition to these exciting areas throughout the conference, we also have a week’s worth of sessions lead by the industry’s most influential minds that may be of interest to you. 

A few examples:

• A new two-hour seminar, How-to Series: Year One Innovators and Entrepreneurs;Radical Innovation: Revolutionizing the Future of Cybersecurity
• Market-Driven Cybersecurity: Cyber-Innovation as Competitive Advantage
• The Future: Revealed

 We hope you can find the time to see as much as possible during your visit to RSA Conference as one of these opportunities may help inspire you to come up with your next big idea!