Disclaimer: I was provided a ticket to this event as a member of the IEEE on behalf of Citrix. I have received no request nor remuneration for posting this review.

FutureCon is a CyberSecurity conference that travels around the country intended to bring high-level Cyber Security Training, product demonstrations, and networking opportunities. It’s first Chicago stop was just this past week, on Wednesday, March 27th. The featured keynote speaker was Kurt Roemer, the Chief Security Strategist for Citrix. The event was eligible for 8 CPE credits for full attendance.

For a first year event, I would say it was pretty excellent. The price for attendance ran about $200 which seemed reasonable for what was provided. The event was laid out in two main rooms – a vendor space, and a general session room. There were 9 general panels that with exception to one, were packed full of content and despite them being presented by vendors, they were largely absent of the sales lingo. After the general sessions they held a networking social and a general panel discussion that included 5 industry leaders, including a CIO and CISO, though both were from the financial services industry.

Walking away from any technical conference, knowing more than you did that can translate into action in your everyday work, provides you resources to support existing issues, and networks you with other professionals is a win in my book. My only complaint was regarding the hotel’s logistics for food. They seemed disorganized and weren’t super responsive to those attending in ensuring meals and snacks were provided. I don’t blame the organizers for that given my own personal experiences in running events in Chicago.

Beyond that, I look forward to future events being held by FutureCon!