First-Timer Guide · SAINTCON 26

Welcome. Most of what follows is common sense, but SAINTCON has a handful of unwritten rules that veterans take for granted. This page tries to make those rules visible so your first year feels like your fifth.

Before you go

Show up Monday evening at 6:00 PM for registration. If you can’t make it Monday, come early Tuesday.
Bring a government-issued photo ID. We check at badge pickup. The name on your ID must match the name used for your ticket registration.
Add lunch at checkout if you want the on-site catered meal (Tuesday through Friday, lunch only).
Join the Discord now. Most of the community lives there year-round; announcements land there before anywhere else.

What to pack

Required

Photo ID
Your badge (you get it at registration)
A laptop if you’re attending training or playing the Hackers Challenge

Strongly recommended

Power strip or surge protector. Outlets in a packed conference room fill up fast.
Reusable water bottle.
A jacket. October in Utah can be chilly.
Cash or a card for swap meet, store, and meals.
A bag big enough for the swag you pick up and the minibadges you trade.

Nice to have

Your own minibadges to trade (see MiniBadges). Bring duplicates.
A VPN client set up and tested before you arrive.
A small notebook. Not everything worth remembering is easy to photograph.

Discord etiquette

Lurk for a minute before posting. Each channel has its own vibe.
Use the right channel. #hackers-challenge for Hackers Challenge questions, #minibadge-creators for MiniBadge design talk, and so on.
DMs are not the path to answers. Post in the relevant channel; the crowd knows more than any one person.
Be excellent. Same standard as the Code of Conduct at the venue.

MiniBadge primer

MiniBadges are tiny circuit boards that plug into your conference badge. You earn them, trade them, build them. If you have never traded before:

Wear yours visibly.
Ask politely. “Hey, I like that one, want to trade?”
Duplicate designs are for trading; the one on your badge is yours.
If you made your own, you are automatically interesting to about half the conference.

Between sessions

Plenty happens at SAINTCON outside the talk rooms, training, and contest tables. Some of it on the schedule, some of it not:

Conversations in the hallways and common areas. People are generally friendly and happy to meet new attendees.
A hackathon group working on a project, a radio fox hunt running across the venue, or a quick demo of a tool someone built.
MiniBadge trading happens all week, all over the venue. See MiniBadges for how it works.
Communities (lockpicking, ham radio, hardware hacking, and others) run their spaces throughout the day. Drop in for a few minutes or stay for the afternoon.

These are options to mix in alongside the talks and contests, not a replacement for them.

On-site map

Registration: main lobby, first floor.
Hackers Challenge booth: third floor.
MiniBadge community space: look for the crowd.
Quiet spaces: if you need a break, there’s usually an empty corner; ask a volunteer if you can’t find one.

The unwritten rules

No badges, no entry. Keep yours visible. If you leave it in your room, plan a trip back.
Photography is polite by default. If someone asks you not to be in a shot, don’t be in the shot. See Photo & Recording Policy.
The Wi-Fi is hostile. Use a VPN. You signed up for a security conference.
Outside food and drink is generally fine. Outside alcohol, per the CoC, is not.
Family Night is worth attending. Bring kids if you have them; even if you don’t, it’s one of the best evenings of the week.

Still stuck?

FAQ answers the most common questions.
Discord answers everything else.
On-site: look for anyone with a SAINTCON staff badge.