44CON Assistance tickets

Would you like to attend 44CON but don’t have the means to make it happen?

We realise that not everyone has the means to fund their own conference attendance. In partnership with our sponsors, we’ve launched an assistance program to provide the opportunity to attend 44CON to those who wouldn’t be able to come otherwise.

msft_logoGoogle

Thanks to our friends Microsoft and Google, there are 9 assistance tickets available for 44CON 2018. Seven have been provided by Microsoft and two by Google.

What’s included?

  • Access to the full conference starting on Wednesday 12th from 18:00 and finishing around 16:30 on Friday 14th September, including lunch.
  • Private, en-suite Hotel accommodation including breakfast for Wednesday 12th and Thursday 13th September 2018 at the conference venue.
  • Transport is not included by default, but we can try to help facilitate travel assistance on a case-by-case basis for those that need it.

Who is eligible for an assistance ticket?

We want to attract people from underprivileged backgrounds for whom attending 44CON would open up opportunities to enter industry in ways otherwise inaccessible to them. To that end, we’ve split our selection process into two parts, criteria and priorities.

Our selection criteria for the tickets are:

1. Facing financial constraints that would make attending 44CON prohibitively expensive
2. Not yet in, but ready and actively looking to move into highly skilled security roles
3. Facing more than 2 hours travel to London by train

Meeting at least one of the criteria is mandatory. If  any these criteria apply to you, please do apply!

In order to keep things fair, we have a set of priorities. This is to ensure that we don’t end up providing tickets to people from a single group identity, or that people are unfairly left out because of it.

Priority will be given based on the following (in order):

  1. Registered Disabled
  2. Referral to a foodbank in the last 6 months
  3. Those from groups underrepresented in industry

By underrepresented groups, we specifically refer to (in no particular order):

  • BME/BAME
  • LGBTQIA+
  • Women, including those who identify as women
  • Final year students of any identity, orientation or gender

Note that being part of an underrepresented group is not a requirement for an assistance ticket, simply that priority is given to those who are underrepresented over those who are not.

How do I apply?

To apply, send an email to assistance@44con.com before midnight on the 2nd of September and include the following details:

  1. Your name and email address
  2. How you meet one or more of the selection criteria listed above
  3. Whether any of the selection priorities listed above apply
  4. How you plan to share what you learn at 44CON with the community

The assistance tickets will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis until they run out. We aim to get a decision to applicants within 48 hours, but we might need to defer responses if selection priorities have already been met.

Thanks:

This is our first attempt at providing an assistance programme, consequently we expect to make mistakes (and learn from them for next time). However, we’d like to thank the following people without whom this programme would not happen:

Christa Anderson at Microsoft, Sarah Morales and Chris John Reilly at Google, Jahmel Harris and Saskia Coplans at Digital Interruption/Manchester Grey Hats, Phyushin, Kim and of course, various members of the 44CON Crew.

The fine print:

  • Successful applicants will be required to affirm in writing that comments describing how selection criteria and priorities apply are a true and accurate reflection of their circumstances. Should applicants be found to be untruthful, the assistance ticket will be revoked, offered to another applicant and the individual will be banned from all future events.
  • Details provided for the assistance ticket application will be used for the selection process, for event registration and for hotel reservation process in line with the 44CON Privacy Policy. Applications may result in you sending sensitive information to us. Such information, including email messages will be deleted once the application process concludes.
  • Check in at the IBIS Earls Court is from 2pm on Wednesday 12th September, check out is by noon on Friday the 14th of September.
  • If you do not arrive on the 12th of September and do not notify the hotel to that effect, the reservation may be forfeit and no refund will be due to the sponsor. The hotel may allocate the accommodation elsewhere. Unfortunately 44CON have no control over this process.
  • Assistance tickets are not transferable.
  • Attendance to the event is subject to the 44CON house rules.