WiFi Jedi.com

The dates for Shmoocon 2011 were recently announced.  The annual East-coast hackers convention will be held January 28th – 30th (Friday, Saturday, Sunday)  2011.

It appears that the convention will take place at a different venue this year, the Washington Hilton Hotel.  As a Platinum Marriott member, I am a little disappointed that it won’t take place at the Wardman Park Marriott as it had in years past.

If I could tell you one thing, it’s that attendance to this event sells out FAST (literally, within minutes), so keep watching the Shmoocon website on dates and times to get your tickets.  You will have to jump on them immediately.  That being said, the majority of the weekend passes are usually available for around $75, so it’s not hard to see why they sell out so fast.

One of the best things about Shmoocon is the high quality speakers they bring in each year.  Speakers that have stuck out to me in the past include Joshua Wright and Simple Nomad.

Besides the quality content, another great reason to attend is that it is FUN.  They have lots of ancillary activities to include a “Hack or Halo” contest (hackers compete in a capture the flag contest and gamers participate in a Halo contest on the XBox 360), as well as an off-site party.

Bottom line, Shmoocon is definitely worth both your time and your money.