Posted by Martijn Grooten on Jan 31, 2018
Last week, we opened the Call for Papers for VB2018, the 28th Virus Bulletin International Conference, which will take place in Montreal, 3-5 October this year.
Over the years, the VB conference has seen many 'big names' present their research or share their thoughts on various security topics. We have seen them deliver presentations that are still being talked about, and present papers that people still refer to, even after many years.
But every year, we also make room for speakers for whom their VB presentation is one of their first public talks (maybe even their first). We are very happy to provide a stage for them to present their work, and I want to encourage those less experienced speakers to consider submitting to the call for papers.
At VB, we aim to provide a friendly and welcoming environment where people can present their research and learn from what others have been working on. An environment that is about sharing, not about showing off. Those less experienced in public speaking are just as important as those with years of experience of speaking at conferences.
I understand that submitting to a conference for the first time may be bit daunting, especially if you're not familiar with the particular event. So ask around – maybe you know people who have attended or spoken at VB in the past. Or contact me directly; I'd be very happy to answer questions about the conference, or to help you decide what aspect of your research might be of interest to this audience. (Email me at [email protected], or contact me on Twitter; my DMs are open!)
If your paper ends up being selected, I'm also happy to help, for example by providing early feedback on a draft version of the paper you've written, or by looking at your slides ahead of the conference. Experience has taught me that it's rarely the research itself that needs work, but that sometimes small changes in your paper or tweaks to your presentation can really help you get your message across.
The security community has no shortage of very clever people. But it is also full of very interested people, who really want to hear what you've been working on. We certainly do.
