Projects Summit 2013/FAQ

This page contains answers to frequently asked questions about the 2013 OWASP Summit.

What is the Global Summit? Is it like AppSec or other OWASP conferences?
The OWASP Global Summit is the place where application security experts meet to discuss plans, projects and solutions for the future of application security. The Summit is not a conference - there are no talks or training seminars - this is an opportunity to do actual work to further the field of application security. We are holding the summit as part of our AppSec USA 2013 conference, but it is a separate activity from the conference itself. Participants will stay in shared accommodations and collaborate to produce tangible progress towards influencing standards, establishing roadmaps, and setting the tone for OWASP and application security for the coming years. The Summit will consist of Summit Working Sessions with a variety of topics set by our community. Participants are free to attend any working session, but we encourage everyone to select working sessions for topics where they have the most to contribute.

Anyone can attend the Summit! OWASP community members, application security experts, industry players, and developers are all welcome at the Summit. If you would like to receive a personalized invitation for yourself or another person, see the contact either [mailto:samantha.groves@owasp.org Samantha Groves] or [mailto:kait.disney.leugers@owasp.org Kait Disney Leugers].

When is the Summit?
The Summit will be held November 18th-21st (Monday-Thursday), 2013.

Where is the Summit being held?
The summit will be held in the Sky Lounge of the New York Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.

New York Marriott Marquis

1535 Broadway

New York, New York 10036 USA

Who do I contact for help?
For general assistance in all matters related to the Summit, contact [mailto:samantha.groves@owasp.org Samantha Groves], or [mailto:Kait.Disney.Leugers@owasp.org Kait Disney Leugers].

For help with travel and accommodations, contact [mailto:samantha.groves@owasp.org Samantha Groves].

Where do I stay?
There are a few hotels you can use for your accomodation needs; however, all of the staff and the majority of leaders will be staying at the New York Marriott Marquis.

Who is going to the Summit?
Please visit the the expected attendee page to see the most up to date list on who is attending the Summit.

I'm an OWASP leader - why isn't this free for me?
During the previous Summit, OWASP was fortunate enough to be able to fund all OWASP leaders to attend the Summit. Unfortunately, the budget for the 2013 Summit is not as large as our previous budgets. Moreover, due to the success of OWASP, the organization has grown on a world-wide level resulting in even more OWASP leaders that want to attend the summit (and who need funding). As a result, we are making the following compromise with our attendees: OWASP will provide the venue meeting rooms, the A/V equipment, and the venue supporting staff in order to enable attendees to work effectively; attendees just have to pay for travel and accommodations for themselves.

So who is being funded?
The first round of sponsored attendees was selected based on their contribution to AppSec USA. These sponsored leaders are our Project Talk Speakers and Summit Session Leaders. Leaders with funding in their projects have also decided to use those project funds to assist with the summit, and give project talks at AppSec USA since our funds are very limited this year. Key summit assistants were also funded as they will be key to the successful running of a 4 day summit.

What does it mean to be a "sponsored" Summit attendee?
A sponsored summit leader must prepare and chair their scheduled summit session, and a sponsored summit assistant must be available to help with on-site logistics throughout the entirety of the summit.

Why do they get funded and not me?
Please understand that we have very limited funds available. If you were not chosen to be funded, please do not take it personally. We simply do not have enough funds to sponsor all the great members of OWASP to attend.

Someone from OWASP said that I would be sponsored. What gives?
Unfortunately there has been a great deal of inconsistent information spread around about the Summit, even from people highest levels of OWASP leadership. The reality is that the budget for the Summit is not nearly as large as it needs to be to sponsor all deserving attendees. If you were told by someone in OWASP that you would be sponsored, we apologize for the confusion.

My employer needs an invitation letter/documentation to sponsor me to go? Where do I get this?
Please contact [mailto:samantha.groves@owasp.org Samantha Groves] with your request, and she will work with you on creating some personalized material for your employer/sponsor.

Can my company have a logo on the wiki page if they fund me?
Yes. Please visit the expected attendee page to see where your company's logo will appear if they fund your trip.

I need help convincing my employer to fund my Summit attendance - what should I tell them?
You can use the following points in your discussion: ''This year's Summit will be a gathering of OWASP leaders and key industry players to focus on a variety of important application security topics including browser security and cross-site scripting eradication. Attending the Summit will provide  with opportunities to:'' ''We believe that ’s attendance at the Global Summit is an worthwhile investment for both  and . Therefore, we are asking you to consider supporting  participation at this important event by donating  time to attend the Summit.''
 * Participate in the latest developments in application security and influence its trajectory
 * Gain new skills and technical knowledge for current application security projects
 * Find out where other companies are focusing their energy and resource
 * Increase visibility for 

I want to plan/run a Working Session. What do I need to do?

 * 1) If you haven't done so already, please add your name to the Summit Attendee page.
 * 2) After we know you plan to attend the Summit, visit the  Summit working sessions page and determine if there is a working session already listed that you are interested in running/planning/leading, or if you have a new idea.
 * 3) If there is a session already listed without a leader, feel free to add your name as the leader and send [mailto:samantha.groves@owasp.org Samantha Groves] an email letting her know your intent.  She can set you up with a working session page and let you know about any next steps. If a leader already is listed for the session you are interested in, add you your name as session member/attendee and email the leader to see what you can do to help.
 * 4) If you have a new idea, add your information to one of the blank rows under the appropriate track name, or under Track: OWASP if you don't see a good fit.  Send [mailto:samantha.groves@owasp.org Samantha Groves] an email letting her know your intent.  She can set you up with a working session page and let you know about any next steps.

I want to participate in a working session. Where do I sign up?
Visit the Summit working sessions page and click on "edit" in the left hand column next to the session(s) you want to participate in. When you get to the edit screen, scroll down to where you see:


 * summit_session_attendee_name1 =
 * summit_session_attendee_email1 =
 * summit_session_attendee_wiki_username1 =

At a minimum, please enter your name and email address so the person leading the group can contact you to follow up. If you don't see a session you are interested in and want to create one, or want to lead a session, see the answer under the previous question (above).

My company wants to sponsor the Summit. What do I do?
Please send an e-mail to [mailto:samantha.groves@owasp.org Samantha Groves] to discuss current opportunities.

Back to the Projects_Summit_2013 page