I will once again have the privilege of attending the annual Black Hat USA conference in Las Vegas as a member of the media.  The good news is that I gain access to a wealth of knowledge and experts at no cost that would otherwise drain me of about $1700.  The bad news is that since I'm an independent consultant, that means that I can't guarantee how much time I'll have to attend the conference and individual briefings.  Last year I was only able to make it for one day - complete with a cool bag and some good food.  I'm definitely hoping for more time and access this time around.  And since my main focus is project management - though I'm not limited to just that - I'll be looking for ways to share what I gain from the conference with other PMs as well as technology professionals who otherwise can't attend.