Activities

To enhance your LISA '12 experience, attendee events are planned throughout the week, and are open to all LISA '12 attendees. Take part in the always popular Poster and Birds-of-a-Feather sessions (BoFs). Mingle with your peers and technological luminaries during the reception and exhibit hall happy hour. Laugh and learn during The LISA Game Show and Lightning Talks. 

Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to network with colleagues working in multiple disciplines. Check back here for the latest additions to the activities schedule.

Welcome Reception and Conference Orientation

Saturday, December 8, 6:00 p.m.–7:30 p.m., Nautilus 4 & 5

Whether this is your first time at LISA or your 26th, stop by the Welcome Reception and Conference Orientation to learn how to get the most out of the conference. The orientation includes an overview of San Diego, an introduction to LISA, and an opportunity to meet your peers. Refreshments and snacks provided.

Board Game Night

Sunday, December 9, 8:00 p.m.–11:00 p.m.. Executive Center 1

Join us on Sunday night for some good old-fashioned board games. Take a step back into the past and test your knowledge playing the Totally 80s edition of Trivial Pursuit. Challenge your fellow attendees to a game of Scrabble or Pictionary. Bring your own games, too!

Meet the USENIX Board and Staff

Tuesday, December 11, 5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m., Marina 3

Meet the USENIX Association Board of Directors and staff. Get an update on USENIX activities and events. Tell us how we're doing and give us feedback on the conference.

Posters

Wednesday, December 12, 7:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Grande Ballroom Foyer

Check out the cool new ideas and the latest preliminary work on display in the posters. Take advantage of an opportunity to mingle with colleagues who may be interested in the same area. Posters will be on display throughout the day on Wednesday. Poster authors will be present to showcase their work before the sessions get underway and during the morning and afternoon breaks. The list of accepted posters is available here.

Vendor Exhibition

Wednesday, December 12, Noon–7:00 p.m., Pavilion
Thursday, December 13, 9:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m., Pavilion

Looking for the latest and greatest? Visit the Vendor Exhibition to find new technologies, products, and services. We encourage our exhibitors to bring their technical staff so that you can learn about products and innovative services from knowledgeable vendors. Get in-depth answers to serious questions.

The LISA Game Show

Wednesday, December 12, 4:00 p.m.–5:30 p.m., Grande Ballroom AB

Don’t miss the LISA Game Show. Join us as we once again pit attendees against each other in a test of technical knowledge and cultural trivia. Host Rob Kolstad and sidekick Dan Klein will provide the questions and color commentary for this always memorable session.

Want to participate in the LISA Game Show? Take the qualifying quiz now. (Entries must be submitted by Wednesday, December 12, at noon.

Exhibit Hall Happy Hour

Wednesday, December 12, 5:30 p.m.–7:00 p.m., Pavilion

Join us at the Vendor Exhibition for refreshments and take the opportunity to learn about the latest products and technologies. Don't forget to get your vendor passport stamped!

Vendor Passports and Raffle

Look for your vendor passport in your attendee bag. Visit the booths on your passport and get all your squares stamped to be eligible for the raffle. The raffle drawing will take place on Thursday at 1:20 p.m. in the exhibit hall. You must be present to win. Good luck!

Lightning Talks

Thursday, December 13, 11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m., Marina 3

Lightning talks are fast-paced and high-energy. These are back-to-back 5-minute presentations on just about anything. Talk about a recent success, energize people about a pressing issue, ask a question, start a conversation! Lightning talks are an opportunity to get up and talk about what’s on your mind. You can give several lightning talks if you have more than one topic. To submit a lightning talk, complete the form here by December 12, 2012. 

LISA '12 Reception: Shaken, Not Stirred

Thursday, December 13, 6:00 p.m.–8:30 p.m.

Your mission, if you choose to accept it: Put the laptop to sleep, dress up in your finest black-tie duds (or your snazziest LISA t-shirt), and join us on a cruise around the beautiful San Diego Harbor. Sip on a martini while testing your skills with 14 blackjack, craps, and roulette tables, or sample the best food and drink San Diego has to offer at the dinner buffet.

Charter buses will be parked in the parking lot directly in front of the Bayview Foyer where the Registration Desk and Membership Booth is located. Please board one of the nine buses promptly at 5:30 p.m. Lord Hornblower will launch from Grape Street Pier (1800 North Harbor Dr) at 6:30 p.m. sharp. The boat will return to the Grape Street Pier at 8:30 p.m. The charter buses will then drop off attendees at the Sheraton hotel. You must have your reception ticket to board the boat. 

Birds-of-a-Feather Sessions (BoFs)

Tuesday, December 11, 7:00 p.m.–11:00 p.m.
Wednesday, December 12, 7:00 p.m.–11:00 p.m.
Thursday, December 13, 9:00 p.m.–11:00 p.m.

Lead or attend a BoF! Meet with your peers! Present new work! Don't miss these special activities designed to maximize the value of your time at the conference. The always popular evening Birds-of-a-Feather sessions are very informal gatherings of persons interested in a particular topic. BoFs may be scheduled during the conference at the registration desk or in advance by sending email to bofs@usenix.org. Click here to view the current schedule and for scheduling instructions. Want to demonstrate a new product or discuss your company's latest technologies with LISA attendees? Host a Vendor BoF! Email sponsorship@usenix.org for more information.

Vendor Birds-of-a-Feather Evening Sessions

Share a drink, network with industry experts, and learn more about new products, career opportunities, and the latest technologies. Beer, wine, and snacks provided. The schedule includes presentations by:

  • Cambridge Computer: Storage
    Tuesday, December 11, 7:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m., Nautilus 2
  • Taos
    Tuesday, December 11, 8:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m., Marina 2
  • CFEngine
    Wednesday, December 12, 7:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m., Nautilus 1
  • Cloning Sysadmins with the Cloud and Juju Vendor BoF
    Wednesday, December 12, 7:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m., Marina 2
  • Pluribus Networks
    Wednesday, December 12, 7:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m., Nautilus 4
  • Puppet Labs
    Wednesday, December 12, 7:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m., Nautilus 3
  • Canonical: Landscape Vendor BoF
    Wednesday, December 12, 8:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m., Marina 3
  • Cloudstack
    Wednesday, December 12, 8:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m., Nautilus 1
  • Opscode
    Wednesday, December 12, 8:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m., Marina 2
  • VMware
    Wednesday, December 12, 8:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m., Nautilus 3
  • Zenoss
    Wednesday, December 12, 9:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m., Nautilus 1
  • Google
    Thursday, December 13, 9:30 p.m.–11:00 p.m., Nautilus 1

Ice Cream Social

Friday, December 14, 3:30 p.m.–5:00 p.m., Grande Ballroom Foyer and Bay View Lawn

Wind down from a week of intense training and networking with your fellow attendees and indulge in some ice cream!