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Break the Curse. Join the Krewe.
140+ people run BSides Tampa. No paid staff. No corporate management. At BSides everyone participates, but our Krewe participate on another level and help us operate the con. Registration, A/V, logistics: the Krewe owns every piece of a 2,000-person security conference.
Krewe members
Participants
Years running
Paid staff
Krewe helpfulness (2025)
What the Krewe runs
140 krewe members. Zero paid staff.
Sessions, registration, rooms, registration/check-in, info desk & more. Krewe members run all of it. 2,000+ people get hands-on security education because of that work.
Krewe benefits
What you get
You run one of the largest security conferences in the Southeast. Here's what comes with that.
“You really made one feel included in the conference, much more than ‘just a participant.’”
— 2025 Participant
Complimentary admission
Krewe members get in free. No ticket purchase required.
Krewe-only swag
Special gear you won't find anywhere else. A thank-you for your time.
Behind-the-scenes access
See how BSides Tampa security conference comes together from the inside.
Real connections
Meet people across the security community: speakers, organizers, sponsors, and fellow Krewe. These turn into real relationships.
Resume material
Organizing a 2,000+ person security conference is real experience. Put it on your resume. Employers notice.
Build something real
Your work puts 2,000+ people in front of security education they wouldn't get otherwise. That's the point.
Krewe positions
Eight positions. Pick one.
Each one is a real job on event day. Tap any role to see the details. No experience required for most of them. Every krewe member gets the shirt and a seat at the Krewe dinner.
Registration Krewe
First face every participant sees. Check-in, badges, wayfinding.
SaturdayNo tech neededPeople skills
Registration Krewe
First face every participant sees. Check-in, badges, wayfinding.
You check participants in, hand out badges, shirts & swag bags, answer "where do I go" questions, and flag anything unusual (duplicate registrations, walk-ups, VIPs, press) to your Lead. Morning is a firehose from doors-open through the first session, then rotates to cover stragglers.
What you need
Comfort with a long line of strangers. Willingness to say "let me grab someone who knows."
What you get
Front-row view of every arrival. One of the most first-timer-friendly roles.
Reports to
Registration Lead
Greeter & Info Desk Krewe
The answer to "wait, where is...?" all day.
SaturdayNo tech neededFriendly, patientUSF MSC helps
Greeter & Info Desk Krewe
The answer to "wait, where is...?" all day.
Krewe the main info booth. Point people at rooms, villages, food, restrooms, and the schedule. Know the website, the venue map, and who to escalate to when you don't have the answer. You're not expected to know everything, you're expected to route people well.
What you need
Friendly under repetition. You will answer the same three questions 200 times. Patience with people who haven't been to a conference before. You'll have a Lead and Runner to support you.
What you get
Highest-visibility non-stage role. You'll end the day knowing the venue better than most speakers.
Reports to
Info Desk Lead
Track & Speaker Room Monitor Krewe
Guardian of one track room. Speakers' safety net.
CoC first responderSaturdayPolite enforcementBasic AV literacy
Track & Speaker Room Monitor Krewe
Guardian of one track room. Speakers' safety net.
Krewe a track room for its. Check badges, keep unbadged folks out, make sure the speaker has water and a working mic, take a headcount, and report room issues to the Runner or Lead immediately. Between talks, reset the room.
What you need
Polite enforcement. Some people will try to walk in without a badge. Code of Conduct awareness is required; if something happens in your room, you're the first responder.
What you get
You see every talk in your track, with direct contact with the speakers.
Reports to
Track Lead
Con Setup Krewe
Build the conference. Tables, energy & drink refills, signage, etc.
Physical, lift ~30 lbsFriday and/or SaturdayNo experience needed
Con Setup Krewe
Build the conference. Tables, energy & drink refills, signage, etc.
Load-in and staging. Tables, signage, registration setup, AV checks, sponsor tables, wayfinding. Physical work: lifting, carrying, walking the full venue footprint repeatedly.
What you need
Ability to lift around 30 lbs, comfort on your feet for hours, willingness to follow direction. Returning Krewe will show you the ropes.
What you get
First look at villages, sponsor layout, and the day's flow. Bragging rights for being first in.
Reports to
Setup Lead
Breakdown Krewe
Tear down after closing.
Overlaps Happy HourAfter closing remarksPhysical, lifting
Breakdown Krewe
Tear down after closing.
Tear down tables, signage, AV, sponsor materials. Pack, label, load out. Happens while Happy Hour is running, so you're the reason the rest of Krewe can leave. The faster and cleaner this goes, the better our relationship with USF and the Student Center.
What you need
Same as Setup. Lifting, stamina, following direction. This role is the reason USF lets us come back next year.
What you get
Priority Happy Hour access once you're done.
Reports to
Breakdown Lead
Green Room Krewe
Host the speaker and Krewe lounge. Hospitality and gatekeeping.
SaturdayDiscretion requiredHospitality roleSpeakers-only door
Green Room Krewe
Host the speaker and Krewe lounge. Hospitality and gatekeeping.
Manage the Krewe/Speaker break room. Keep it stocked with snacks and drinks, keep the coffee going, answer questions as people rotate through. Most importantly: enforce the door. Only Krewe and speakers. This is where speakers decompress before and after their talks, so nobody is pitching anything in there.
What you need
Discretion. Speakers talk candidly in this room; what you overhear stays in the room. Hospitality instincts.
What you get
The most concentrated speaker access of any Krewe role. If you want to actually talk with speakers, this is the room.
Reports to
Green Room Lead
Runner Krewe
Float utility. Go where the event needs you.
Saturday~5+ miles walkingBroadest viewReturning Krewe favored
Runner Krewe
Float utility. Go where the event needs you.
Walk the venue, check in on every Krewe station, fill gaps when someone needs a bathroom break or lunch relief, move materials between rooms, deliver messages. You hold things together between the Leads and everyone else.
What you need
Situational awareness. Comfort walking five or more miles over the day. Willingness to do whatever comes up, most of which won't be glamorous. Rewards returning Krewe who already know the venue.
What you get
You see more of the conference than anyone else.
Reports to
Operations Lead
Happy Hour Krewe
Set up the off-site Happy Hour venue.
Off-site (own transport)After closing remarksOverlaps BreakdownAt the bar first
Happy Hour Krewe
Set up the off-site Happy Hour venue.
Get the Happy Hour venue ready before participants arrive. Signage, check-in if needed, coordinate with venue staff, make sure the space is set for the flow from closing remarks. Overlaps Breakdown but off-site.
What you need
Reliable transportation to the Happy Hour venue. Comfort working with external venue staff.
What you get
You're at Happy Hour before the crowd shows up. No one else on Krewe gets off the clock that cleanly.
Reports to
Happy Hour Lead
Other ways to contribute
Beyond the Krewe
Become a sponsor
Help fund community access programs, training courses, and conference operations. Expo hall booths and day-of signage still available for May 16.
Sponsorship infoSubmit a talk
Share what you know with the community. Our CFP welcomes speakers at all experience levels.
Speaker infoSpread the word
Know someone who can't afford a ticket? Point them to our Community Access program. We'll work it out.
Community AccessBreak the Curse. Join the Krewe.
Email us. Tell us what you're good at, or what you want to learn. No formal application. We'll find where you fit.
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