[Dismas]

I went to Defcon 21 and it was a pretty good experience. I'd suggest it to others, if it's within their means. There are smaller conventions, but I'd suggest going to the larger ones if it's your first time.

This year at black hat right! Def Con will give passes as well.
https://www.blackhat.com/us-19/defcon.html
@"Dismas" what did they have over there at DefCon?

Late reply. I thought about going to Black Hat, but it's more expensive/corporate. As for Defcon, there are a bunch of talks and villages that cover different areas of specialty. People are generally friendly/helpful, so it's a good place to learn. My favorite experience was the lockpicking village, as I learned how to pick locks with little/no prior experience. A nice guy had lent me a set of picks and I was able to get into a good portion of locks after a couple hours. In addition to the villages, there's also a vendor area where they sell some interesting stuff.