Overview

We invite proposals across experience levels, from introductory to advanced topics. Talks should emphasize practical value, clear takeaways, and technical accuracy.

BSides Nashville 2026 ran on Friday, May 15th across two adjacent venues in Marathon Village: Marathon Music Works and The Foundry. The information below reflects our 2026 CFP and will be updated for BSides Nashville 2027 closer to the CFP opening.

Conference Tracks
  • Red Track (Offensive)
    Offensive security tactics, tooling, and methodology.
  • Blue Track (Defensive)
    Detection engineering, incident response, and defensive strategy.

Slots are limited. Standard talk length is up to 40 minutes including Q&A.

Review Criteria
  • Relevance and impact
    Current challenges, new research, or practical solutions.
  • Clarity
    Well-structured abstracts with concrete takeaways.
  • Blind review compliance
    Keep proposals free of personal identifiers.
Speaker Guidelines
  • No vendor pitches. Education first. Product demos are acceptable only when essential to the technique.
  • In-person only. All sessions are delivered live on site.
  • Not recorded. Sessions are not recorded to encourage open discussion.
  • Original or clearly attributed work. Disclose prior presentations or publications of similar material.
Blind Review Process

We use a blind review to reduce bias. Please omit personal or identifying details from the abstract and description unless they are essential to the content.

Travel and Accommodation

Speakers self-fund travel and lodging. We will publish any discounted hotel rates when available.