By Karen Burke

Black Hat, one of the industry’s signature events, will take place from August 2-7 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. In this interview, Steve Wylie, Vice President and General Manager of Black Hat, previews what’s new this year, top content themes, the value the show delivers beyond lead generation, and how exhibitors can best maximize their experience.

What are you most excited about for this year’s show?

I’m most excited for the chance to reconnect with the Black Hat community and for them to experience everything we have developed for this year’s event. Black Hat USA is our largest event and our team and our Sponsors start preparing for the event a year in advance. It’s always wonderful to see everything come together each August, while also catching up with everyone and hearing about all they’ve accomplished in the past year. With Black Hat, the excitement is always over the world-class content. We have expanded our Keynote program and added focused Summits for Financial Services executives and Supply Chain Security. We have also expanded other programs like the Innovators & Investors Summit, CISO Summit, and The AI Summit. This year’s event will be the largest content program we have ever produced.

• What are the key content themes for Black Hat USA 2025?

The content at Black Hat events comes directly from the cybersecurity community and we have always embraced that key themes emerge from the selected content. Without question, the biggest theme in cyber continues to be AI’s impact on cyber.  We have a whole Summit and show floor zone dedicated to it, in-depth training programs, and Black Hat Briefings that cover the current state of AI in cyber, advancement of LLMs, and ramifications of AI-related vulnerabilities.

• What emerging technology debuting at Black Hat this year could change the cybersecurity landscape in 2025 and beyond? 

We have an unprecedented focus on emerging technology at this year’s Black Hat USA. Building on last year’s success, we’ve significantly expanded our innovation ecosystem to ensure that Black Hat is the definitive gathering for cybersecurity’s next frontier.

For example, we have expanded the Innovators & Investors Summit to bring together the entire startup and investment community. This Summit has become a powerful convergence of entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and corporate investors all focused on breakthrough technologies and companies reshaping cybersecurity.

Additionally, we have elevated the Black Hat Spotlight Competition to showcase the most promising emerging companies and technologies. This high-stakes platform gives innovative startups the opportunity to pitch their solutions before an audience of industry leaders and potential investors—creating career-defining moments for tomorrow’s cybersecurity pioneers.

Our dedicated Business Hall for emerging companies has also grown substantially, offering attendees unparalleled access to the newest technologies and solutions. Startup City within the Business Hall serves as the perfect environment for discovering groundbreaking approaches before they become mainstream.

With cybersecurity investment heating up again, Black Hat USA 2025 will be the definitive destination to witness the future of the industry firsthand.

• The media landscape is in flux. How has the show’s press list evolved over the past few years?

With the amount of news and announcements coming out of Black Hat USA, it will always be a tier one event for media and analysts covering the cybersecurity market. Black Hat is also highly selective about the media we grant credentials to. Because we have always been a big news event and focused on quality, we don’t see any impact and look forward to welcoming top journalists, podcasters, and analysts to Black Hat this year.

• Will the show’s international attendance be the same or higher than last year?  

We only report on the verified total number of attendees post-event, but for Black Hat USA 2024, we welcomed more than 20,000 total attendees on-site, and we’re hopeful to welcome even more this year.

• What value does Black Hat USA provide to security vendors beyond lead generation?

Direct engagement with the cybersecurity community is vital for our Sponsors, which is why we’ve created numerous opportunities for high-quality, targeted interactions throughout the event. These carefully designed touchpoints ensure meaningful connections with the industry’s most influential professionals.

We’ve also significantly expanded our thought leadership platforms for Sponsors, recognizing that many of the most talented and innovative minds in cybersecurity work within vendor organizations. Black Hat USA provides these experts with their premier platform to reach prospective buyers, potential partners, and existing customers.

• Where do you think security vendors need to improve – from CFP submissions to exhibitor booth marketing? 

Black Hat’s Sponsors have generally been great partners for us and for the security community. They have supported us by providing high-quality content and expertise in their booths and understanding that Black Hat is a serious conference and merits bringing their best talent and thought leaders to engage with our community. Additionally, some of the best research comes out of the vendor community, which is then featured as Black Hat Briefings. The vendors understand that Black Hat only accepts quality research submissions to the Briefings program.  Black Hat has also had a strict Code of Conduct for years, and our Sponsors have generally been very supportive of this, ensuring that everyone at the event has a good experience. There are always exceptions, but we are quick to address those.

We also encourage vendors to be sure to promote their presence at the event leading up to the event, and to make sure to tag the Black Hat official social media channels. Sponsors can also reach out to their Sales reps for ideas on marketing and PR opportunities that could expand their reach leading up to the event.