(apologies for the cross-posting)
registration for this year's B-sides conference is open and the call for papers closes soon. the event is April 6th and 7th at the University of Dubuque
http://www.bsidesiowa.com/
B-Sides Iowa is a free information security conference for all experiece levels! “B-Sides” events are a community-driven framework for building educational, peer-organized events in the information security community. These events create opportunities for individuals to both present and participate in an intimate atmosphere that encourages collaboration. It is an intense event with discussions, demos and interactions from participants. It is where conversations for the next-big-thing are happening!