CISO Open Mic Code of Conduct

CISO Open Mic is committed to fostering a professional, respectful, welcoming, and engaging environment for attendees, speakers, judges, volunteers, sponsors, venue staff, partners, and guests.

The purpose of this Code of Conduct is to establish clear expectations for participation and to help maintain an environment that supports meaningful dialogue, professional growth, networking, and community engagement.

All participants are expected to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with the values and objectives of the CISO Open Mic community.

1. Purpose

CISO Open Mic was established to provide a platform where cybersecurity, technology, risk, governance, privacy, and business leaders can share experiences, exchange ideas, challenge assumptions, and learn from one another.

The success of the community depends upon maintaining an environment where participants feel comfortable contributing, listening, learning, and engaging respectfully.

Every participant contributes to the experience of others.

2. Expected Behaviour

Participants are expected to:

• Treat all individuals with professionalism and respect.
• Engage in constructive dialogue and discussion.
• Respect differing viewpoints and experiences.
• Listen actively and participate thoughtfully.
• Support a welcoming environment for attendees from diverse backgrounds and organizations.
• Respect venue staff, volunteers, judges, sponsors, speakers, and event organizers.
• Follow event instructions and venue requirements.
• Conduct themselves in a manner that reflects positively on the broader professional community.
• Respect the integrity and purpose of the event.
• Report concerns when appropriate.

3. Professional Conduct

Participants should remember that CISO Open Mic events are professional events.

Professional disagreements, differing opinions, and challenging discussions are welcomed. Personal attacks, hostility, intimidation, or disrespectful conduct are not.

Participants are encouraged to debate ideas vigorously while treating individuals respectfully.

4. No Sales Pitches

One of the foundational principles of CISO Open Mic is authentic conversation.

Participants may discuss industry experiences, lessons learned, technologies, business challenges, professional observations, research, and ideas.

However, attendees should not use the event primarily as a vehicle for sales presentations or aggressive prospecting.

The following are discouraged:

• Repeated unsolicited sales approaches
• Aggressive solicitation
• Disruptive marketing activities
• Presentations primarily intended as product demonstrations
• Behaviour inconsistent with the spirit of open dialogue

Sponsors are encouraged to engage attendees professionally and respectfully.

5. Mic Participation and Commitments

Taking the mic is an opportunity to contribute to the community and carries a responsibility to respect the room.

Topics should be relevant to security leadership and grounded in the participant’s own experience, insight, challenge, or lesson. Practical decisions, pressures, trade-offs, failures, emerging issues, and thoughtful questions for the community are welcome.

Sales pitches, product demonstrations, recruitment, self-promotion, personal attacks, naming and shaming, and disclosure of confidential or proprietary information are not appropriate topics.

A participant may promote another event or cause in which they are involved only when the CISO Open Mic team has explicitly approved it in advance. Without that approval, the promotion is not permitted. Approval is specific to the proposed mention and does not create a general exception to the no-promotion rule.

CISO Open Mic may decline a submitted topic or stop a contribution that does not meet these expectations.

Mic participants are expected to:

• Be ready to speak when called.
• Keep contributions focused and within the five-minute limit.
• Follow the MC’s timing and direction, including finishing promptly when time is called.
• Share their own perspective without sales pitches, grandstanding, personal attacks, or disclosing information they are not entitled to share.
• Respect the time and opportunity of every other participant.

Selecting that you will take the mic during registration is a commitment to attend and be prepared to speak. Selecting that you might take the mic means you should still arrive prepared in case you are called. Neither selection guarantees a spot at the mic; mic opportunities depend on the available time and flow of the event.

If a participant cannot attend, they must decline the event through Luma before it begins. Contacting an event organizer or another participant does not change registration status and does not count as notice. A mic no-show—someone who committed to take the mic, does not attend and has not declined through Luma—will be banned from future CISO Open Mic events.

6. Unacceptable Behaviour

The following conduct is considered unacceptable:

• Harassment
• Intimidation
• Threats
• Bullying
• Discrimination
• Personal attacks
• Deliberate disruption of presentations or discussions
• Unwanted physical contact
• Unwelcome advances
• Offensive or abusive language directed toward individuals
• Excessive intoxication resulting in disruptive behaviour
• Unauthorized interference with event operations
• Misrepresentation of identity, credentials, employer affiliation, or professional standing
• Recording individuals in circumstances where doing so would reasonably be considered intrusive, inappropriate, or harmful
• Conduct that compromises the safety, integrity, reputation, or operation of the event
• Any activity that creates an environment that is hostile, unsafe, or unreasonably disruptive

7. Photography and Recording

Participants acknowledge that photography, video recording, livestreaming, and event documentation may occur.

Participants should respect the privacy and professional interests of others when creating or sharing content from events.

Positive LinkedIn posts and other media about CISO Open Mic are appreciated, but no participant is obligated to post. Participants should not expect a response to every post. CISO Open Mic will do its best, but may not see every mention. Including #CISOOpenMic makes a post more likely to receive attention, but does not guarantee a response. Anything shared must respect the Chatham House Rule and must not identify participants, attribute comments, or disclose confidential information without permission.

There is no expectation that individual CISO Open Mic team members will be thanked publicly, and individual call-outs are generally discouraged. Each event is a collective team effort focused on the community, not organizer self-promotion. Public recognition should acknowledge the CISO Open Mic team collectively.

Nothing in this section limits rights granted to CxO Open Mic Inc. under its Privacy Policy, Terms of Use, registration agreements, or event participation agreements.

8. Reporting Concerns

Participants who experience, witness, or become aware of conduct that may violate this Code of Conduct are encouraged to notify:

• Event staff
• The Event Director
• The MC
• Judges
• Volunteers
• Representatives of CxO Open Mic Inc.

Reports will be reviewed in a reasonable and appropriate manner based on the circumstances presented.

Confidentiality will be respected to the extent reasonably possible, recognizing that investigation and resolution may require information sharing with appropriate parties.

9. Enforcement

CxO Open Mic Inc. reserves the right to determine whether conduct violates this Code of Conduct.

Where appropriate, actions may include:

• Informal discussions
• Verbal warnings
• Requests to cease specific conduct
• Removal from an event
• Revocation of event access
• Restrictions on future participation
• Removal of speakers, sponsors, volunteers, or attendees
• Referral to venue security
• Referral to law enforcement where appropriate

Enforcement decisions are made at the sole discretion of CxO Open Mic Inc.

10. Retaliation

Retaliation against an individual who raises a concern in good faith or participates in the review of a concern is prohibited.

Reports made maliciously, dishonestly, or in bad faith may themselves be considered a violation of this Code of Conduct.

11. Community Commitment

CISO Open Mic has grown because participants have chosen to contribute their experiences, perspectives, and expertise in a spirit of openness and professional respect.

We expect all participants to help maintain an environment that is professional, respectful, welcoming, thoughtful, engaging, and collaborative.

Our goal is to create events where meaningful conversations occur, relationships are built, ideas are challenged constructively, and the broader community becomes stronger as a result.

12. Contact

Questions regarding this Code of Conduct may be directed to:

CxO Open Mic Inc.

privacy@cxoopenmic.com