Closing Ceremonies

The closing session of Besides Las Vegas 2025 opened with attendance figures: about 555 submissions, 218 speakers and 245 sessions across nine talk tracks and six training rooms. The host recalled keynotes on financial resilience, the security underground and community, including one returning speaker who first presented as a proving-ground talk. A historic donation bucket from the event's early days was shown on stage.

Thanks went to the staff, volunteers and sponsors. Safety operations reported staffing rising from 45 to 96 percent and offered mental health support. The Pros versus Joes capture-the-flag team named the winning team in its red-versus-blue range, and the crypto challenge designer reported that three groups finished her choose-your-own-adventure puzzle book. Banquet and production staff received awards, and the raffle and silent auction raised more than $8,880 for the supported charities, EFF and Valid, which the organizers planned to round up to $5,000 each.

The board president asked attendees about the extended two-and-a-half-day format and encouraged them to network, submit detailed call-for-papers proposals and support community members facing harder times. The closing message urged people to find others they can help grow and to let those people set their own path.