2026 NICE Conference and Expo
Date: June 1-3, 2026
Location: Philadelphia, USA
The NICE Conference and Expo focuses on the challenges and opportunities related to developing a skilled cybersecurity workforce. This year, the topic for discussion is “Climbing Higher: Educating & Sustaining a Resilient Cybersecurity Workforce.”
The 2026 NICE Conference and Expo will be hosted by Florida International University and New America in the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown. The event will consist of half a day of workshops followed by two full days of discussions and presentations from distinguished experts.
What is NICE?
NICE, or the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education, was founded under the leadership of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in 2008. The primary aim of the initiative is to grow the ranks of skilled cybersecurity professionals in the US, ensuring that both public and private enterprises are properly equipped to deal with the threat of cyberattacks.
In addition to the NICE Conference and Expo, the initiative also provides support for other events focusing on cybersecurity awareness, such as the NICE K12 Cybersecurity Education Conference.
History of the NICE Conference and Expo
The first NICE event was held in 2010 in Gaithersburg, MD, with the official theme being “Shaping the Future of Cybersecurity Education.” It resulted in the creation of the NICE Cybersecurity Workforce Framework (NIST SP 800-181), which categorizes cybersecurity work and is now used as a reference for education, professional classifications, and even government decrees.
Since then, the NICE Conference and Expo has taken place annually in different locations in the US, including Atlanta, Dallas, Miami, and Phoenix. This regular schedule was only disrupted on two occasions — the conference had to be held online in 2020 due to the Coronavirus pandemic and skipped a year in 2021 due to timetable conflicts.
2026 NICE Conference and Expo
June 1-3, 2026
1201 Market Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania PA 19107, USA (Philadelphia Marriott Downtown)