Disclaimer: None of the following quotes reflects any specific individual, company, agency, or person.
![](https://img.skitch.com/20110322-pism3maxq6tmkuxneb2drcy83a.jpg")
From Corporate Land:
Why on earth would you need or want to go to this Drupalcon thing? It sounds an awful lot like your just going on a trip on the company's dime! Can't you just learn this stuff from a book?
If you want to go, you need to pay for it yourself and take vacation time.
From Agency Land:
We can't really afford to send all of you, how about we give you a fixed stipend to offset the cost. But we do really NEED all of you to go. Who knows who might be there who is looking for a job that you might be able to recruit. So, you all need to go.
From Independent Contractor Land:
Dear Husband/Wife - Drupalcon just seems like an excuse for you to spend our travel money. Why should you get to go to [insert city here]? And twice a year? We simply can't afford for you to do this!
So, what is the return on investment by going to Drupalcon? How will your experience change over several Drupalcons? What are the best reasons you can give your employer and/or significant other why you should go?
Drupal Means Business
This conference inside a conference (sort of a turducken of Drupal) can give your business a great foundation in what Drupal is and how it can service your bottom line. This caters to business professionals. You will have a great opportunity to network with other professionals who are navigating development of Web applications. Drupal Means Business is a day full of sessions on March 22nd. It starts at 10:30 and ends at 4:00 pm. You get lunch. You can attend the closing session.
Core Conversations
What happens when you get a gaggle of of devoted and determined Drupalistas together? Core Conversations. These talks are designed to help direct the next steps of this amazing open source project. These conversations segue nicely in the code and documentation sprints on Friday. It all helps move the project forward and leverages the project's greatest asset - the people.
Birds of a Feather
Ever been to a Barcamp? The BOFs are like a Barcamp within the Drupalcon. Folks sign up to lead breakouts to talk about a wide range of topics. The BOFs provide a great opportunity to learn, share, and network. BOFs can be on almost any topic from a truffle exchange to development tools to theming techniques to project management.
The Tracks
The tracks collectively offer something to everybody. Whether you need to learn more about eCommerce, or you've built a site but are not a coder and want to learn more, you will find something of value. If you are a coder and want to learn development from the best or if you are a designer and want to learn best practices in UX - you'll find something that resonates. If you want to explore the community and learn how to contribute or if you run a business and are looking for strategies that will help your small or large business - we have that too. If you are moving into the mobile space or come from NGOs, nonprofits, or educational institutions - you're going to fill the niche too.
- Commerce
- Site Building
- Coding and Development
- Design and User Experience
- Drupal Community
- Business and Strategy
- Mobile
- Nonprofit, Government and Education
You Need Training?
DrupalCon Denver will offer paid pre-conference training courses and workshops on Monday, March 19, 2012 to DrupalCon attendees and non-attendees interested in gaining additional hands-on knowledge on a variety of topics related to Web and Drupal development, including Drupal site-building, module development, user experience design, and more. These courses will be presented by professional trainers at the Colorado Convention Center, from 9am - 6pm.
Our Community Builds Really Big Sites
We will have presenters from sites like Examiner.com and from top Drupalshops like the Lullabots. Companies like Sony and Warner Brothers use Drupal. Government sites like the Whitehouse and members of Congress. Drupal is EVERYWHERE.
So What is the Return?
- Training
- Networking
- Sessions
- Strategy
- Contributing
- and it goes on and on
When you are asked what the value is, it simple as this - participating in these conventions can accelerate you business, your career, you acumen as a developer/themer/project manager. You will get the chance to rub shoulders with folks that build, conceive, plan, and strategize sites from top businesses across the world. All this - and it is only $400. - $350 if you register before February 21st.
A Final Word
So this all sounds pretty great right? I'm one of the Customer Service Manager/Volunteer Wranglers for the conference. I, with a bunch of other folks have put in quite a few volunteer hours to get this ready for you. So, what do you think? Can you spare four hours for the cause? We NEED onsite Volunteers. Its the community who help keep the cost of the conference low. If you feel like you can help out before, during, or after the conference we would gratefully accept time.
This Drupalcon is going to be the best yet. I'm looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones. If you see me, take a moment to say hello. I'd love to chat.
Comments
Erratum: "to lear
Erratum: "to lear development"
Thanks - fixed.
Thanks - fixed.
Not for everyone...
The problem for me (a knowledgeable freelancer and heavily-involved Drupal project contributor) is that the "this is beneficial for my business" part of the equation doesn't work out. I have not found the sessions or training to be useful to me at the past several DrupalCons, and Drupal Means Business is not really aimed at freelancers as far as I can tell. I don't tend to make business-useful contacts at DrupalCon, either. (I am not saying this holds true for all freelancers, just that this has been my experience at the last few DrupalCons.)
So the only reason for me to go would be for community/contributing... But that is problematic too. First, it's really expensive (in time away from work and the cost of flight, lodging, and conference), so it's hard to justify that as a business expense if it's just to donate to the community. Then, I find that the other contributors I would want to meet/work with have their attention pretty fragmented (staffing company booths, presenting, attending sessions, etc.). So I think that there are much better ways to get together with folks for contributing (such as smaller regional events), which are also much less expensive (in time and money), and also offer better business reasons for me to attend (like meeting people in my region, who are actually useful business contacts).
Hi Jennifer,I've been
Hi Jennifer,
I've been heavily involved with Drupal for more than 5 years now. I would argue that my reasons for travelling to Drupalcon have changed over the eight that I've attended.
Barcelona - Learning and getting acquainted with the community - I had only barely scratched the community. I met Morten and Kieren.
Boston - Presenting and attended sessions. More in depth community connections. I met Dries.
Washington DC - Presented and attended sessions. My cross pollination with the community increased. I met Jay Batson.
Paris - I presented and met folks from NowPublic. I was less interested in the sessions at this point, but really started heavily networking. I started attending more private events.
San Francisco - First event I attended as a representative of Examiner.com. I wouldn't have been employed by Examiner if not for connections made in Paris. Worked side by side with the NowPublic and Examiner team - one of the few times during the year the entire team can collaborate face to face.
Copenhagen - Continued in my one on one work with the Examiner/NowPublic team. Spent tons of time with thought leaders in the Drupal community.
Chicago - Again, the Examiner team gathered. Networked closely with other companies like Tag1.
London - One more time for the Examiner team to work together closely. Gather with others on the Drupalcon Denver team to plan the next convention. Recruitment for Examiner is part of my core goals of the convention.
Personally, I have found value in each and every Drupalcon I've attended. For certain the theme of each con has been different. I have moved from more hands on technical learning to strategic partnerships and leadership activities. All of them have contributed to my professional success though.
This all said, I LOVE the Camps. I generally attend the one in Colorado and the one in Austin Texas each year. This past year, my professional network not only had me presenting in Austin - but I was asked to present as a keynote speaker.
Drupalcon brings value.