Posted by juan_g on November 25, 2009 at 9:27am
On this discussion, we can comment about the DCAPO To do list (a wiki page editable by all members).
On this discussion, we can comment about the DCAPO To do list (a wiki page editable by all members).
Comments
Lists by topic
I've classified Bevan's initial list in three lists by topic: DrupalCon, Drupal events, Drupal groups. I've also added a task on promoting Drupal events in the region, as part of the preparations for DrupalCon.
Drupal events: Start with small meetups in your city or area
Added a task on this crucial point. Additional details:
Start with small meetups: If there aren't regular Drupal events in your city or area, the first step is to post a discussion for your local group to have a first informal meetup -even two or a few people in a cafe is enough for the first one-, and then monthly meetups -at any place with Wi-Fi connection- to share knowledge among local users, designers and developers.
Some of the members will contact a university, for example, and the rest will come naturally: Small events like presentations, workshops, sprints... Medium events like annual national DrupalCamps... And the international DrupalCon in Asia-Pacific will be on the way.
So, if you would like to build community, and cooperate, exchange, learn with other Drupal users, then... go now to your local group and start a discussion on the next meetup. Enjoy and good luck! ;)
"A journey of a thousand li begins with a single step"
(Ancient Chinese proverb)
add this to To-Do-List?
why not we as a group try to coordinate famous drupalers to visit and speak at relatively large Drupal events in the region?
if possible ask the Drupal Association for support in making this possible like buying plane tickets?
Invite Lullabot? people from Acquia?
Such activities will definitely boost attendance for events.
Yes, this is definitely
Yes, this is definitely effective in boosting the popularity of Drupal events, as I have seen with DrupalSouth Wellington. (We've got 42/100 registrants in first 6 days!) The hardest thing is finding people who are interested and available to travel, and financing them. Sometimes they will finance themselves, which makes this a lot easier.
In the case of DrupalSouth we were lucky that Linux.conf.au did all this for us. Actually the main reason that DrupalSouth is when and where it is, is because Linux.conf.au got all of Angela Byron, Emma Jane and Liz Henry in Wellington at the same time to speak at LCA.
Addison Berry was going to come, funded by her Knight foundation grant, but conflicts with other events meant that didn't work out. She might well be interested, financed and available for other Drupal events anywhere in the world, though I think her grant possibly ends in March – check with her.
A cheaper way to do this is to find local Drupal personalities. These folk come to mind;
Talk to companies about sponsoring an event or speaker;
Since people from many Asian cultures tend to be less forward about their work and achievements than westerners (in my experience at least), you should also find locals who are not "famous" but have done something interesting. Work with them to help build their own profile in the community, as well as the profile of your event. For example, @Sugree, and @MarkPeak (I don't know their real names and wouldn't be able to type them if I did!), both are Thai. They co-authored an original Drupal book in Thai.
There must be hundreds or thousands of folk in local communities in AP who have done something interesting, like a famous or very-well done website, or a really useful Drupal module. Identifying these folk is hard. It's mostly just networking, which is why smaller Drupal events are critical to support larger ones.
Bevan/