LA Drupal meetup on August 17, 2010 at Oversee.net in Downtown Los Angeles

LA Drupal is returning to Downtown Los Angeles for a centrally located meetup! Join us at the offices of Oversee.net on August 17, 2010 from 7:30pm to 9:30pm. At this meetup there will be several presentations as well as time for open discussions and job announcements. Several of us may be going to a local bar or restaurant afterward.

Attending the LA Drupal meetups is one of the best ways to meet and talk with other Drupaleros and we encourage you to attend as many meetings as you can, including the LA Drupal events in Santa Monica, in the San Gabriel Valley and on the Westside. Whether it's about finding solutions to problems you've been having, sharing something you've learned or just meeting interesting like-minded people, the LA Drupal meetups are an essential resource for Drupal professionals and hobbyists alike.

This event is free – in fact, there will be raffle prizes and food and drinks will be provided – and no RSVP is required. To breeze through security and get free or discounted parking, however, you can sign up by logging in and clicking the Sign up button below. All who sign up will also have instructions and last-minute details (if there are any) sent to them before the meeting.

The first 35 people to sign up will get free parking and anyone who signs up after that can get validated parking nearby at Chaya, Drago, etc. Unvalidated parking is $15. Please plan to arrive a few minutes early, especially if you're driving. You can park in the A-level of the building and the valets will park your car for you, at which point you'll be given a claim ticket. The phone number of the parking office is 213-628-0581.

Be sure to update your profile with your full name so that a name badge will be ready for you at the front desk. To do this, log in and click My Account → Edit → Personal and fill in the "Real name" field. If you don't follow these instructions, be prepared to show a valid photo ID at the front desk.

We want your feedback!

During the meetup, we'll be gathered in the #drupal-la IRC channel and all are welcome to join us. The event organizers will also be checking Twitter for feedback and questions that mention @ladrupal or use the #ladrupal hashtag.

Agenda

If you'd like to give a presentation, announce a job position or ask any questions of the group, please come a few minutes early or leave a comment below. If presenting, be sure to bring your laptop (and power and display cables) and whatever else you need.

   Job announcements and open Q&A

Everyone has a problem every now and then and the open Q&A session is a chance for attendees to divine answers from the collective wisdom of the group. This is also an opportunity for local businesses to make job announcements and ask for referrals and recommendations.

   Raffle! Prizes! Collect them all!

We love our sponsors and have several raffle prizes from our sponsors in the Los Angeles area and around the world. If you or your company would like to sponsor a raffle prize at the LA Drupal meetups, please come early or contact the LA Drupal managers at managers at ladrupal.org.

   DrupalCamp LA 2010 retrospective and discussion

DrupalCamp LA 2010 has ended but we'll be keeping the spirit alive. Attendees will have a chance to share their highs and lows of the conference and provide feedback for how we can make DrupalCamp LA even better in 2011.

   Presentation: managing Drupal files and uploads with Dropbox

Dropbox is a free, web-based file hosting service that can be used in many ways to manage files and uploads. Christefano of Exaltation of Larks will demonstrate how to integrate Dropbox with Drupal using the Dropbox module and how to customize it without writing one line of code. To sign up for a free Dropbox account (and get an additional 250MB of storage!), you can use LA Drupal's referral link: http://ladrupal.org/dropbox

   Panel discussion on managing online communities

Social networking sites attract all kinds of characters and occasionally a site experiences a community shifting event, like online bullying, flame wars, revolts against site management, or worse, stalking and harassment. These are defining moments in the life of a site and several LA Drupal members will describe what they've done in the past, what they would do differently today and which tools are available to facilitate community management, encourage positive behaviors and create healthy online communities.

   Lightning talks

We have time as well for lightning talks, which are 5-10 minute presentations from attendees who would like to share something with the group. If you'd like to give a lightning talk, be sure to come a few minutes early and bring your laptop (and power and display cables) and whatever else you need.

As always, please feel welcome to leave a comment below and let others know what you'd like to present ahead of time.

Location

We're meeting at the offices of Oversee.net in Downtown Los Angeles. Oversee.net owns a large portfolio of online properties, including Moniker, SnapNames, DomainSponsor, AboutAirportParking.com and LowFares.com, to name a few, and is using Drupal extensively for their emerging businesses division. Their phone number is 213-408-0080.

Oversee.net is hiring a Drupal Front End Developer and a Senior PHP Developer. To learn more about Oversee.net and their open positions, come to the meetup or visit Oversee.net/careers.

Travel

Our venue is easily accessible by bus (see mta.net for bus lines) and by commuter rail (the Red Line connection is Pershing Square and the Blue Line connection is 7th and Wilshire).

From LAX: Take the I-105 freeway east to the I-110 North. Go past the I-10 interchange and exit at 3rd Street (Flower Street direction). Stay in the right lane. Turn right at Flower Street. Garage entrance will be on your right hand side, once you pass 5th street light (first entrance you see will be the A-level garage).

From Pasadena: Take the I-110 freeway South to 3rd Street off ramp. Turn left on Beaudry. Turn left on 4th Street across freeway, and then make a right turn on Flower street. Garage entrance will be on your right hand side, once you pass the 5th street light (first entrance you see will be the A-level garage).

Parking

There is almost no on-street parking in the area but free parking is being provided to us by Oversee.net in the A level of the Paul Hastings Tower at 515 S. Flower St. To qualify for free parking, you must sign up by logging in and clicking the Sign up button below. Those who sign up will also have instructions and last-minute details (if there are any) sent to them before the meeting.

About LA Drupal

The LA Drupal community in and around Los Angeles, California, is one of the world's largest regional Drupal user groups. With regular Drupal trainings, monthly meetings and social gatherings, LA Drupal is Southern California's largest hub for all things Drupal. LA Drupal is also the producer of the annual DrupalCamp LA conference, the largest independent Drupal event in the world for two years running.

If you aren't already part of LA Drupal, it's easy to become a member. We have several meetings every month that are free and open to everyone. There are also social gatherings and formal working meetings that sometimes happen throughout the month. Events are announced here and at the LA Drupal website.