At some point during this last year, I know many of you have all heard me talking about having a Drupal Camp in Las Vegas. Well, for about the last two months, I have been in the pre-planning stages of making one happen next Spring.
While I may be able to pull this off with limited help, I would probably be totally burned out afterward, and that really wouldn't help in building our local community.
So, I want to encourage any and all of the people who are part of the Las Vegas Drupal Users Group to step up and help in some way get the camp done. If you are interested and willing to help, let me know and I'll include you in the planning process that is currently underway. You can help guide and direct the event, and then, you can help make it happen.
If you want to be included in any way, either reply to this message or contact me directly letting me know, and I'll make it so. Since I don't want to sit around waiting for people to answer "yes" or "no", I'll consider your not saying anything synonymous to your saying "no".
Comments
I'll help!
I'll help where I can. I'm living in San Diego and am on the SandCamp planning committee, was a presenter at last year's sandcamp (and hope to be again this year) but I am a Las Vegas native and travel back home regularly. I'd love to see a camp there.
I'm in
I would like to help with our COD implementation. I can host it if we need a place to host. I can set up the dns to point http://camp2012.dug.lv to another server if needed, or like i said host it on the same server as dug.lv.
I'm up for having a weekly remote code/site building sprint to get COD up and going. Let me know your thoughts Jason.
observer status
Forget about "help", just set it up and let's get going. Waiting for consensus is probably not very productive. If people don't like it they don't have to use it ... remember the old forgiveness/permission thing, especially in a group environment.
I suspect you will have lots of hands in the COD development pot, but I would like to observe the process when it gets going.
tim
agreed
Drupal is a do-ocracy! so let's do it. I will have the COD site up shortly and we can all go from there. Cheers!
Me, too
I'd be delighted to help in the design and development of the event web site. (Casey, is that what is meant by the term "COD"? I haven't seen that term used before in this context.)
Also, if there is any sort of raffle, I have at least two brand new Drupal books to contribute.
Here are some references
http://usecod.com/
http://drupal.org/project/cod
http://drupal.org/documentation/build/cod
So excellent
... and thanks for all the fish! (Sorry, couldn't resist. :-)
COD
Thanks i hadn't seen this one either.
tim
I am not sure how far along
I am not sure how far along you are in your planning, but a few of us involved in the SW Drupal Summit talked a bit about holding an event in Las Vegas. If you are interested in collaborating, please let me know.
I have been considering this
I have been considering this and similar ideas a lot the last couple of weeks, and I think for our first event, I would like to keep it down at the basic camp level. I was initially considering something more fancy, then I changed my mind, based on these factors:
Yes, I know there are other people who have far more experience and would be willing to help, but I kind of want the local community to be the primary driving force for these local events, and I think I'm not alone in that sentiment.
So, while I welcome the idea of a SW Summit in Las Vegas, I think it would be better if it were not our first event.
breaking the silence...
hey gang! We're almost 2 months cold on this thread. I wanted to pop in and livin it up!
In the interest of transparency I wanted to update you all.
Jason and I are working with UNLV reps to determine exactly how they are going to view our request to use the facilities of the Student Union. Are we comercial? Are we Univ. Department sponsored? Are we 501c3? Or are we something else? For my part I'm brining the DA into the conversation with Jacob's blessing. [note: I'm not a part of the DA in any way other than a paid, supporting member]
Given the fact that prep time for a camp is valuable, a MAY date is off the table. We'll secure a date as soon as possible but that is primarily dependent on WHERE the event will be held.
Once this ball REALLY starts moving there will be plenty of work for as many ppl as we can get.
S T A Y - T U N E D !
- dougvann [Drupal Trainer, Consultant, Developer]
- http://dougvann.com
Hey Doug, I am now an
Hey Doug,
I am now an employee at UNLV in the University Libraries department working on the library web & Drupal projects. I just started last week and am getting to know the lay of the land and the folks here. I would love to be looped into the conversation on the planning of the event regarding location, date, etc. I hope to help in any way, being that I am in close proximity to others on campus that are also helping with this effort.
Thanks for your help with this effort as i know you have a lot of experience with camps.
Cheers,
-Casey
Bursting the bubble ...
At the risk of pissing off the world, IMHO, at this point, a Las Vegas Drupal Camp is an extraordinarily dumb idea!
The thinking seems to be “build it and they will come”, but that make-believe only works in the movies. Let’s assume that we can somehow pull off a quality camp based on the contributed efforts of the 3-4 people who typically attend the DUG LV meetings. Let’s further assume that we can somehow attract the people that we have been unable to attract to our meetings; finally, let’s assume that the new folks get excited and then attend our next DUG LV meeting. What do you thing the result will be? I can tell you, they will never come again. To put it bluntly we don’t have our act together, and the last thing we should do is expose that to the world.
We are in a metro area of almost 2 million people; a number of area companies as well as UNLV use Drupal, and yet, not a single company or University representative regularly attends. There are a number of area independents and hobbyist who use Drupal, and yet we attract only 3-4 on a regular basis. The new ones that do come once never come again?
As Pogo famously said, “I have met the enemy and it is us”. The truth is that the meetings suck. They are a dysfunctional waste of time; they don’t provide value and so people don’t attend. It is as simple as that. A camp, even a successful one, isn’t going to change that reality.
So instead of deluding ourselves that we can somehow pull off a good camp, we should be investing our time and effort to put together a strong and vibrant DUG. A camp will be the logical outgrowth of a strong group, the reverse is not true.
tim
I wouldn't rule out a larger
I wouldn't rule out a larger event because your user group isn't well-attended.
My experience with our Houston group has been similar to yours I think. There have been times when we've had over 20 people at a meetup, but for the most part we are lucky to get more than 5. That said, I was still stubborn enough to initiate and lead the organization of an event here in Houston last year, and we had about 200 attendees. Granted, our speaker lineup was bizarrely awesome for a first-time event, and a lot of my friends in the Drupal community were very generous to come from far and wide to support the event. Regardless, and as Doug has already mentioned, a thriving group is not necessarily essential to a successful event. I am sure it would help, but it isn't everything.
Keep in mind also that our event was on a Thursday and Friday, was slightly more expensive than your average camp, had the somewhat ambitious goal of attracting a more business-oriented audience, and was still quite well attended. The most important thing is to just go into it with a vision of what you want it to be, and then add a willingness to work very hard to make it so. It was very hard work, but I think all of us involved would tell you it was exceptionally gratifying and well worth it.
OUCH
Our meetings suck and are dysfunctional? Ouch man... I agree that they can get better, but I think you are being a bit harsh.
I've enjoyed the sharing and passionate exchange of ideas around Drupal. Sure, presentations could be more prepared and attendance could be higher, but I think if nothing else there is value in just hanging around with other people that use Drupal once a month.
I like that it has been a rather intimate experience with you and Jason and his boys. I think the group will grow as we grow together. Regardless of a camp.
Sorry to be harsh
What is a better way to describe meetings that have no beginning, no end, no goal, and almost no attendance?
The proof is in the attendance. People don’t return because they don’t find sufficient value to justify the time and gas to attend. If folks don’t see that as a problem worth fixing then I will just shut up.
tim
No, I'm not asking you or
No, I'm not asking you or anyone else to shut up. I believe the meetings can get better too. I was just saying that they do have some value and as we stay consistent with the meetings and up the quality of the actual meetings, I think the attendance will increase with that.
Sorry Casey, I didn’t mean to suggest that you were
It is abundantly clear that potential DUG LV members vote with their feet. Further, katherined and dougvann posts show this is not limited to Las Vegas. Despite their own missed opportunities and DUG LV’s miserable record at attracting and retaining members, the “campers” hold that camps are standalone and should not be considered or used to build stronger DUGs. I couldn’t disagree more but so what.
This is the second time I have opined my belief that our group is in need of serious change. Each time I have heard only silence from those who might agree but vociferous response from those invested in the status quo.
Lesson learned; camp on, I will attend, enjoy, and pray for a successful camp as well as a revitalized DUG … and I will keep my opinions to my self.
tim
Local Groups != Camps
Tim,
I share your frustrations on the challenges of organizing a local group. I started the Indiana group 49 months ago it went from small to large to TWICE a month meetings back down to once and then a HUGE break and now it's hit-n-miss.
Our local group here in Indianapolis is very much like your group is these days. Regardless, we put on a camp last year and again this year. Would you believe that people came out of the woodworks to get to this thing!
Now let's consider DrupalCampOhio. I started that ball rolling in June of 2011. There was NO monthly meetup at all. and two months after the camp there is still no monthly meetup. However, the camp itself was steller! Many important and valuable encounters occurred with over 120 attendees. The experience of organizing the camp was highly valuable for all involved. The goal was never to take the energy and convert it into a local group. The fact is that in that region there's simply not sufficient interest for a monthly gathering. Sure, the idea gets brought up from time to time. Some say a quarterly meeting would be nice if for no other reason than to see each other's faces again and drink some beer.
What's the goal in LV? Why do a camp?
Well, I can tell you. You just might see some growth in the local group. Then again, you might not. A camp is usually organized for Camp sake. However, if the locals want to strategize and make a concerted effort to ring out some local group love from the camp, then I say that's an awesome and sensible goal that needs explored. I'm not on the inside, Tim, but if yourself or someone else wants to head that initiative up I would deem that as a high valued component of the camp experience.
Camps are not Groups and as such have a life of their own. We are trying to get this one to full gestation and see it born! LOL! Trust me... I have seen camps draw in a crowd that amazes the organizers. I have been to 25 camps and I see what happens. We wil have to work hard at getting the word out and attracting the ppl & organizations who are off the radar. We also need to attract ppl from other technologies and encourage them to become qualified for the many many many open positions that the Drupal ecosphere is plagued with and will continue to be plagued with..
Our goal is a common and simple one: To bring the Drupal Project and Drupal Community into the spotlight in a city that has a lot of light to shine!
Once we get the UNfun aspects all settled, we can talk more about marketing and targeting specific groups for attendance. Coupled with this will be the clear decision to gather content for the Camp that will address the targeted audiences.
There's a whole process to this. I'm happy to be on board and share. And as always, I learn plenty in each new town.
Let's do it!
- DV
A perfect plan for Las Vegas
It seems you both are making, and missing, my point. Historically camps have little or no benefit in building local groups. So rather than viewing that as a problem worth fixing, we should just ignore the possibility and pretend there is no correlation … that’s what everybody else does.
Silly me, I thought the goal was to build a vibrant DUG that actually served the community. But instant gratification rules; screw the difficult foundational stuff; let’s gather a bunch of folks together to swap stories, knock back a few beers, and have some fun. There is no better party place than Las Vegas. We should be able to attract some superstars and lots of folks to watch, listen, and play, and then go home.
And when the dust settles and the beer bottles are all in the trash, and we have aired out the frat house, we can look forward to another year of dysfunctional, poorly attended meetings. At which point we will certainly be ready for another party … life goes on. The plan fits Las Vegas perfectly.
tim
I would come out
I would come out for a LVDC and probably sponsor it.
You're right, communities don't always grow as a result of the meeting itself. But there are some camps that are well attended and worth the effort even without a huge local group. Just get some good speakers and focus on the quality of the sessions and people will come.
Another thing to think about is outreach, the people leading a camp like this have to be ambassadors for the community and put some work into preparation. Consider doing some outreach to students at UNLV and finding people who are down with open source. Consider dropping some ads off at California schools to see who you can get to come. There is also the business community, there are a lot of ways to reach out to people there about the benefits for their businesses.
Something important to remember is that Drupal has gained some acceptance in the gaming industry, and there are some developers working for casinos. A good friend of mine who works in security keeps getting called in to test them. The point here is that there are probably people locally who are using Drupal, don't attend regular meet ups, but would be interested in a camp.