Along with the great sessions, conversations, and people, DrupalCons are known for the amazing parties. DrupalCon DC will be no exception to this. To ensure that there are ample party/after hour opportunities all week long, we decided to anoint a King of Parties to oversee all merriment. The King will coordinate the events with the community, give updates on what's planned, and use his throne to spread the word far and wide.
Being that this is such a crucial role to the success of DrupalCon DC, we thought long and hard about the decision and made it based on many factors, such as knowledge, experience, and creativity in partying. In the end, there was a clear winner.
The King of Denmark will be the King of Parties for DrupalCon DC. We'll all have a blast.
So far there are parties planned for Tuesday and Wednesday nights, and details on both are coming soon. If you'd like to organize and host a party at DrupalCon, plan for it to be on Thursday or Friday evening and post it in the comments here so Morten can get in touch with you and coordinate on the details. The King will then post back here and elsewhere with information on all that's happening after hours during DrupalCon DC.
There were many creative, attractive, and downright funny designs entered in the DrupalCon DC t-shirt contest - which selects the t-shirt that every person who comes to DrupalCon will receive. In all we received 67 designs, and if you haven't checked them out yet we highly recommend that you do. With DrupalCon DC fast approaching, it's time to announce the winner.
A big congratulations and a thank you to Kris Robinson, the designer of this shirt.
We're just three weeks away from DrupalCon DC, and we need your help to get ready for the conference. Your DrupalCon.org profile is also your primary way of registering at the conference. We’ll be printing your official name tag that gets you into the event based on the information from your profile. If you haven’t filled this out yet, you’ll need to in order to get your name tag.
It will only take you two minutes. Here’s a step by step process for how to do this.
-
Log into dc2009.drupalcon.org (If you don’t remember your username or password that you used to sign up, you can click to “Request a new password” and enter your email to get a new one.)
-
Once you’re in, you can use the link at the top of the screen or the red button at the top of your profile page to “Edit Profile.” Note: this is different from the “Edit Account” link at the top. See screen shot.
-
Fill out the first field for your Full Name - we’ll use whatever you put here to print your name tag.
-
Fill out your Company name - this will go on your name tag too.
-
While you’re there, why not fill out the rest of your profile too? It’s a great way to tell others who you are and make connections before the event.
-
Check out the Attendees page to see who else is coming.
That's it! Thanks for taking the time to make sure we have all the info we need from you. See you in three weeks!
At DrupalCon Washington DC you will be exposed to hundreds of interactions and ideas. There is absolutely no way for you to remember every thing that will happen. Some experiences will stick in your mind despite of the cacophony of the conference. Hopefully some of these memories will be of the amazing presentations that will be delivered at DrupalCon.
What is it that makes a presentation memorable? And how can you, as a presenter, become the experience that is remembered? After 20 years of teaching and delivering presentations I continue to learn about what makes a good presentation. Based on the mistakes I've made and the successes I've had, here are my recommendations for your next presentation:
• If you are excited about your topic, I will be excited about your topic. If I am excited about your topic, I will remember your topic.
• The more times you deliver your presentation, the better it will be. (You should practise your delivery at least twenty five times according to some.
• Prepare everything you want the audience to know. Once you've prepared the whole story, cut your content in half. And then cut it in half again.
• The meat of your content should be available for people to read after your presentation. I don't mean your slides. I mean your content. Write a supporting HOWTO article or blog post to go along with your presentation.
• Humour isn't required, but it definitely helps. As do train analogies and free schwag.
• Engage your audience, ask for questions, and end early.
We all know people who really should be into Drupal (why, that’s everyone!), but who still just don’t have a clue. Chapter Three is hosting a brief, lively, and tasty session for the general public at DrupalCon DC to introduce these people to Drupal and to our community. A thousand plus Drupal developers convening is bound to spark some interest – “what is this Drupal thing, and who are all these people building it?” For those not familiar with the Drupal project and our community, being immersed in DrupalCon DC – with some instruction – is the perfect way to find out more.
The Drupal Lunch will take place on Thursday, March 5. We’ll provide lunch and will charge $25 for attendance to recoup our costs.
The agenda for the lunch is:
- Introduction to the Drupal project and community (15 min)
- The making of a Drupal website in non geek speak (15 min)
- Drupal in the hot seat (Q&A) (30 minutes)
Pass the word to everyone you know who should be there to save the date. Tickets for the lunch will go on sale soon - I'll post back here when you can buy them.
If you have any comments or questions, leave a comment here or shoot me an email: zack [at] chapter three.com.