This year you'll catch me hanging out, for my 4th consecutive year, at the 6th annual CMS Expo Learning & Business Conference ~ May 8-10 2012. This time I'm not speaking... I'm listening!
Even if CMSX2012 wasn't 3.5 hrs drive away I would still make it a point to get there. I know of no other place where I can hang out with users, founders, and other steller representatives from Joomla, ModX, DotNetNuke, Alfresco, and of course my beloved Drupal. Yah, I probably missed a couple CMSs in there, but WordPress is actually not having an official presence for the 2nd year in a row. See the FULL LIST HERE. Seriously... People come out of the wood works to get to this event. Projects that I know so little about are taking the stage and showing off their wares and reminding me that while Drupal usage continues to expand in oh-so-many markets, the other platforms aren't standing still. They are innovating and marketing and doing rather well.
I love all my Drupal events, big and small, but the CMSX2012 is a unique and wondrous world where you're never quite sure who or what you're going to run into next. You can enjoy a session about corporate blogging or effective utilization of social media for business promotion then next find yourself watching a panel discussion on how 7 different CMS platforms are carving out their niche and share of the marketplace.
Expected Highlights of this years CMSX: [see the FULL LIST of sessions]
- The Founders Panel : I'm really looking forward to hearing from numerous platforms on one stage as they discuss their strengths and origins. This one is more informative than it is comparative. The shoot out comes later.
- The CMS Test - Compare CMSs for Colleges, Universities, & schools. : While Drupal is ROCKING this market, I'm well aware that other platforms are in the mix as well. I'm really looking forward to this!
- The CMS Debate - Compare How Government CMSs Serve The Public Good : Again... Drupal is absolutely rocking this market segment. But we must remain innovative and responsive to the needs of Government if we want our success to grow. No doubt, we have much to learn from what other platforms are doing.
- Universities & Their Web Curriculum : With 4 children [2 in high-school] I'm quite interested in this topic!
- Lunch Keynote By Kristina Halvorson : This is going to ROCK! No one should ever miss Kristina when she shares her valuable insight into content and the web. She delivers a Gut-Check that you didn't know you needed; making you re-rethink your methods and your perceptions about your communications strategy.
- How Drupal Is Transforming Government - 7 Case Studies : I know bits and pieces of this story but I'm really looking forward to getting a full dose of the Drupal+Government goodness from Phase2 CEO, Jeff Walpole!
- Powering A Lean Startup With Drupal (Or Any CMS) : Chris [My friend and roommate at CMSX2012] is going to ROCK this session. Chris has 2 amazing things going for him; {A} A phenomenal wealth of knowledge and {B} a delivery that gets the message across such that it speaks to the practical elements.
- Capturing Community With User Generated Content : It's a fact that once the website launches it is supposed to serve its purpose. Sometimes that purpose is to have the site grow organically through user generated content. I don't think "build it and they will come" works, I'm anxious to hear what Duo Consulting CEO Michael Silverman has to say about it.
If you're going to CMSX2012 be sure to catch me in the halls and say HELLO!
:-)