DrupalCon Portland 2013: MARKETING AND SELLING DRUPAL -- A LIVELY PANEL DISCUSSION

Drupal is at an inflection point. While the recent adoption trends have been positive, the content management system (CMS) space is becoming more competitive. The proprietary CMSs are starting to take notice and the FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt) campaigns against Drupal have just begun. In this panel discussion, we will explore and recommend ways to better position, sell, and market Drupal. We will share actual success stories of how large, enterprise-level Drupal deals were won.

We will address items like:

* How does a boutique, Drupal-centric agency win a seven-figure engagement and compete against the behemoth proprietary CMSs?
* How do we grow and evangelize Drupal outside of the existing echo-chamber (i.e. those that are already drinking the Drupal kool-aid)?
* When are request for proposals (RFPs) worth responding to?
* What kind of marketing activities are the most beneficial?
* How can someone get involved with Drupal at the local level?

The moderator and three panelists have a wealth of "in the trenches" experience they can offer. The highlights include:
* An employee of the Drupal Association that has cat-herded and organized numerous marketing activities.
* An owner of an award-winning Drupal agency since 2006.
* The author of a Drupal SEO book and presenter at multiple conferences.
* An organizer of a popular Drupalcamp for four years, two Drupal Business Summits, and one of the top-10 most popular Drupal user groups in the world (according to meetup.com).

We would like to hear from you! What other topics would you like to see covered?

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