You're Invited! May 3rd, 4th & 5th, 2010

The 4th CMS Expo Learning & Business Conference theme - The Intuitive Mind - refocuses web content professionals' attention on the "C" in "Content Management System."  Over 72 learning sessions, are on-tap for the event, to be held May 3rd, 4th and 5th, in Evanston, Illinois. Web designers, writers and media producers are invited to come for sessions on design, web writing techniques, CSS, Photoshop, and much more.

Conference Snapshot:

Event: CMS Expo Learning & Business Conference
Major Sponsors: Arc Technology Group (Evanston, USA)
Rochen Performance Hosting (United Kingdom)
Dates: May 3, 4, 5, 2010
Venue: Hotel Orrington
Host City: Evanston, Illinois
Hosted by: The CMS Association
Year Founded: 2007
Audience: Web Designers, Developers & Business Decision-Makers
Skill Levels: All Levels Invited
Business Sectors: Corporate, Non-Profit, Government & Education
Website: http://cmsx.us
Phone: 1-815-455-2900
Price: $779 – Full Conference or $279 for One-Day

“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.” - Albert Einstein

Warning, Will Robinson! When you come to CMS Expo, you may think you're coming to attend skills training on one of the featured CMSes like Drupal, Joomla, WordPress or Plone, but I gotta tell you, once you get here, that may not be the case.

You may end up in the CMS Business Track, and like others, never want to leave. It's that good. Seriously. No, seriously. :)

Response from past attendees was extremely positive on the incredible business training available at CMS Expo. In fact, that may be our best kept secret (until now). If you're a business owner, entrepreneur or manager, you are in for a real treat this year at CMS Expo. We've got three full days of fantastic business learning sessions and interactive panels, created BY web business owners FOR web business owners and leaders.

If you're evaluating which CMS might be best suited for your business, we highly recommend attending the 2010 CMS Expo Learning & Business Conference, hosted by the CMS Association.

At CMS Expo, you'll find "CMS Head-to-Head" comparisons of many of the top CMSes on the market.  Plus, you'll find all the right add-ons, apps and extensions to custom-build your CMS, and empower your business. From theming solutions to high-powered CCKs and document management systems; from search functionality to e-commerce, multi-site add-ons and much more, CMS Expo has it all under one roof.

CMS Expo: Much More Than a Daycamp.

With 3 full days of business training, technical and creative foundations sessions, a powertrack to help you build your business solution from the ground-up, along with over 30 learning sessions to build your Content Management skills, CMS Expo is just what you need to help you steer your business in the right direction. It's not a "daycamp" or unconference. It's much more. Whether you're in the non-profit sector, education, corporate, small business or mid-tier enterprise, you'll find the answers you need to help you succeed.

CMS Expo was built for businesspeople who rely heavily on Content Management Systems - and the people who empower them - for marketing and online sales, publishing, community-building, membership development, customer service and more. CMS Expo has learning sessions built for you, and will put you in touch with the right people to help you succeed and prosper.

There are many CMSes out there. It's a crowded market. The key is to find the right CMS, and the right add-ons and apps for the goals you need to accomplish. That's what CMS Expo is all about. For just $279 a day (or $779 for the full three-day conference), CMS Expo is a great business value, delivering answers from experts in the CMS world you just can't find anywhere else. Learn more about CMS Expo, or sign up online at http://cmsx.us.

John Coonen is Director of the CMS Association and Co-Host of the
2010 CMS Expo Learning and  Business Conference

2009 is nearly over, and that means, it's about time for us to ramp up our 2009 CMSA Spotlight Awards program. If you or someone you know has got a killer website or a killer app for the CMS Community, we've got a great way for you to make sure that site or app is put into the spotlight. At the 2010 CMS Expo, on May 5th, we'll be awarding the best of the best in the CMS Community. Nominations will open up in the first quarter of 2010. All nominees will be posted here on the CMS Expo website for all to see. Watch for more information here on the CMS Expo website.

Last week, we were having a chat with a colleague who was confused as to whether CMS Expo is a "learning conference" or a "business conference."  He's a marketing guy, so naturally, he wanted to put the conference into a neat little market segment box.  While we answered him immediately, it made me wonder, "If he had to ask, then maybe others are wondering."

So which is it? Learning or Business? When we sat down three years ago for a strategic meeting to answer this very question, Linda (my co-host) blurted out the first thing that came to her mind:

"Nobody wants to do business with an uneducated person."

Boom. Genius!  Not only did Linda hit the nail on the head, it made for a very short meeting, and I love short meetings. CMS Expo is both a learning and business conference, which puts learning first and foremost. CMS Expo is for professional businesspeople who want to learn that which is relevant, timely and actionable. That may be for small, medium or enterprise-level businesses, non-profits, education or government application. Think of it like this: At CMS Expo, learning is "what" people come for; business success is "why" they come back, year after year.

Does that answer the question? As always, your comments are welcome.

Here's a friendly reminder to mark your calendar for May 3rd, 4th and 5th for the upcoming CMS Expo Learning and Business Conference. From all of us here at the CMS Association, we wish you a very special holiday season that's free of anxiety and full of great new memories.

Before you head off on holiday, be sure to save the dates for May 3rd, 4th and 5th! Registration is open now, if you want to sign up now here, it'll save you the trouble of doing it later - check that off your list! Watch for more announcements coming soon.

The CMS Association is pleased to announce its first round of Speakers for the upcoming 2010 CMS Expo Learning & Business Conference, to be held at the Hotel Orrington on May 3rd, 4th and 5th in Evanston, Illinois:

Keynote Speakers: Dries Buytaert, Mitch Pirtle & Tom Canavan

Instructors: Jeff Eaton, Jen Kramer, Ken Wasetis, Chris Coyier, Adii Pienaar, Avery Cohen & Nick Martinelli.

CMS Expo provides a high-value combination of business and learning opportunities for all attendees, featuring CMS evaluation and learning sessions on many of the top CMSes and 3rd Party add-ons on the market, in addition to business networking and social events.

A writer on our LinkedIn Discussion Board at CMS User Group asked that common question:

"I've been working with Joomla for years now, under the impression that it was indisputeably the best open source CMS. Now however, I find that many people suggest Drupal is actually superior. I've never worked with Drupal at all. What do you think about this, and why?" - Tosin O.

I thought I'd share my response here too:

Without knowing your requirements, it's impossible for anyone to make a legitimate recommendation on which is better for your particular needs.

Breathe deeply.

Whichever you choose, you're in a very good place. You will NOT have made a mistake, so RELAX. I say this with 100% confidence. You won't make a bad decision you'll regret later, no matter which one you choose, trust me.