WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, Custom CMS...if these words create confusion in the right side of your brain, join your fellow designers for our June Meetup to gain some clarity. Gain a deeper understanding of the all the tech-speak from the creative perspective so that you can ultimately increase your effectiveness and profitability as a web designer.

This event will include an informal panel discussion that leaves room for Q&A throughout. In addition to a great discussion, you'll walk away with links and resources - including a "sandbox" in which to play with different CMS products discussed during the event. Our goal is to take some of the mystery out of CMS to help even the primarily print designer level get a handle on the options currently available to designers.

Get in on this FREE event and help us continue to build momentum for this group. Attendees will also receive a special offer for future AGDC Meetups as well as an extra special discount to The Business of WordPress Conference.

PANELIST BIOS

• Marna Friedman has been helping individuals and businesses improve their productivity her entire professional career. She is currently working on a new startup, Writefully Inviting, a website portal for the invitation industry. Her new site is using WordPress 3.0 platform and several plugins, proving what’s possible with WordPress. She is also working with clients on implementing WordPress sites for their own businesses and is co-organizing The Business of WordPress Conference later this month.

• Erik Seifert is the former Product Manager and CEO for web CMS vendors Tangora Software and caSaaS. Tangora Portal CMS is a .net-based, server-installed or SaaS solution, while caSaaS (content/application SaaS) is a Linux/Apache/MySQL/PHP-based Software-as-a-Service solution. Both solutions are marketed exclusively via graphic designers, web designers, and web developers. Erik has been in web software for 10 years and was earlier the CEO of the company behind what is now Microsoft Dynamics NAV.

• Nick Villaume has worked in both large firms over the past 15 years doing work for clients such as BellSouth, The Coca-Cola Company and King & Spalding as well as having worked with some of the top consulting firms in the country, such as Definition 6, Engauge Digital, and BellSouth Online. In the early 2000's, he began to do a great deal of work as a freelance web and applications developer and consultant working alongside freelance and small graphic design firms. This is where he began to identify a desire to help bring world-class web development services to companies who lack the capital and staff to provide these internally, but need the backing of a solid team to sell web work.

  Nick's experience with content management systems extends from having built many himself, such a Websiteforfree.com and internal CMS's for large corporate use. Currently, he serves as Founder and President of The Dev Department. He is an authority in the use of systems such as Joomla and ModX and his group also develops in Wordpress, Experession Engine and Perch CMS.

  
  AGENDA
  7:00-7:20 - Gather and network
  7:20 - 7:30 - Introductions
  7:30-9:00 - Panel with Q&A
  9:00 - Drinks and Eats at R. Thomas