I’m looking for Sydney’s hottest WordPress developers to come and present at SBTUG this month. And to clarify, by ‘hottest’ I mean ‘skilled’ – this isn’t a calendar photo shoot 
We’re having a huge WordPress event at the Sydney Business & Technology User Group (SBTUG) on Wed 24 Feb 2010, covering all facets of using WordPress as a web platform for business.
We’re planning to have 5 sessions covering:
- WordPress as a CMS
- WordPress for Blogging
- WordPress SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)
- WordPress Customisation & Themes
- WordPress Hosting
Plus case studies, plug-in recommendations and integration/customisation tips.
The aim is two-fold:
- Give business owners (and developers) an insight into the benefits (and limitations) of using WordPress for their company, along with the ability to meet vendors who provide WordPress services, and
- Give WordPress developers and WordPress services companies the ability to network with potential customers
To that end, we’re looking for exceptional WordPress developers/firms to come along and present for approx 20mins each + questions, and be part of a big panel Q+A session at the end. It’s going to be a lot of fun.
UPDATE: To clarify – this event is not aimed at existing experienced WordPress developers. It is aimed at developers and business owners who may have dabbled with WordPress but want to know more. It’s about alerting them to the benefits of using WordPress for their business. It’s about educating people as to how awesome WordPress is. And to do that I need Sydney’s *hottest* WordPress developers to help me!
Could I ask you to please spread the word.
If you are interested, or able to recommend someone – please contact me at craig@craigbailey.net
{ 60 comments… read them below or add one }
Sydney WordPress Event at SBTUG http://bit.ly/9LkKIB
RT @craigbailey: Sydney WordPress Event at SBTUG http://bit.ly/9LkKIB
RT @Alegrya: RT @craigbailey: Sydney WordPress Event at SBTUG http://bit.ly/9LkKIB
Sorry, no way am I going to a Microsoft sponsored event. There are australian wordpress community mailing lists, try contacting one of them.
Um, OK. (Although, to be clear Microsoft have nothing to do with organizing or running the event, they just provide the venue.)
Are you able to point me in the direction of the WordPress mailing lists? I’ve tried to find WordPress groups, contacts and forums in Sydney, but without much luck… Thanks.
RT @craigbailey: I'm looking for Sydney's *hottest* WordPress developers -> http://bit.ly/dzH77J Pls RT
RT @AskTonyIT: RT @craigbailey: I'm looking for Sydney's *hottest* WordPress developers -> http://bit.ly/dzH77J Pls RT
RT @AskTonyIT: RT @craigbailey: I'm looking for Sydney's *hottest* WordPress developers -> http://bit.ly/dzH77J Pls RT
RT @AskTonyIT: RT @craigbailey: I'm looking for Sydney's *hottest* WordPress developers -> http://bit.ly/dzH77J Pls RT
RT @AskTonyIT: RT @craigbailey: I'm looking for Sydney's *hottest* WordPress developers -> http://bit.ly/dzH77J Pls RT
RT @AskTonyIT: RT @craigbailey: I'm looking for Sydney's *hottest* WordPress developers -> http://bit.ly/dzH77J Pls RT
RT @AskTonyIT: RT @craigbailey: I'm looking for Sydney's *hottest* WordPress developers -> http://bit.ly/dzH77J Pls RT
RT @AskTonyIT: RT @craigbailey: I'm looking for Sydney's *hottest* WordPress developers -> http://bit.ly/dzH77J Pls RT
Aha, great to see. Have mailed Craig.
RT @craigbailey: Sydney WordPress Event at SBTUG http://bit.ly/9LkKIB
RT @jdub: Aha, great to see. Have mailed Craig.
RT @craigbailey: Sydney WordPress Event at SBTUG http://bit.ly/9LkKIB
Looking for Sydney's *hottest* WordPress developers http://bit.ly/dzH77J #sbtug /via @craigbailey Pls RT
D: sushi: Looking for Sydney's *hottest* WordPress developers http://bit.ly/dzH77J #sbtug /via @craigbailey Pls RT
Sydney WordPress Event at SBTUG | Craig Bailey on Microsoft http://bit.ly/9ITQtH
@thewordpressguy @craigbailey @jodiem this "Wordpress-themed" #sbtug is going to be a great night http://bit.ly/dzH77J
Many WordPress developers are Mac users so good luck with this. Why is Microsoft bothering ? What is in it for developers? If you wanted a list wordcamp au is the place. Search for them.
Good to hear of an event but would never use Microsoft for anything.
Thanks Jason. I took a look at the WordCamp site – http://wordcamp.org.au/ – but it doesn’t seem to have been updated in over 6 months, and has no listing of WordPress developers that I could find…
The event is open to everyone, yes even Mac users
Microsoft have nothing to do with the event other than providing the venue (which I am most grateful for). Any association with Microsoft is purely due to me being a big Microsoft fan… but I’m also a huge WordPress fan.
I’m not sure what the issue with Microsoft is? Yours is the second comment along those lines… what am I missing?
Web Platform Installer http://www.microsoft.com/web
We like Wordpress.
What is in it for Developers? One day you might be asked to create a site for an organisation and they require you to host it on Windows.
There is no need to throw away Wordpress (obviously including PHP, MySQL) just to keep the customer happy.
Oh, and I use Wordpress too.
Thanks Nick. I totally forgot to mention Web PI – whichis of course the best example of Microsoft embracing other products.
I'm looking for Sydney's *hottest* WordPress developers -> http://bit.ly/dzH77J Pls RT
RT @craigbailey: I'm looking for Sydney's *hottest* WordPress developers -> http://bit.ly/dzH77J Pls RT
RT @craigbailey: Sydney WordPress Event at SBTUG http://bit.ly/9LkKIB
RT @craigbailey: Sydney WordPress Event at SBTUG http://bit.ly/9LkKIB
RT @craigbailey I'm looking for Sydney's *hottest* WordPress developers -> http://bit.ly/dzH77J
Sydney WordPress Event at SBTUG: I’m looking for Sydney’s hottest WordPress developers to come an… http://bit.ly/dbnoya Tweeted by Szezam
RT @renailemay: RT @AskTonyIT: RT @craigbailey: I'm looking for Sydney's *hottest* WordPress developers -> http://bit.ly/dzH77J Pls RT
RT @renailemay: RT @AskTonyIT: RT @craigbailey: I'm looking for Sydney's *hottest* WordPress developers -> http://bit.ly/dzH77J Pls RT
RT @renailemay: RT @AskTonyIT: RT @craigbailey: I'm looking for Sydney's *hottest* WordPress developers -> http://bit.ly/dzH77J Pls RT
RT @AskTonyIT: RT @craigbailey: I'm looking for Sydney's *hottest* WordPress developers -> http://bit.ly/dzH77J Pls RT
I should make such event in my country Indonesia to encourage WP users here to develop themselves
Go for it Abi.
@thewordpressguy RT @hollingsworth: Looking for Sydney's *hottest* WordPress developers http://bit.ly/dzH77J #sbtug /via @craigbailey Pls RT
RT @AskTonyIT: @thewordpressguy @craigbailey @jodiem this "Wordpress-themed" #sbtug is going to be a great night http://bit.ly/dzH77J
Wordpress developers: great event coming up in Sydney: http://bit.ly/dzH77J
RT @hollingsworth: Looking for Sydney's *hottest* WordPress developers http://bit.ly/dzH77J #sbtug /via @craigbailey Pls RT
Craig, I can tell you what you are missing; you are missing the history of Microsoft being diametrically opposed to any software they do not own. I have been going to these sorts of events for 15 years and they are not as generous as you are suggesting and certainly won’t be sitting quietly on the sidelines. I would question your motive or your commitment to wordpress.
Hmmm, interesting comment. Not sure how to respond really… you seem to be questioning my integrity.
Have you ever met me? Have you read my blog? Have you listened to my comments on WordPress in a recent podcast? Have you seen my resources page where I outline my WordPress recommendations? And most importantly, have you ever attended any SBTUG meetings – I’ve been running the group for almost 3 years now, covering a range of business topics with both Microsoft and non-Microsoft offerings. Microsoft hasn’t interferred once. And in regards to WordPress, you do realise they are actively supporting this on Azure now right?
http://www.craigbailey.net/why-microsoft-needs-to-own-wordpress/
I think you are thinking of the old Microsoft
http://www.microsoft.com/web
It is a very different world
What’s really interesting, that you forget that Microsoft is a business. Off course Microsoft will heavily market it products to gain market share.
Not sure what’s your problem, but I am pretty certain that you are not really around the open source community lately to notice how Microsoft is slowly contributing
But, how relevant this comment here!!
Microsoft is NOT sponsoring, organising, paying, preparing the content, etc for this event!! NOT even you!!
Craig and the SBTUG community spending their time, effort, energy to organise this event.
Just my 2cents.
Don’t judge a book by its cover!
Thanks Sarmaad.
I’d probably just ignore these bigots Craig – they’re not worth your time. Sorry, I just can’t stand closed minded bigots (of any type) that will use any opportunity to declare their hate for Microsoft without investigating what they are really talking about, especially when in this case they are completely wrong.
Thanks Chris. I think you’re right. And maybe I’m a little too sensitive
This sounds like great event. I’m a .NET web developer but love building sites with WordPress too, it’s a great platform.
Awesome Chris! A good example of .NET and PHP being embraced.
In spite of some negative comments from people.
Some of us really appreciate the interesting and informative meet you put on every months.
Thanks Tony. And I really appreciate the diverse range of members who support the group (members from a wide variety of vendors, platforms and development communities). btw Have you seen Avatar yet?
RT @craigbailey: I'm looking for Sydney's *hottest* WordPress developers -> http://bit.ly/dzH77J Pls RT
hmmm, been getting some strangely ill-informed comments from people on my WordPress at SBTUG post – http://bit.ly/dzH77J
Wordpress developer in Sydney? Pop along to SBTUG http://bit.ly/dzH77J
RT @NickHodge: Wordpress developer in Sydney? Pop along to SBTUG http://bit.ly/dzH77J
RT @NickHodge: Wordpress developer in Sydney? Pop along to SBTUG http://bit.ly/dzH77J
Wow, I am very surprised to see these comments. It exposes the absolute zealotry there is out there in the IT community.
At SBTUG we are very much anti all this zealotry crap. Yes we hold the event at Microsoft – big deal! They have a great venue and are very supportive to all user groups.
This is a Business and Technology User Group – it’s about the users, it’s about business and it’s about technology – that’s it! It’s not about Microsoft or any other vendor or service provider. We are all about focusing on what is the best tool for the job.
I love many Microsoft Products (I’m a SharePoint consultant) and I absolutely love WordPress too. I choose the tool that does the job for me.
SBTUG Rocks!
Spot on Jodie, and Craig I take my hat off to you for remaining open and transparent. It’s ok to be sensitive (we’re human after all) but rest assured, those that know you, respect and thank you for the effort you put into these events. You may not know this, but I often mention your name as one of my earliest inspirations for understanding the value of community particularly in the tech world. You have lead by example and I will always support whatever endeavour you are involved in because I know it will be of value to others.
My only regret is I haven’t been to enough SBTUGs
Looking forward to a great event!
Thanks Tony – and wow, I didn’t realise that – your comment really brightened up my day.
I’m looking forward to catching up again next week at the event. Cheers.
Thanks Jodie – I really appreciate the comment. And I agree of course – SBTUG rocks
And one of the things I love about SBTUG is how involved and passionate all the members are. Each month we discuss (and sometimes heatedly debate!) technology – as you say: all with a view of ‘using the right tool for the job’. Very beneficial.
RT @hollingsworth: Looking for Sydney's *hottest* WordPress developers http://bit.ly/dzH77J #sbtug /via @craigbailey Pls RT