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In conjunction with the UK Ubuntu community Caononical ran the 'Ubuntu in Business' event in Brick Lane in London. The good news is that it was a great success - happy attendees, happy community, happy partners and potentially happy customers.

The event, I think, really hits an under-served section of the community - that is those working with Ubuntu in their business and looking to expand its use there. Or those who would like to. It is a great opportunity to meet with others in the same situation at an event dedicated to that purpose.

For the partners, who are often members of the community also, it's a great way to generate new business and for the uninitiated it's a great exposure to the big wide world of applications, users, customers and partners that makes up the Ubuntu community. For Canonical we will promote Ubuntu Advantage at the event and post the event.

The goal is for the event to be different to a standard corporate event. Ubuntu is different, it is grassroots and we would make the most of that. Hence want to drive this through the community with fairly large commitment on the community's time in order to make it work. That said, I think it provides real value for an LoCo that takes it on.

The London event and agenda provides a pretty strong model for what we could run in other LoCos. It's a repeatable format with different demos and partners obviously but it is a nice combination of open source unconference and a corporate event that the business attendees (of which we hope there are many of course) will be familiar.

Let me know what you want to do. Please talk to Popey to get another perspective. We are already planning the next one for London and I really don't want to restrict this to a single LoCo so your support and advice would be hugely appreciated.

The agenda is here:

http://bit.ly/UbuntuBusiness

The ideal LoCo:

• based in a geo where Canonical operates (that is US, Canada, France, Germany, Benelux, Spain, Italy)

• a LoCo with strong IT, sysadmin participation in its community

• a Loco with strong promotional capabilities (podcast, mailing list, etc) that it can use easily

• probably a LoCo with local Ubuntu-based business (think Open Learning Centre) involvement where it will make sense for them to dedicate time.

The requirements are below and the list of what Canonical will contribute.

Canonical will provide

• eventbrite registration template
• marketing materials
  • datasheets
  • CDs
  • lanyards
  • pull up banners
• funding for the venue (up to $5000)
• Canonical reps
• Partner participation
• Guest speaker invites (customers)
• Name badge template
• Follow-up emails
• Promotional support
• Logistical support

LoCo will need to provide

• Venue selection and booking
• Promotion to local Ubuntu members in business

• Speaker to represent the LoCo

• Consultation on agenda
• Nomination of speakers
• Organiser to work with Canonical (weekly meeting a requirement)
• Building of the eventbrite page (for local language)
• Machine for running presentations
• Printing of name badges on template
• Photographs/video of event
• Blogging pre and post event

Summary Benefits for the LoCo

• Event for members keen to promote Ubuntu in their place of work
• promotion of Ubuntu in a commercially important markets
• rallying point and boost for local partners with Ubuntu-based businesses

• for local partners in LoCo a source of leads

• Media and press focus on Ubuntu as a commercial proposition

Interested parties should contact <gerry.carr@canonical.com>

Gerry Carr, Canonical