Drupal camps had been run in Australia and New Zealand with 50 - 200 attendees since 2007, reflecting the uptake of Drupal in the region, but also the nascent state of the community compared to the rest of the world. Last year, the Drupal Association took the controversial step of running the first DrupalCons outside of North America and Europe, stumbling in Sao Paolo, but succeeding in Sydney in early February 2013.

DrupalCon Sydney almost tripled the number of attendees of previous Drupal camps in the region, selling out the beachside venue, packing the code sprints, training and business day, and earning a substantial profit for the Drupal Association.

This session, presented by the DrupalCon Sydney local team lead, will also explore if DrupalCons in emerging regions are a good idea to begin with, and if the model used in Sydney is repeatable.

It will also go through how the event was planned and executed, with lessons that can be utilised by anyone wanting to run a successful Drupal event.

Topics covered will include:
* Forming and managing the event volunteer team
* Branding, design and marketing considerations
* Selecting and scheduling the best session proposals
* Providing value to your sponsors
* Financial considerations and management
* Event logistics
* Incorporating side events (Training, Business Day, Code Sprint)
* Leveraging the post-event buzz