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Open Source Showcase for Non-profits

(new name)

What is it?

Imagine a one day event where where not-for-profit decision makers could interact with open source consultants and developers, learn what software options are out there, and how those options might make a difference to their organizations. 

The basic model for this event is the "technology trade show", where "presenters" simply setup tables/booths and talk informally with attendees about what they have to offer.

Get more information about the schedule.

Why is this being done?

Open source has no marketing budget, and that is one of its biggest challenges.  Proprietary software companies spend millions of dollars each year getting their message out, and they spread a lot of FUD (Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt) about open source.  This event is an opportunity to provide a marketing message about open source, and expose some of the myths, such as "no one will fix it when it breaks," and "if it's free it must not be very good."  Every presenter in the room is someone who fixes open source systems when they break, and who has provided top-flight open source systems every bit as good as commercial offerings.

Not-for-profit organizations are a special audience for open source software for three reasons:

• they usually have zero IT capacity natively, and so they have no in house IT people that bring open source in through the back door, which is the usual way open source gets into commercial organizations. 
• they have tighter budgets than virtually any other kind of organization, so they benefit more from the zero product cost of open source software
• they often have unique, distinct workflows and processes which commercial IT options don't always meet well, so using flexible, customizable open source software is usually a good way to provide solutions that better meet the needs of not-for-profit organizations

When is it?

Monday October 26 2009, 9am to 5pm

Who is the audience?

Executives and managers from any not-for-profit organizations in the GTA and southern Ontario.

Who is "presenting"?

IT developers and consultants specializing in open source solutions, and who work with not-for-profits, in the GTA and southern Ontario.

Where will it be held?

Centre for Social Innocation, 215 Spadina Ave. , Toronto. 

How can you help make this happen?

If you are an open source developer or consulting organization, e-mail us at opensourceexpo@freeformsolutions.ca  We want to know:

• What kind of open source work do you do?
• Who would you send to the event?
• What open source topics could you talk to not-for-profits about?
• What open source software could you demo at the event?