This document summarizes a discussion between Tierney Smith and Jane Zhang about planning a tech event. They considered tools for various tasks like event description, registration, sending invites, and sharing files. For event description, they compared Google Apps and Office 365 and found they both allow real-time editing and offline work. For registration, Eventbrite and Guestlist were examined, with Eventbrite offering more features. MailChimp and Vertical Response were reviewed for sending invites, with both providing segmentation options. Finally, Google Drive and SkyDrive were compared for sharing files, with each integrating well with other software. In the end, the document stresses choosing tools based on needs, existing infrastructure, and organizational culture.

1. How I learned to stop worrying
and love the tech
TechSoup Canada
Tierney Smith, Jane Zhang

2. About TechSoup Canada

3. Our Team

4. Our Goal: Plan a Net Tuesday Event
Event description
Event registration
Send invites
Share files

5. Jane vs. Tierney!

6. So many tools… how to decide?
1. Ask the expert
2. Ask the community
3. What do we need?

7. Event description
Goal: Document collaboration
Criteria:
• Real time updates
• Cross Platform compatibility
• Versioning

8. Event description
Google Apps Office 365
Cost Free for < 10 users $7/user/month (<25
Or $5/user/month users)
$9.5/user/month (>25
users)
Quick notes Simple Smooth integration
Good integration with with MS Office
3rd party apps Can share easily
Favourite Real time editing Offline Editing
thing

9. But there’s more…
Google Apps & Office 365 are both alternatives
for replacing your core infrastructure
• Email
• Calendars
• Documents
• Sites
• Chat
• & more

10. Demo: Google Apps
Favourite Thing: real time editing

11. Demo: Office 365
Favourite Thing: Offline editing

12. Event registration
Goal: easy way for attendees to register online
Critieria:
• Free/paid events
• Manage attendees
• Print & export list of attendees

13. Event registration
Eventbrite Guestlist
Cost Free events: free Free events: free
Charities: 2% + $0.99 Charities: free
Other: 2.5% + $0.99 Other: 2%
Quick notes Tons of features Simple
Nice interface Nice interface
Great integration w 3rd
party apps
Favourite Feature rich Simple
thing

14. Demo: Eventbrite
Favourite Thing: Feature rich

15. Demo: Guestlist
Favourite Thing: simple

16. Share-Pairs (5 min)
• Based on the first two challenges, what is
one thing you can do differently next week?
Or…
• What is one challenge you experience in your
work where technology could help you save
time?

17. Send invites
Goal: invite our audience to the event
Criteria :
• Segment audience
• Make it easy to look nice

18. Send invites
MailChimp Vertical
Response
Cost Free for < 2,000 Charities: free for <
subscribers 10,000 emails/month,
Charities & nonprofits?: 15% discount for more
15% discount
Quick notes Nice interface Great segmentation
Tons of features Tons of features
Great integration with Some integration with
3rd party apps 3rd party apps
Favourite Integration Segmentation
thing

19. Demo: MailChimp
Favourite Thing: integration

20. Demo: Vertical Response
Favourite Thing: segmentation

21. Share files
Goal: share presentation file with team; give
attendees a link to presentation
Criteria:
• Lots of storage for low cost
• Sync docs across many platforms
• Controlled sharing of folders
• Option to share publicly

22. Share files
Google Drive SkyDrive
Cost Free: 5GB Free: 7GB
100GB/$60 100GB/$50
Quick notes Brings your Google Remote file sharing
Docs & files into 1 place Can share with non-
SkyDrive users easily
Favourite Google integration MS Office Integration
thing

23. Demo: SkyDrive
Favourite Thing: Microsoft integration

24. Demo: Google Drive
Favourite Thing: Google integration

25. Bringing it all together
At the end of the day, it’s about:
• What do you need?
• What tools are you already using?
• What infrastructure do you already
have?
• What is the culture of your
organization?

26. Questions?