Who says direct marketing doesn't work? A personal request to blog the upcoming ConFoo conference (25 February - 1 March 2013 in Montreal, Canada) has, as you can see, been successful. Although it's been a few years since I spoke there, I recall how impressive the organization was. The diversity and continual growth trajectory of the conference over the years is a very good indicator that you should be involved.
While you're there, say Hi to Oracle Ace Director Sheeri Cabral who is giving a couple of MySQL talks.