Agreed, they're doing great. Just an example of great operational aptitude in even the fine details that most people wouldn't even notice:
At Rails World, sponsor booths were mixed right in with the lunch area, and lunch was meant to be eaten on the go, so as to prevent siloing at sit down tables. The net effect was a ton of foot traffic through the expo floor, making sponsors really feel like they got good value for their money. (This was also good for attendees, because it means you meet a lot more people.)
Contrast to RailsConf again, where the sponsorship area was off in a distant corner of the venue, or at best in a transitionary area that people would walk through for 15 seconds on their way to lunch. People in the booths could go entire days talking to just a handful of people, making the value proposition extremely dubious.
This is a small detail that most conference organizers wouldn't even think of, but Rails World nailed it 2/2 years so far.
I don't know as much about the docs/tutorials/marketing investments, but I have confidence that the money is being spent well.