This year’s WordCamp is coming to life! To keep everything fresh for 2017, we have an all new website.
to reserve the weekend of September 23rd and 24th for WordCamp Wilmington 2017!
And, stay on top of the latest news by visiting our new website….
What a successful and fun event the inaugural WordCamp Wilmington turned out to be. We knew once we were accepted to plan a WordCamp in the Wilmington area that we were going to face some obstacles. For those of you who have never planned a WordCamp, they ask you have at least 4 – 6 months to plan the event. Once our application was accepted back around August we knew we would be competing with other area events. After a committee vote we decided to host WordCamp the first weekend in November. This gave our volunteers only 3 months to put together a successful event.
What made this event so successful was the community surrounding it. Thanks to our amazing volunteers, organizers, sponsors, speakers and of course attendees. Sure, we learned a lot about how we can make the 2017 WordCamp Wilmington even better. Considering this was the first one I think we nailed it but it could not have been possible without some major kudos going out to everyone involved. First and foremost, the WordCamp and WordPress community, specifically the mentors for the event and everyone on the WordCamp slack channel who pitched in to share their experience. Next up would be the sponsors, our sponsors made this event possible. Hosting such an event costs money and while no one profits from WordCamps, having sponsorships ensures we have food, beverages, venue and swag. I encourage everyone to reach out to thank the sponsors for their patronage. A WordCamp is only as good as its speakers and topics. I believe our committee made a great choice in separating the tracks and laying out the schedule. We want to personally thank each and every one of you for sharing your expertise and speaking at the event. Make sure to check out WordPress.tv to catch any sessions you may have missed. Lastly, the organizers – There were countless hours, long nights and planning sessions that made all of this come together. Being involved in the planning and execution of this event strengthened the ties between our own WordPress meetup group here in Wilmington but other Meetups and WordPress enthusiasts far and wide.
As I mentioned, we learned a lot from this first event. We learned the things that went smoothly and things we did really well. We also learned based on our survey about the things that could be improved. Now that we plan to make this an annual event, we plan to put enough time and resources behind next year’s event to ensure that we are always striving to provide the best experience for attendees, speakers and organizers. I won’t get into specifics about what could have been done better but instead I will direct you to our survey where you can share your thoughts and views on the 2016 WordCamp Wilmington. Overall the feedback we received from our event has been positive and we are taking each response into careful consideration in the planning of 2017 WordCamp Wilmington.
We hope you learned a lot at this event. We hope you were able to network with other attendees and speakers and gain more insight on how you can leverage the power of WordPress. If you are interested in being a part of the 2017 WordCamp Wilmington you can always reach us through the websites contact form or on our slack channel
WordCamp Wilmington is thrilled to announce that our full schedule is now available on our website. With three different tracks (Beginners, Designers/Business Owners, Developers), there is truly something for everyone in this lineup. Take a look and see what great presentations we have planned, and of course, don’t forget to purchase your tickets.
Right now we are offering a discount, too! Use Coupon Code “wordcampilm” for $10 off your tickets. Usage is limited to first come, first serve and space is limited, so don’t wait! We would hate for you to miss out on this great schedule of speakers!
In the next few weeks leading up to the first ever WordCamp Wilmington, we will be introducing each of our speakers and a brief description of their presentation on our social media platforms. Join us on Facebook and Twitter to get the latest news and updates. We look forward to seeing you soon at Tek Mountain for WordCamp Wilmington 2016!
We want to thank everyone who has taken the time and submitted the speaker application. We are still reviewing applications and you can expect the schedule published on our website very soon.
Until then, without further ado & with no particular order we are pleased to announce the first round of accepted speakers who will share their extensive knowledge and experience with us at WordCamp Wilmington 2016:
Steve Mortiboy
Steve is the COO and Service Delivery Manager for Semper Fi Web Design. He leads the team that develops plugins such as All in One SEO Pack. He has been working with WordPress for over 6 years and devotes much of his time to helping people get the most from WordPress. He is also one of the organizers of WordCamp Raleigh and the Raleigh WordPress Meetup Group. When not hard at work he’s working on DIY projects at home or off traveling.
Lauren Jeffcoat
Lauren has been building WordPress websites for almost a decade and is currently part of the OnTheGoSystems WPML Customer Support team. She enjoys creating WordPress websites and has worn many hats in the world of web development including Project Manager, Customer Service Representative, Account Strategist, and Web Designer. Originally from New England, she now lives in Surfside Beach, South Carolina. Lauren enjoys sharing her knowledge along with tips and tricks that she has learned either through furthering her education or personal experience. Lauren is the organizer of WordPress Meetup Myrtle Beach, a co-organizer of WordCamp Wilmington, a WordCamp Speaker and a lover of all things WordPress.
Corey Freeman
Corey Freeman has been building websites for clients since she was 14 years old. Her passion for small businesses began with helping her mother with her company’s website. Now, Corey is dedicated to helping professionals and businesses build an incredible online presence.
Tiffany Kuchta
Tiffany is lead developer at Quandarymat, a web development shop. She doesn’t like the term full stack developer, but thinks she might be one. She has been building web applications since they were called “web pages” (1999). These days the bulk of her work is eCommerce applications and project stabilization. A woman who codes, Tiffany is passionate about inclusion in tech, solving problems with code, building things out of other things, empathy always, and sassy tee shirts usually.
Derek Schmidt
Born and raised right here in Southeastern North Carolina, Derek has worked with Adobe software for over 10 years. What started as a hobby and a ‘Do It Yourself’ attitude eventually became a career passion. Derek has worked with International multi-million dollar companies to help market their business and increase their digital presence. While Derek knows all the ins and outs of programming and post-launch marketing, he also understands that these individual tools are only as useful as the marketing strategy that guides them.
Not sure if you should be a WordCamp speaker? Here are a few reasons why you should sign up today to speaker at the inaugural Wilmington WordCamp this November.
Show your stuff.
Are you an expert in any given area? Or perhaps as generalist who knows a lot about your given industry? Either way, you have much to offer those who may be just entering your field or who are looking to expand their knowledge base. WordCamp is all about sharing knowledge and helping the WordPress community grow. Everyone started somewhere and this is a great way to pay it forward to the next generation of developers, designers, and general users.
You don’t need to talk about just WordPress.
This one may seem a little counter intuitive. However, one of the best aspects of WordPress is how it’s open source platform easily interacts with other platforms and services, both open source and private. This opens up WordPress related topics to a wide variety of options such as social media, SEO, content creation, design interfaces, and more. Not sure if your topic is related to WordPress? We are more than happy to review your topic and determine whether or not it is appropriate. Just submit the application found at the bottom of the page and we will be in touch!
You get to attend the speaker dinner.
During Friday evening, at the start of WordCamp, we will be holding a speakers dinner so that you can meet other speakers. Because of the wide draw of WordCamp, this is an opportunity for you to meet other industry leaders from throughout the United States, share what you know and make connections. This is also a great opportunity to meet with the organizers of the event and get insider information on the WordPress community at large.
Increased networking at the WordCamp event.
By showing what you know as a speaker, attendees will look to you as an industry leader in your field. This is a great way to make connections with both potential clients and potential vendors or employees; especially for services that you may be currently promoting. All WordCamp speakers receive badge recognition, so even if someone doesn’t attend your specific talk, they can still see that you are a speaker at the event.
Publicity.
Public relations can be one of the most time consuming and expensive ways to promote a business but it often has the greatest impact on your business. Let us help you. We will send social media announcements, linked to your own account, on a regular basis, alerting our followers that you are an upcoming speaker. Likewise, all WordCamp talks will be videotaped and uploaded to the WordPress channel. This means that you will have a copy of your talk to embed on your own page or otherwise share with potential and existing clients. Additionally, anyone who visits our page will be able to see your talk even after the event is over, doubling your exposure!
2016 Wilmington, NC WordCamp is over. Check out the next edition!