First Time WordCamper? Here’s What You Should Know

WordCamps are locally organized, WordPress-focused events where community members can come together to learn and network. You’ll meet developers, bloggers, entrepreneurs, and agencies who use WordPress for everything from powering their business to building platforms to make significant change in the world. It’s a diverse crowd, and that’s one of a WordCamp’s greatest strengths.

If you’ve never been to a WordCamp event before, first of all, welcome! We’re so glad you’re joining us this time, and we hope you’ll love it as much as we do.

You don’t have to be an expert at WordPress to get truckloads of value from a WordCamp – heck, you don’t even have to be a current WordPress user! Lots of people come to WordCamps to see if WordPress is the right platform for what they want to accomplish, and it’s okay to attend talks that are a bit above your skill level. Sometimes, just knowing that something is possible makes a session worth your time.

The $40 admission price is a WordCamp standard. Most of the event costs are covered by sponsors, not by ticket sales. If camps didn’t have sponsors to help put on a great event for you, your ticket would be at least 3 to 4 times the cost. WordCamps keep prices low so that camps are accessible to people from all walks of life, whether you’re a startup trying to bootstrap your way up, a weekend blogger looking for some good tips, or an agency owner scouting for talent.

So, are you ready for your first camp?

Here are some tips to help you get the most out of it:

1: Don’t Skip The Afterparty

During sessions, you’re going to be taking notes and paying rapt attention to the presentation.

During lunch, you’re going to be refueling and trying to catch a few minutes with your favorite speakers and sponsors.

You can almost always catch a speaker, a sponsor, or another attendee in the hallways between (or even during) sessions, and it’s a great idea to chat with as many people as possible. Talk to everyone, every chance you get, because you never know what kind of connections you’ll make.

The real networking gold, though, is the afterparty.

Aside from being a ton of good, clean fun, the afterparty is your chance to catch up with the speakers whose sessions you missed, the sponsors that can help accelerate your business, and the people who are doing awesome things with WordPress. Some people go almost exclusively for the afterparty, so don’t miss out.

2: Take Notes, Even If There Are Slides

Most speakers share their slide decks after (and sometimes even before) their presentations.

Take notes anyway.

The act of writing something down has a powerful effect on the way you process and remember information, and your notes reflect exactly what you need to learn instead of what the presenter thinks is important.

If you prefer taking typed notes, bring a laptop or a tablet, but remember that not all camps have locations where you can plug in your devices.

3: Talk To Strangers

We alluded to this point a little bit when we talked about the afterparty, but it’s important, so here it is again:

While you’re at WordCamp, talk to people. The speakers are more than happy to answer your questions, and other attendees are great to know, too. You might meet your next business partner or your new best friend.

Make sure to visit the Happiness Bar with your questions, too. Most camps have a table set up with volunteers that can answer your development, design, marketing, and blogging questions for free. Many people who volunteer at the Happiness Bar regularly charge hundreds of dollars per hour for consulting services, so don’t miss out.

4: Get Social

Social media is a big deal at WordCamps. Share pictures on Instagram, tweet memorable quotes, and post on Facebook as you’re in talks or having a great time in the hallways.

Be sure to use the camp hashtag (ours is #WCLV) and tag speakers if you’re tweeting or posting about them.

Use social media intelligently, and you can actually watch WordCamp unfold from every angle. It’s really something spectacular.

5: Have Fun!

For those of us in WordPress related industries, WordCamp is technically work…but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy it.

Grab some swag, take lots of notes, and have a great time doing it.

Get your ticket here. We’ll see you in a week!