I recently attended WordCamp Ann Arbor 2017 on the campus of the University of Michigan. It was my first time at a WordCamp event and I’m already looking forward to doing it again next year! If you use WordPress at any level, from a casual blogger to a full-stack developer, you will find WordCamp to be a beneficial and rewarding experience.
What is WordCamp?
WordCamps are casual WordPress conferences held locally in cities around the globe. Topics cover every aspect of using the WordPress platform, including blogging, coding, branding, and security.
Day two of @WordCampA2! If you’ve never been to a WordCamp, it’s an amazing event, no matter your experience level! #WCa2 pic.twitter.com/BNwtng4x6b
— Houndstooth Media (@houndstoothmg) October 14, 2017
Meet the WordPress Community
The most striking thing to me as a first-time attendee was the amazing sense of community. Anyone attending agrees to the WordCamp Credo, which stipulates a respectful and welcoming environment; among other things, it calls for no discrimination of any kind, no promotion of hate, and no jerks.
I’ve attended other events in the past where as a newcomer I felt like an outsider, like I was trying to fit into a clique where I didn’t really belong. This is definitely not the case with WordCamp! From the moment I walked into the first event of the weekend, I was greeted by friendly people who made me feel at home. This feeling continued throughout the conference. There are no strangers at WordCamp, only friends you have not yet met!
Meeting so many awesome people at @WordCampA2! #wca2 #wca2fun pic.twitter.com/q8mVSG9RQx
— Rhonda Greene (@hypercrafty) October 13, 2017
Spend Time with Like-Minded Individuals
Despite the fact that I work with the platform daily, there aren’t many people in my everyday life with whom I can casually converse about WordPress. It was wonderful to spend a weekend surrounded by my peers who have a common interest and passion!
Even though we were all there for similar reasons, there was an enormous amount of diversity in the crowd. I met people from many different backgrounds and had great conversations on a wide variety of topics, both technical and non-technical. In a short time I forged friendships that are sure to last for many years!
Some important reminders from @mikehale at his talk on Imposter Syndrome today at @WordCampA2! #WCa2 pic.twitter.com/cM5GDLvsKW
— Houndstooth Media (@houndstoothmg) October 14, 2017
Unbelievable Value
After attending a wide variety of different conferences, I have to say I am extremely impressed with the value of the ticket price and the amount of knowledge I walked away with. Part of the WordCamp Credo is to make the events accessible to as many people as possible, regardless of financial status, so through the generous support of sponsors the ticket prices are kept extremely low.
Considering the minimal cost, I was blown away by the caliber of the speakers and variety of sessions! I’ve attended other conferences that cost ten times as much, and still feel like WordCamp Ann Arbor was one of the best, most beneficial events I’ve ever been to.
I would like to thank all of the sponsors, speakers, and volunteers who made my first WordCamp such a fabulous experience. I encourage anyone who has an interest in WordPress on any level to find a WordCamp near you! You definitely won’t regret it!