Spotlight on WordCamp Orange County: Ten Reasons Not to Miss it!
Are you considering going to a WordCamp? WordCamp is a conference with its main focus on WordPress, run by volunteers from the WordPress community. Here are some of my reasons to go to the one in Orange County! This is my fourth year. Here are reviews of previous years:
Free lunches really do exist!
It’s a HUGE Bargain
And by huge, I mean ginormous. For the entrance fee of about $40, you get classes from experts on blogging and plugins, two lunches, snacks, coffee and other beverages, networking, honest opinions, swag, and much more.
Meet Your Peers
Those people you’ve seen online, those friends of friends, and the people whom you didn’t know you needed to meet? They’re all at WordCamp! And Orange County WordCamp is my absolute favorite for friendliness!
Support Others
There’s always someone you want to support because they’re speaking and they’re a friend of another friend. Nothing beats giving them an in-person shoutout.
Give Back to the Community
The WordPress community is wonderfully generous. And you can give to the others who’ve helped you along the way, as well as meet people who might need your expertise. And others may end up answering your questions as well.
Our very own @JenBlogs4U and @sageshilling entered Plugin-a-Pooloza!#WordPress #WCOC16 pic.twitter.com/HbiDWNGJ3J
— WomenWhoWP (@WomenWhoWP) July 10, 2016
Discover New Plugins
This year’s Plugin-Palooza showcased four new plugins. Hearing about how people developed those plugins in person, and getting to meet the developers was a wonderful thing.
Add plugins
Find Collaborators
You might need people to test something with you, to be co-conspirators on a new project, or collaborate on another WordCamp. Going to a WordCamp is how you meet those people.
Email or tweet this guy to join the "Blogger Support Group" and start #blogging better. #wcoc16 pic.twitter.com/6SjNK173mn
— Stephen Harvey – WP Evangelist🗣⛪ (@SC_WordPress) July 9, 2016
Take a Deeper Dive
Much of what I took away this year was the emphasis on soft skills during the business track. Also, that “Blogger Support Group,” where you can do 50 posts with Scott Buscemi (not Steve Buscemi) looks pretty sweet! We’ll see what happens with that.
Grow Your Little Gray Cells
Three out of four people agreed that attending WordCamp Orange County makes you smarter. You could also do some of the things in this article: If You Do These 20 Things, You’ll Become Smarter.
The Fun You’ll Have
You might go to WCOC to learn, and then suddenly you’ll be having fun. All WordCamps are like that, but especially this one.
Hey #WCOC16! A camp wouldn't be complete without an exclusive sticker. Make sure to snag yours! pic.twitter.com/P3dHUbIYPh
— WP Engine (@wpengine) July 9, 2016
The Swag, The Swag!
The t-shirts, the mugs, the stickers, while not the reason to attend, are nice bonuses! Do you have other reasons to attend? Please leave me a comment! Thank you.
Those are all great reasons. And the people are the best part. Smart and generous, they never shy away from teaching or sharing something they know. It really is a special group.
Yes, Bridget, the people really are the best part. So many friendly and generous people! Thank you for being one of them. You’re the best!
Carol
Sounds like a wonderful and enriching experience.
There’s only one thing preventing me from going:
The Atlantic Ocean.
I hope you all have a great time.
Hi Clement,
You might not be able to make it to WordCamp Orange County, but there are WordCamps all over the world. So there is surely one closer to you! And many have recorded sessions, so they are available virtually.
Thank you for stopping by. I really appreciate it!
Carol
Dying a little on the inside realizing I won’t be able to make it. I hope you guys have fun! Is Chris Lema going to be there? Chris Lema is often at these events. I feel like we could make a drinking game out of Chris Lema at WordCamp.
Every time Chris Lema inspires you, take a drink. You won’t make it past the opening session.
Hey, Adam!
You don’t have to worry about missing it, since it’s already over. And Chris Lema WAS there! It’s almost like you were there! How did you know?
I like your idea. It’s the Gamification of Chris Lema! Maybe it would be an app. Hmm…
Carol
All excellent reasons to go to a WordCamp! This one is on the list of MUST attend for me!
We’ll see each other at the next one then, Justine! It’s my favorite; I go every year!
Thanks for stopping by,
Carol