Category: Uncategorized

On Sunday we’re going to have two very special workshop tracks at WordCamp DC: Introduction to Web Development and Tools for Businesses. We have some amazing presenters leading these workshops and are certain they will be awesome deep dives into some fundamental topics. We hope you’ll join us for a great in-depth workshop experience!

Introduction to Web Development

Intro to HTML

HTML is very literally the building block of the internet and a key piece of all websites. Karen Wolf has been writing HTML since 1996 and manages literally dozens of websites. She’ll help you orient yourself to the basics!

Intro to CSS

CSS adds style (think colors, formatting, etc.) to pages on the internet. Art Director Ellen Amaral is a designer who codes and knows all of the ins and outs of how the code we write creates the designs we see online. She’ll make sure you walk away with a solid understanding of how to write some basic CSS!

Intro to JavaScript

JavaScript is one of the things that can add interactivity to websites and is increasingly becoming a vital part of the frameworks on which most of the internet is built (including WordPress!). Zac Gordon is a well-known WordPress teacher who has recently specialized in JavaScript. He will help break down JavaScript into bite-sized parts that will help you get started with this powerful language.

Tools for Business

Beginning WordPress

WordPress is a tool that is frequently used by small businesses, but sometimes it can be hard to figure out how to manage your content or what is possible to do with your website. Veteran trainer Benjamin Bradley has worked with many many small business owners in getting them up to speed with what they need to do with WordPress and he’ll help get you oriented too.

Beginning Marketing

If you don’t share what you’re doing effectively, no one will never know what services or opportunities you may offer. Lauren Jeffcoat has worn many hats including digital strategist, web designer, and project manager, all of which have given her unique insight and expertise on marking. In this workshop she’ll  discuss some powerful strategies to maximize your site and gain a bigger online audience.

Beginning Branding/Design

Many business owners or individuals whose expertise is in a particular area often feel stuck when it comes to creating branding and design that accurately and professionally represent their companies or themselves. Ashleigh Axios is a Creative Director and strategist who has deep experience in teaching design. She’ll cover lots of ways to help you feel un-stuck when making branding and design decisions.

Please Note:
If you are planning to attend a workshop, please bring a fully charged laptop computer as many of the workshops will be interactive with activities to help you learn while you’re there.

Got an extra ticket?

Maybe your plans have changed* (hey, we understand; it happens), you found out you are speaking/volunteering and now have a free pass, or your sponsorship allotted you one or more tickets you do not plan to use.

Donate your ticket to a good cause!

For those of you who find yourselves with extra WordCamp D.C. tickets, please consider donating them to others without the means of buying tickets themselves. It’s all part of our desire to make WordCamp D.C. accessible for anyone who wants to attend.

If you’re interested in donating an otherwise unused WordCamp D.C. ticket to the cause, contact the organizing team to let us know, and consider it your good deed for the day!

*if you purchased a ticket and need a refund, we understand that too. Just tell us before June 30th.

The WordCamp DC organizing team has been deeply involved in combing through 128 amazingly crafted talk submissions for the past week. We are super close to nailing down the lineup, but are not quite there yet. All applicants will hear from us by Monday, June 12th rather than by tomorrow, June 7th.

That’s it! Speaker submissions for the inaugural WordCamp DC are officially closed.

An enormous thank you to all of our brave applicants who took the time to craft proposals. We will get started right away in reviewing all of the excellent submissions we’ve received. We are delighted to report that we have 125 submissions for the very first WordCamp in DC, so we definitely have a lot of work to do!

If you applied, this is what you should expect next:

All applicants will hear from us via email by June 7, 2017.

If your talk is accepted, you’ll receive more details about what you need to do next to prepare, how our mentorship program will work, and what to expect in the weeks running up to WordCamp. For now, you can review our FAQs for more information on all of these things.

If your talk is not accepted, please know that we’ve all been there. We have received so many thoughtful, diverse, and useful talks, we cannot accept them all. If we do not ask you to speak, it is likely to be because of lack of space or duplicate amazing ideas.  We hope you’ll continue to seek out opportunities to share your knowledge and expertise at future meetups, other WordCamps, and of course WordCamp DC 2018.

Again, THANK YOU to all of our amazing and brave applicants. We very seriously appreciate your interest in supporting WordCamp DC 2017 through speaking at the event. You’ll hear more from us soon!

We are excited to declare that tickets for the first WordCamp DC are now available for purchase.

Register today!

Your ticket includes:

• 2+ days packed full of programming. Our multi-track schedule will include talks on a wide range of topics for a wide variety of WordPress users, from design and development to strategy and content.
• Saturday night after party. Meet, mingle, and celebrate with fellow campers in our beautiful venue after hours.
• Sunday contributor day. Learn from experts and pitch in to improve the WordPress project.
• Tasty food provided on-site. No need to go out for lunch, we’ll bring great DC eats to you.  
• Swag. Of course you’ll get a t-shirt to add to your collection.

We know some of you will be coming from out of town, and we’re excited to show you our lovely city. We do not have an official hotel partner because there are many options in D.C. We’ll have more information on lodging options coming soon.

This is it! The call for speaker’s for WordCamp DC 2017 closes tonight at midnight eastern time. If you have questions about applying check out our FAQs and our top five reasons to consider speaking.

Otherwise, make sure you apply to speak at WordCamp DC 2017….tonight!

Update: The call for volunteers is now closed.
Thank you to everyone who signed up!

As locally-organized, community-focused events, WordCamps are only successful thanks to a team of kind volunteers who give their time to make it all happen.

We are now looking for generous folks like you to volunteer during the first WordCamp DC.

Volunteers will receive:

• Free, full 3-day ticket to WordCamp.
• Invitation to our “Thank You” reception the night before Camp with speakers, sponsors, and fellow volunteers.
• A great chance to meet awesome people in the community and see behind the scenes of a big WordCamp.
• The contentment that comes with contributing. 🤗

There are a wide variety of jobs that need doing, from checking people in at registration and handing out t-shirts, to answering WordPress questions and offering advice at the Happiness Bar, to helping speakers set up and emceeing sessions, to taking photos and recording video of talks for WordPress.tv, to moving around tables and unpacking boxes — something for everyone.

Become a volunteer

If you’re ready to join the team, please fill out the form below. We’ll do our best to match assignments to your interests, though a little flexibility may be required. Expect to work at least 4 hours, but we promise to leave plenty of space in your schedule to explore the conference on your own.

Thank you in advance!

The call for volunteers has closed. 

Sponsoring WordCamp DC is a unique opportunity to get your brand in front of a vibrant and diverse local WordPress community.

Update: While Platinum Lounge space lasts, we are offering companies that pay for two Gold-level sponsorships (different brands under the same parent company) the option of sharing one Platinum Lounge space instead of occupying two separate Gold tables.

Platinum

$6,000 1/4 available Only one lounge space remaining.

• A prime location (for tables or a whole lounge space)* in our main exhibit hall.
• A blog post announcing your sponsorship.
• A blog post on site (which will be shared on social networks).
• Ongoing social media promotion on our @WordCampDC account.
• Logo and link on the sidebar of the WordCamp DC website.
• At least TWO prominent mentions on each of the 3 days, including opening and closing talks.
• Option to do one camp-wide giveaway for Friday, Saturday or Sunday during opening/closing remarks.
• Option to sponsor 1 ticket giveaway via our social media accounts.
• Four complimentary tickets to all three days of the event.
• Four invitations to our “Thank You” reception for speakers and volunteers.

Gold

$5,000. 2/6 spots available

• A table in our main exhibit hall.
• A blog post announcing your sponsorship.
• A blog post on site (which will be shared on social networks).
• Ongoing social media promotion on our @WordCampDC account.
• One prominent mention on each of the 3 days.
• Option to do one camp-wide giveaway for Friday or Sunday.
• Option to sponsor 1 ticket giveaway via our social media accounts.
• Two complimentary tickets to all three days of the event.
• Two invitations to our “Thank You” reception for speakers and volunteers.

Silver

$3,500. 14/15 spots available.

• Space all three days in the “shared swag area” where you can place branded goodies for attendees to take home.
• A blog post announcing your sponsorship.
• Ongoing social media promotion on our @WordCampDC account.
• Logo and link on the sidebar of the WordCamp DC website.
• One complimentary ticket to all three days of the event.
• One invitation to our “Thank You” reception for for speakers and volunteers.

Bronze

$1,500. 8/15 spots available.

• Space all three days in the “shared swag area” where you can place branded goodies for attendees to take home.
• Ongoing social media promotion on our @WordCampDC account.
• Logo and link on the sidebar of the WordCamp DC website.
• One complimentary ticket to all three days of the event.

Micro

$235. 3 slots available.

• Knowledge you paid actual price for your 3-day ticket.
• Link on the sponsors page of the WordCamp DC website.
• 1 complimentary ticket to all three days of the event.

 

*Platinum + Gold Exhibit Hall Table Locations

At the gold level, you will be assigned one of the gold level tables in the main hall. At the Platinum level you get to pick one of our premium placements on a first-come, first-choice basis.

• There is one “upfront” exhibitor table, adjacent to a registration table, the most visible and central location in the house.
• There are two larger “lounge” areas in the corners of the room. Here, in addition to the standard exhibitor table, you can place a table and several comfortable chairs (bean bags, perhaps?) to encourage people to hang out in your lounge. You may either bring in your own furniture, or we can provide two conversational tables for your use. Please note that while the map above outlines the 17’7″x18’9″ area in the back corners, ample egress space needs to be reserved for people walking to adjacent rooms.
• There is one “WiFi sponsor” slot, which offers one gold-level table + your logo on every single WiFi-credentials sign throughout the venue. At a tech conference, as you might imagine, these signs get plenty of exposure.

Carnegie Library Photos

Continue reading “Call for Sponsors”

Perhaps you’ve been thinking about applying to speak at WordCamp DC, but you’re still not sure if you should. Maybe you’ve already applied, but you feel queasy with nerves each time you think about it. There are a lot of reasons to apply to speak at WordCamps and other professional conferences, but we have five very special reasons why you should consider applying to speak at WordCamp DC this year.

#1 This is the FIRST WordCamp DC.

Washington, DC is unique in that we’ve had a large, thriving WordPress community for a long time, but have never actually had a full-fledged WordCamp. That also means that we have rarely had the opportunity to share the depth of our community with folks beyond DC. We want to showcase the amazing work that happens with WordPress right here in the District. Wouldn’t it be exciting to be able to say you were an inaugural speaker at the inaugural WordCamp DC?

#2 You’ll get to meet the other speakers and lots of other people too.

Speakers will have the opportunity to attend a thank you event along with volunteers and sponsors. This event will be our way of saying thank you, but also will be a time where you can connect and get to know the other speakers in a smaller venue. This type of event can really help ease social nerves when preparing to speak because you’ll be able to chat with other people who feel the same way.

You’ll also meet plenty of folks that you’ll see around the conference throughout the weekend. When you stand up to talk about something you’re passionate about, chances are lots of people who are also interested in that subject will come up and want to talk with you about it. This is exciting in lots of ways: where else can you find other people with such similar interests?

#3 If you’re new to speaking, you’ll have mentorship.

We will have a mentorship program for all new speakers that will help support you as you prepare for your talk. We’ll make sure you have someone to review your presentation with in advance of the conference so that you can be as confident as can be going into your session. If you have experience speaking already and feel like you’d like feedback, we will also work with you to make sure you are supported in your conference preparations.

#4 You’ll learn a LOT from putting your talk together.

Every time I give a talk, I realize that I’ve learned more from putting the talk together than anyone might learn from listening to it. Constructing a talk in your area of expertise will help solidify your knowledge because when you need to process the component parts of what you know so that you can present this knowledge to someone else, you’ll relearn your topic in a much deeper way. Public speaking is great in that way because you have the opportunity to internalize your knowledge all while sharing with other people. Everyone wins!

#5 You’ll be giving back to the WordPress community.

WordPress is an open-source project and community. Many of our businesses and vocations are possible because of the success of the larger project. Many of us have learned a tremendous amount from attending meetups, WordCamps, and perusing the support forums. Many of us have made life-long connections with the friends and professional contacts we’ve found through the community.

Speaking at a WordCamp is a contribution to the larger WordPress community. Attendees at WordCamp DC will learn from your expertise and people across the globe will be able to learn from your talk through its publication on WordPress TV.

We want to ensure that WordCamp DC is a fantastic learning experience for everyone involved and are committed to supporting our future speakers in making that happen. If you’re interested in submitting a proposal, please make sure you do so by midnight on May 26th!