Recap: WordCamp Atlanta 2016 … In A Word?

Recap: WordCamp Atlanta 2016 ... In A Word?

It was wonderful. It was community driven. It was fast-paced and sometimes a little frenzied behind the scenes. But if I were to attribute one word to the three day event that was WordCamp 2016, that word would be WOW!

The WordPress Community gets more amazing every year! Nowhere else have I ever encountered so many people willing – and eager – to help each other succeed!
~ Diana Nichols, Organizer

Sponsors & Speakers & Social Media … Oh My!

No event of this size can succeed without sponsorship. We’re pretty sure we have the best sponsors of any technology conference around. They don’t just give with dollars. They share expertise, experience and time, which are hot commodities. Questions were answered; we even had sponsors doing stints in the Happiness Bar. You all went above and beyond and we can’t even begin to express our appreciation!

The speakers and their sessions are one of the main draws of any technology event. WordCamp events do their best to ensure a diversity of topics and speaking styles. The 2016 event covered design, development, tools, themes, plugins, content marketing, social media and so much more.

Connect with your favorite speakers online and on our Slack channel (more below). They’d love to hear what you thought of their sessions!

We could barely keep up with your social media interaction. You kept us hopping as we tried to follow the fast and furious discussion on Twitter. It was great to see the hashtag on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. You kept the conversation alive and shared your thoughts and fun moments with all interested in the event. Thank you!

Say It On Slack!

In order to continue to run a successful event, we rely on feedback and suggestions from our attendees.

The best way to share your thoughts with event organizers? Via our Slack channel.

You can share general thoughts and ideas in the main community channel, or get specific with a particular speaker session. To do so, either click on the Channels text or the plus sign (depending on your computer or device).

Slack Screenshot - See Other Channels

The Happiness Bar Was Hopping!

Much happiness was delivered in the Happiness Bar over the weekend. From simple code fixes to intensive discussions on best practices, all who sought help came away with answers to some, if not all, of their questions.

Developer, designer, content marketer and eCommerce facts, fixes and friendliness were the stock in trade.

It was thrilling to see so many smiles of satisfaction when a solution was delivered.

After a year of focused business networking, I was amazed at the level of generosity and genuine interest in helping another out. All levels of skill or talent were considered equally, and there was no showboating or ego anywhere. I had some great first experiences and made awesome connections.
~ Nicky Pink, Lead Designer, Organizer

Loudermilk, We Love You!

There’s a reason we go back to the same venue every year. Loudermilk Center has everything we need! The staff, the rooms, the overall space, and of course the food were just right. That kale salad got more rave reviews than any speaker. LOL!

Community Was The Key!

WordCamp may be rooted with WordPress, however it is blossoming because of the community. ~ Renee Dobbs, Organizer

The community within WordPress, expanding into the event itself, was the real driving force for this event’s success.

From the newest user to the long-time stalwart, the goal to learn, share, educate and create connections was upheld.

The WordPress community is ever growing, changing and evolving, much like the open source code that has brought us all together. It’s that evolution, and the dedication to creating a community as open as the source code, that drives the success of these events.

What’s fascinating about WordCamp is that education, in this case, has been taken out of hands of professional educators, and put in the hands of the students. Which may have something to do with why we look forward to WordCamp in a way we never looked forward to going to school.
~ Tom Tortorici, Design Team

Getting Your WordCamp Questions Answered

Getting Answers To Your WordCamp Atlanta Questions

We’re getting really excited. The big event, WordCamp Atlanta 2016, is only days away.

Leading up to any event there are always questions. Some are easier to answer than others. Some can be answered with a quick link to a prior publish, some with an easy YES or NO reply. But some require a bit more back and forth.

I Have Questions. How Do I Get Answers?

There are actually several ways to get your WordCamp questions answered.

For the purpose of this article, I’m breaking questions down into two types: pre/post event and during event.

Your Pre/Post Event Questions:

There are two really great places to hop into the discussion and get your questions answered.

The first is the official #WCATL slack channel. Closely monitored by event organizers and volunteers, it’s a great place to pop in with a quick question. Depending who’s online at any given time, you will probably get an answer within minutes. (Get help with Slack here.)

The second option is Twitter. We’re closely monitoring both the event hashtag, #WCATL, and any tweets where we’re mentioned (@wordcampATL). We do our best to respond swiftly, but do remember all social media channels are managed by volunteers.

These channels won’t go dormant after the event. We’ll continue monitoring after the event’s over. So feel free to come to us, online, with any follow-up concerns, questions or comments. We want to hear them!

During The Event Questions:

Yes, we’ll still be monitoring any mentions via Slack and our social media channels, but if you’ve got a time sensitive question during the event, your best bet is to step up to a volunteer or organizer and ask him or her directly.

The registration table is always a hub of activity and someone there can always answer your questions. The Happiness Bar is also a great place to get help, whether it’s about your website itself or you just need directions to a room or want to inquire about lunch!

And, of course, there will be Q&A sessions following each speaker’s presentation. That’s a great time to get your questions about the given topic asked and answered!

Ask Away!

Don’t be afraid to ask your questions? Event volunteers are there to help. WordCamp is a learning experience, a community effort. We all want you to come away from the event with new knowledge, some new friends and connections, AND answers to your questions.