Author Archives: sheelahb

A/V Release

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When checking in at registration for WordCamp Albuquerque, we’ll be asking attendees to sign off on our A/V release.  If you wish to opt out of this release, please let us know at the time you check in. Below is the content of the release.

By participating in WordCamp Albuquerque, I understand that portions of the event will be photographed and/or audio/video-recorded for use by the WordPress Foundation. I agree that the WordPress Foundation has the right and permission to use and publish such media — which may include my name, likeness, or photograph — for any purpose in any format, online (including, but not limited to, WordPress.tv and WordCamp.org) and/or offline, now and hereafter without further compensation, permission, or notification. I understand that all official recordings and photography from the event are the exclusive property of the WordPress Foundation, available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license for general use, and I do not ask for nor expect compensation or notification of the use of official recordings or photographs in which I appear or speak.

What to Bring to WordCamp

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what to bring to wordcamp

WordCamp Albuquerque is right around the corner – hooray!  We want you to come prepared so you can have the best conference experience possible, so here is a list of things you might want to bring with you.

  • Laptop: not a must-have, but nice to have for note-taking, posting to social media (#WCABQ), and doing WordPress-y things during the event.
  • Smartphone or tablet: another nice-to-have.  The wi-fi may not hold up for 100+ active users, so you might also want to tether to your phone for laptop internet access if needed. Also useful for taking a photo of a key presentation slide.
  • Notebook and pen
  • Business cards:  WordCamp is a great place to network with the local WordPress community.
  • Reusable coffee mug: coffee will be available, and if you prefer using your own mug, feel free to bring it.
  • Power strip: power outlets may be at a premium depending on the part of the building that you’re in, so if you want easier access to one, a power strip is handy.
  • A/C adapters for your laptop/smartphone/tablet
  • Questions about your WordPress site(s): we’ll have a Happiness Bar during the lunch break so feel free to take advantage of that to get specific questions not covered in a session answered.

 

 

WordCamp Lore: All About Wapuus

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WordCamp ABQ Wapuus

At WordCamp Albuquerque this year, we’ll have a few new additions: three New Mexico-themed wapuus that will be featured on some swag items.  They were designed by Joseph Chavez, our graphic designer.  What exactly is a wapuu and how have they become a staple at many WordCamps over the past several years?

Wapuus are the unofficial mascots of WordCamps across the world.  The first wapuu was designed for a WordCamp in Japan after winning an online contest in August of 2011.  Read all the details on the unofficial wapuu fan club site.  Wapuus didn’t start to become widely known until two years later, when WordCamp London unveiled a wapuu for their event.  They then became a common sighting at other WordCamps in Europe and the US.

What’s so special about wapuus?  Wapuus bring in the local community by reflecting local culture.  While the core design is the same, each WordCamp adds its own unique style to match the region, which is why wapuus have even become collectors’ items.

To see more wapuus, visit the archives on Github.

 

 

 

What is a Happiness Bar?

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What is a happiness bar?

WordCamp Albuquerque 2016 will have a happiness bar open for part of the day.  While not a bar in the traditional sense, a happiness bar is a welcoming place that WordCamp attendees can stop by to get one-on-one help with WordPress-related questions.  It’s staffed by volunteers, speakers, and/or organizers who are familiar with WordPress and available to help troubleshoot WordPress issues.

Having a strange error pop up with a WordPress plugin that you installed, and not sure what to do next?  The happiness bar is a good place to go.  Seeing a strange CSS layout issue on one of your WordPress site’s pages? Try the happiness bar for that one as well.

The happiness bar’s exact room and operating hours will be posted on our WordCamp schedule (which is currently being finalized), so check back closer to the event for more details.

WordCamp Talk vs. Panel Session: What’s the Difference?

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talk vs panel session

New to WordCamp?  You may be wondering what the differences are between a WordCamp talk and a panel session.

A WordCamp talk is a session usually led by one speaker covering a specific topic.  Given that there’s just a single topic and speaker, there is time to cover that topic in depth, and there is also usually time at the end for Q&A with the audience.

A WordCamp panel session is a moderated discussion with several speakers.  Panel sessions are a great way to get a wider variety of opinions on a given topic (or several topics, depending on the format of the session). They also often include audience participation, either in steering the topics being discussed, or in providing additional input to the discussion.

Are you joining us for WordCamp Albuquerque this year?  It’s not too late to buy your ticket :).

 

 

Our Logo and Graphic Designer

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WordCamp Albuquerque graphic designWe’d like to give a shout out and thank you to Joseph Chavez, a local graphic designer who expertly crafted our WordCamp Albuquerque 2016 logo and wapuu logos (more coming soon on those). He has worked in graphic design for over 20 years and has won several Addy awards for logo design, web design, and self promotions.

Joseph has also been a professor of marketing and advertising at The Southwest University of Visual Arts for 15 years, and he is available for freelance graphic design work (contact him for more details).  Follow Joseph on Instagram to see more of his work.

 

 

Five Reasons to Attend WordCamp Albuquerque 2016

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Reasons to attend WordCamp Albuquerque

WordCamp Albuquerque is just around the corner! Here are five reasons why you should snag a ticket and join us on April 30th.

Make new friends

WordCamp Albuquerque is a great place to meet other WordPress users in and around Albuquerque.  Are you a blogger looking to meet other bloggers, an entrepreneur looking to get a new website off the ground, or a designer looking to collaborate with a WordPress developer (or vice versa)?  Join us.  WordCamps are always full of friendly, approachable people.  Come see what makes the WordPress community such a welcoming place.

Learn new things

Things in the tech industry and WordPress specifically change all the time! It’s difficult to stay up to date on everything. WordCamp Albuquerque will have sessions and panels on a wide variety of relevant WordPress topics. Expect to walk away at the end of the day having learned something useful, whether it’s from a session or even a hallway conversation.

Awesome swag and sponsors

Of course we would’t have a WordCamp without cool swag! We’re keeping the swag details under wraps for now, but know that you won’t be disappointed :). Reserve yours today by buying your ticket.

Incredible value 

How often can you attend a full-day live conference with lunch, swag, and snacks included for only $20? Now that’s a deal.

Learn how to get involved in our meetups

Maybe you have some great ideas for upcoming WordPress Albuquerque meetup topics, or would like to speak at an upcoming meetup about your favorite WordPress plugin, a WordPress-based site your recently built, or how you monetized a WordPress site.  Our meetup group organizers are a friendly bunch who be in attendance and would love to chat further.

Is WordCamp Albuquerque Right for You?

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WordCamp

Not sure if WordCamp Albuquerque 2016 is right for you?  We hope it is, but it depends on who you are and what your goals are.

What is a WordCamp?

A WordCamp is a community-driven conference centered on WordPress. While WordCamps are not big, expensive conferences held at high-end venues, the material covered is very relevant to those using WordPress and they provide a great opportunity to get to know other WordPress users in your local community.

Who is this for?

Our audience for this WordCamp is intermediate level users who have an understanding of what WordPress is, but want to dig a little deeper into what is available to help them build amazing websites. The speaker lineup hasn’t been finalized yet, but expect sessions covering things like recommended WordPress plugins, WordPress security best practices, and more.  If you are familiar with what WordPress themes and plugins are (and have maybe even dabbled in editing CSS for a given theme), this WordCamp is for you.

What will I get out of it?

In addition to learning more about WordPress that can help you build even better websites, you will get a chance to meet others in our community using WordPress (and of course get some awesome swag!).  Looking to team up on a project? WordCamp Albuquerque is a great place to find a project collaborator. Having problems with a WordPress website you manage? We expect to run a happiness bar during the event (more details coming) where you can get help.

What other local resources are there?

If you are not convinced you should attend WordCamp Albuquerque or are otherwise not able to attend, we have regular meetups that can help you both learn about WordPress and meet other local bloggers, designers, developers, entrepreneurs, etc.  For a full list of upcoming meetups, check out the Albuquerque WordPress meetup group. The meetups include:

  • Albuquerque WordPress Meetup
  • WordPress Work Along
  • Women Working with WordPress
  • WordPress Developers Meetup

What online resources are there for beginners?

WordCamp Albuquerque may not be right for you this time around, but luckily there are some excellent resources online for helping you get started with WordPress (in addition to our local meetups):