WordCamp Albuquerque

If you’re new to WordCamp, you might be wondering just what to expect. Here are some tips and tricks to navigate you through WordCamp Albuquerque like a pro!

We suggest perusing the sessions before the day of the event to plan out your Saturday. The schedule is broken into four tracks: Developer, Designer, Business/Freelance and Getting Started with WordPress (Foundation Friday).

• The Developer Track tends to lean more towards heavier-lifting kind of code so it does require a foundation to understand the content.
• The Designer Track encompasses some code-based topics and also general design topics.
• The Business/Freelance Track covers topics that more generally apply to all people of all levels from various backgrounds.
• Friday’s Getting Started with WordPress Track is your bare-bones basics of WordPress in a format to get you up to speed.

When you arrive at WordCamp Albuquerque, you’ll check in at the registration table located just inside the entrance to receive your badge. Your badge is your key to getting into everything including the After-Party. WordCamp Albuquerque is at a new venue this year: the CNM Workforce Training Center, 5600 Eagle Rock Ave NE, Albuquerque, NM.  Parking is available in the front and back of the building and is free.  (see image)

If you’re attending the Friday sessions, Doors open at 8am, and we’ll have coffee available for you. The first session starts promptly at 9am, but we’ve structured Friday so that you can show up whenever we’re about to get to your level.  Already have a site all set up and you know how to do the basics, but you’re interested in learning about getting more traffic and improving your security?  Come around 10.  Just want to learn about Google Analytics or setting up an online shop?  Come after lunch.  Check out the full schedule so you can figure out what matters most to you.

Saturday, January 20th is the main event and will start at 9am.  Feel free to move from room to room during the day, picking the talks that appeal most to you.  To really get prepared, you can print out a copy of the schedule in advance and circle your “can’t miss” presentations. Don’t miss the “hallway track,” either– WordCamps are a great place to network and meet people, so come prepared with business cards and a friendly smile. Lunch and snacks will be offered on site with vegetarian options also available. At the end of the day, there will be a little time off before the After-Party.

Don’t forget to check out the sponsor tables as well. #swag

The After-Party is a place to really get social. There will be finger foods and drinks available (all attendees will get two drink coupons, if your thirst is greater than that, there will also be a cash bar). All of the WordCamp Albuquerque organizers and speakers will be there and able to talk more casually than during the sessions. It’s a great place to solidify new connections and just relax and enjoy being in the midst of fellow WordPress lovers.

The fun isn’t over; Sunday, January 21 is Contributor Day! There is no experience necessary to participate. Contributor Day is a hands-on event where we all give back to WordPress. Maybe you want to spruce up some documentation, or maybe answer some questions in the forums, or maybe work on some code? Whatever it is, Contributor Day is the perfect time to do it. Snacks and coffee will be provided.  Even if you aren’t comfortable working with code, you can still help out on contributor day by testing, providing feedback, etc.

Contributor day starts at 10am at FatPipe ABQ, 200 Broadway Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM.  You can stay however long you’d like, and we’ll venture out for lunch in Downtown Albuquerque at some point mid-day.

It is important to remember that WordCamp Albuquerque is an inclusive event. We expect everyone to:

• Be considerate, respectful, and collaborative.
• Refrain from demeaning, discriminatory or harassing behavior and speech.
• Be mindful of your surroundings and of your fellow participants. Alert conference organizers if you notice a dangerous situation or someone in distress.
• Participate in an authentic and active way. In doing so, you help to create WordCamp Albuquerque and make it your own.

Any intimidating, harassing, abusive, discriminatory, derogatory or demeaning conduct will not be tolerated. This policy carries through to the after-party as well. If you feel unsafe or harassed in any way, please reach out to any WordCamp organizer (we’ll have on RED WordCamp Albuquerque shirts).

We hope that you all have a wonderful WordCamp, and use this as an opportunity to grow and learn.

• If you have a question, ask it.
• If you have knowledge to give, share it.
• If you have a joke to tell, tell it.

We’re looking forward to seeing you there!

Yours in WordPress,

Alonso, Elaine, Sam, Ray, and Jamii

If you are one of the lucky folks that have your ticket to WordCamp Albuquerque 2018, you are in for a treat!  At the close of the day, after many fun and instructive presentations and panels, you are invited to join us at the After Party!

Stick around and talk to your colleagues and new friends about the new ideas and wisdom you gained throughout the day. Appetizers and beverages brought to you by our super faves Pop Fizz.

Where:  National Hispanic Cultural Center (NHCC) 1701 4th Street SW, Albuquerque, NM 87102

When: 7:00pm – 10:00pm

Thanks again to Pop Fizz for your comida muy sabrosa!

Get Your Tickets Now

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Thank you Dreamhost for being a sponsor for WordCamp Albuquerque 2018!

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Learn more about Griffin & Associates here.

Thank you to Grifffin & Associates for being a WordCamp Albuquerque sponsor!

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Thank you to Noventum for being a WordCamp Albuquerque sponsor!

Yoast was born from the open-source community. The company was founded by a man who fell in love with WordPress. In the last couple of years Yoast grew enormously, thanks to the generosity of the community. By sponsoring WordCamps, contributing to the development of WordPress core and supporting other community efforts, we are giving back to the fantastic community that got us to where we are right now. So, that’s why we love to sponsor WordCamps.

Thank you to Yoast for being a WordCamp Albuquerque sponsor!

WordCamp Albuquerque will be the big WordPress event you don’t want to miss. You know this, but does your boss? Do you need help convincing your boss to send you to WordCamp Albuquerque? If the answer is yes, read on!

First of all, don’t be afraid of asking your boss to send you to an event. The worst that they can say is no. Approach your boss with enthusiasm, both for your job and for the event. Think about the reasons that you should attend WordCamp Albuquerque and address the issue head-on. Build your case and present it.

1. WORDCAMP ALBUQUERQUE IS UNIQUE

WordCamp Albuquerque is the biggest WordPress event in New Mexico and it is unique in that it brings together the best speakers in the WordPress community as well as speakers from outside to share their insights. WordCamp Albuquerque is a great value.

2. HOW WILL IT IMPROVE YOUR JOB?

Read through the schedule and identify those specific talks that you are planning to attend. WordCamp Albuquerque will have a broad range of talks so it’s helpful to highlight the ones that will help you to grow and develop.

It can also help to contextualize the talks you want to see in relation to projects that you are working on. For example:

• this front-end development talk will help me learn how to effectively use React in my project
• this talk on designing an eCommerce site for conversions will help me build up our company’s online store

3. WHAT WILL YOU BRING BACK TO THE COMPANY?

You should also think about what you can bring back to the company. Your boss has to think about the benefit to the overall company, as opposed to just your needs. Points that you can raise are:

• that talks will help you when building current or future projects
• that you will learn about new technologies that you can use in your projects
• that you will find potential new hires for the company
• that you will widen the company’s business network
• that you will be able to talk about and promote a new product
• that you will be able to find new collaborators and industry partners

Tailor your goals for the event to the current goals for your company. For example:

• if your company is focusing on hiring, tell your boss that you will actively look for people to hire and set a goal for bringing five potential new hires to the company.
• if your company is looking for a design partner, aim to speak to design agencies and bring back leads for your boss to follow up.
• if your company is thinking of changing hosting providers, plan to talk to hosting representatives about what they can offer and report back.

TIPS

• ask your boss for a list of contacts that they’d like you to meet
• tailor your pitch to match your company’s goals
• put together a budget so that your boss knows exactly what the costsinvolved will be
• pick the right time to talk

Good luck! We’d love to see you in Albuquerque!

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Thank you to Brownrice Internet for being a WordCamp Albuquerque sponsor!