All posts by Michelle

Looking for Work? Looking to Hire? Meet Up!

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No secret handshake required!

If your company is looking to grow, you’re looking to hire a freelancer for a project, you’re looking for full-time work, or just to take on a few projects, why don’t you come join our NEW informal meetup during our Saturday Activity Hour?

Taking place in the Lounge, we’re hoping to connect people looking for work with people looking to hire. If you fit either of those categories, feel free to show up! We’ll give you a color-coded sticker (Red=Hiring, Blue=Looking for Work) where you can write what you do or what you are looking for. No need to sign up in advance, just show up! And don’t worry, you’ve still got an hour for lunch afterwards… maybe with some new friends or business connections!

WordCamp Chicago Afterparty on the Rooftop!

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One of the best parts of WordCamps are the networking opportunities and “hallway conversations,” where attendees, speakers, and sponsors can hang out, chat WordPress, and get to know each other better. While we have plenty of opportunities to do so this year, none is more well known than the WordCamp Afterparty!

This year, the afterparty is a private event in the 3rd floor Great Room and the gorgeous Rooftop Terrace at the University Center, one floor up from the conference center. Starting at 6:30pm on Saturday (right after WordCamp is over for the day), we will have dinner & appetizers (first come, first served), drinks, and lots of great conversation, all included in your ticket price! We hope you’ll join us (and hope for great weather)!

You must bring your badge (obtained at registration) for entry.

We love to have a great time at WordCamp Chicago, but as always, remember that this is a professional event, and we encourage everyone to conduct themselves in a respectful manner. Be safe, have fun, and check out the Code of Conduct if you have questions.

#wcchi call for Volunteers! We want YOU!

volunteers WordCamps would not be possible without a strong volunteer base from the community. If you’ve been thinking about attending WordCamp Chicago and want to help out, we would love to have you join us! We have tons of positions, from setup to registration to the Happiness Bar to helping with the rooms and everything in between. Or, let us know how you can best help us out! Sign up now to get on our volunteer list. If you register before May 23rd we can guarantee you a special volunteer t-shirt and a discount ticket to WordCamp Chicago! Click Here To Sign Up To Volunteer

Tickets for #wcchi are going fast! Register by May 23 to get your swag!

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Do you love attending WordCamps? Do you love all the classy WordCamp-themed stuff we give you? Do you love having a personalized badge and shirts in your size? Do you love being guaranteed a goodie bag of all the best swag? Register for WordCamp Chicago before May 23rd to make sure you get all of these things!*

Get Your Tickets Now!

Tickets for Foundation Friday are also selling fast, we’ve only got a couple left in some of the tracks, so be sure to grab yours now before they are gone!

*Tickets purchased after May 23rd will still get you into all the awesome WordCamp Chicago sessions, but we can’t guarantee all the cool extra stuff.

#wcchi 2014 Schedule Posted!

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We’ve been working hard to put together a fantastic schedule for everyone, and now the preliminary schedule for June 13th, 14th, and 15th has just been released! Remember to purchase your tickets soon if you haven’t already, and check back the closer we get to June since everything is subject to change.

In addition to these amazing sessions, we’ve got a lot of other great activities planned for our attendees, including Lightning talks, architecture tours, networking lunches, and loads of other goodies, so keep an eye out for more great things to come!

Tickets now on sale for WordCamp Chicago 2014!

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This is no April Fool: tickets are now officially for sale for WordCamp Chicago 2014!

Tickets are priced to sell at $60 for the entire three-day package and $40 for just Saturday and Sunday. The three-day ticket includes Foundation Friday classes.

NOTE: Foundation Friday tracks last all day, so you only need to register for one!

Saturday and Sunday welcome a whole slew of amazing speakers that will teach and challenge you. And if that wasn’t enough, your ticket includes some pretty great extras. We have an amazing after party in the works for Saturday night, some awesome social events planned, and you’ll even receive some great WordCamp Chicago swag!

Tentative Schedule

Foundation Friday: 9am to 5:30pm
Saturday Sessions: 9am to 6pm.
Sunday Sessions:10am to 4:30pm.

Remember: Tickets are limited and will sell out quickly, so make sure to get your tickets today!
We look forward to seeing you there!

Call For Speakers Is Now Open!

The moment has finally arrived: the WordCamp Chicago 2014 Call for Speakers is live and waiting for your application!

Love WordPress and got something you want to share? We want YOU to apply!

Learn More and Apply to Speak

We have decided to do something a little different this year- our tracks will not be organized by specific topic, but will contain a variety of subjects that will encourage people to visit multiple tracks. Our goal is to have something to appeal to every experience level (beginning, intermediate, and advanced) across the spectrum of WordPress topics.

To give you an idea of the types of talks we are looking for, here are some examples of topics that would be a great fit. This is by no means a limiting factor, so if you have a great talk that doesn’t fit these suggestions, please submit anyway!

DEVELOPMENT: The structure behind WordPress!
Plugins, Cool Custom work, Documentation, Best Practices, Contributing to WordPress, Workflow and Tools, Version Control, Testing/Debugging, Front-End Development, etc.

DESIGN: Focusing on the visual language behind successful WordPress sites (and the web in general).
Graphic Design, Usability, User Experience, Front-End Development, Best Practices, HTML5/CSS3, Responsive/Adaptive, Building Themes, etc.

COMMUNITY: Building a community with or around WordPress
BuddyPress/bbPress, Meetups and Events, Contributing to WordPress, etc.

NICHE: Interesting use cases for WordPress, including niche markets or finding creative solutions for managing complex data.
Real Estate, News, Education, Ecommerce, Non-Profits/Charities, Large/Complex sites, Case Studies, Multisite, etc.

CONTENT AND BUSINESS STRATEGY: The reason for having a website in the first place
Writing, Multimedia, SEO, Lead Generation, Analytics, Marketing, Social Media, etc.

BUSINESS/FREELANCE: For WordPress business owners, agencies, and independents
Running a WordPress business, Working with virtual teams, Pricing and invoicing, Selling WordPress products/licensing, Getting new business, Lessons learned, Etc.

FOUNDATION FRIDAY TOPICS:
WordPress 101 – Beginning WordPress Users
WordPress 201 – Intermediate WordPress Users
WordPress 301 – Intro To WordPress Development/Design
WordPress 401 – Advanced WordPress Development

Learn More and Apply to Speak

Call for Sponsors

WordCamp Chicago is looking for sponsors for our 2014 event coming up June 13th-15th. Sponsoring WordCamps is a rewarding experience for companies of all sizes, giving you lots of positive visibility and good karma. Plus, it’s a great way to give back to the WordPress community.

Why sponsor WordCamp Chicago?

By sponsoring WordCamp Chicago, you show your support for the WordPress project, that free open source software that has enriched your life and/or business; you also contribute to the growth of your local WordPress community.

WordCamps are run entirely by volunteers and the only funds available are those from ticket sales and our sponsors. We strive to keep ticket prices low ($20/day or less) to ensure accessibility to freelancers and small business owners with limited funds. However, that introduces a challenge when it comes to having a suitable venue, food & beverages for hundreds, technical capabilities, support services, and top-notch speakers.

That’s where you come in.

Whether you would love to feed us lunch, are willing to perform a service we are in need of, or have a spare $1,000 lying around, we would absolutely appreciate that help. With a wide variety of sponsorship levels and ways you can contribute, including Event and In-Kind sponsorships, we have something that fits nearly any budget.

Ready to learn more?

Click the button below to visit our sponsor page, download our sponsorship kit for more information about our sponsorship levels, and fill out the form, and our awesome sponsorship coordinator will be in touch!

Apply To Sponsor

WordCamp Chicago 2014

WordCamp Chicago will be held this year on June 13th-15th at the University Center in downtown Chicago, the same venue as last year. We’re adding more space for more speakers, more talks, and more room to network and connect.

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We’ll be updating this website more and more in the coming weeks, so please check back for more updates.

Whether you’ve been to a WordCamp before or not, we hope you’ll join us for this year’s WordCamp Chicago events!