Report: #WPDiversity Diverse Speaker Workshops December 2022 and January 2023

In December 2022 and January 2023, the #WPDiversity group held diverse speaker workshops in AMER/EMEA and APAC time zones, respectively. Also Italy held a speaker workshop.

Diverse Speaker Workshops

We held two interactive watch parties that included speaking topic exercises and real-time feedback. The attendees were supported by several speaker mentorsEvent Supporter Event Supporter (formerly Mentor) is someone who has already organised a WordCamp and has time to meet with their assigned mentee every 2 weeks, they talk over where they should be in their timeline, help them to identify their issues, and also identify solutions for their issues. who helped support them through the experience.

December 2022

How to Own Your Expertise & Start Speaking at WordPress Events #WPDiversity, December 7, 2022

Facilitator: @jillbinder

  • Number who attended online: 22
  • From number of cities: 21
  • From number of countries: 12 (Bangladesh, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Philippines, Serbia, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Uganda, United States)
  • Self-reported increase in public speaking self-confidence scores: 48%

Testimonials

“Studying the material on your own is already very useful, but taking the workshop is another experience! Having the chance to share and receive feedback from the group is the most valuable thing for me. I’d recommend anyone to participate in the next one!” – Isotta Peira, Community Engagement Specialist, Barcelona, Spain

“I really liked seeing new faces and hearing new ideas.” – Ljubica Goranovic, Digital Marketing Specialist, Serbia

January 2023

How to Own Your Expertise & Start Speaking at WordPress Events APAC, January 28, 2023

Facilitator: @jillbinder

  • Number who attended online: 31
  • From number of cities: 27
  • From number of countries: 10 (Australia, Denmark, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Sweden, United Arab Emirates, United States)
  • Self-reported increase in public speaking self-confidence scores: 40%
  • Number from the workshop who applied to speak at WordCampWordCamp WordCamps are casual, locally-organized conferences covering everything related to WordPress. They're one of the places where the WordPress community comes together to teach one another what they’ve learned throughout the year and share the joy. Learn more. Kerala: 5 applications from 4 workshop participants

Testimonials

There were a lot of amazing testimonials shared by participants during the event and in the feedback form afterward. You can read the testimonials under the “Show full post” section below.

Impact

The 4 speakers from the workshop who applied to speak at WordCamp Kerala were all accepted. They all reported back that they had really great experiences speaking thanks to the workshop. One of the speakers wrote a blog post about the workshop and her experience : https://akshayar.online/from-novice-to-wordcamp-speaker-navigating-the-journey/

Speaker Workshop in Italy

January 10, 2023

Facilitator: @simo70

  • Language: Italian
  • Number who attended: 4
  • From number of cities: 3 (Ancona, Milan, Rome)
  • From number of countries: 1 (Italy)

“I would like to thank all the people who participated, the #WPDiversity group for the great materials, and all the people who did the Italian translations with me.” — Simona Simionato

Diverse Speaker Support Channel

We have a SlackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/. channel (#diverse-speaker-support) in the Make WordPress Slack for:

  • getting to know other speakers and event organizers
  • workshopping talks with each other and with mentors
  • finding out about WordPress speaking opportunities from WordPress MeetupsMeetup Meetup groups are locally-organized groups that get together for face-to-face events on a regular basis (commonly once a month). Learn more about Meetups in our Meetup Organizer Handbook. and WordCamps
  • getting connected with support for speaker travel expenses

Wins these months:

A win counts as:

  • Applying to speak at an event
  • Speaking at an event
  • Getting speaker mentorship in the channel

There have been so many of these (but most of them not reported in the channel itself) that it’s been hard to keep on tracking. We are creating a new system with a form to make it easier going forward! If we do get the numbers, we will update this post.

Thank you

A lot of people contribute to making these workshops successful. Thank you to each and every one!

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Upcoming Workshops

May 13, 2023 @ 10am-12:30pm IST: Organizing Diverse & Inclusive WordPress Events APAC

The list of upcoming #WPDiversity events is posted on the Diverse Speaker Group (#WPDiversity) page in the Community handbook. Please check there for upcoming events.

#diversespeakerworkshopsreports

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Testimonials: How to Own Your Expertise & Start Speaking at WordPress Events APAC, January 28, 2023

Continue reading

#diversespeakerworkshopsreports, #wordcamps, #wordpress

Personalised Coupon Codes for WordCamps

When you organise a WordCampWordCamp WordCamps are casual, locally-organized conferences covering everything related to WordPress. They're one of the places where the WordPress community comes together to teach one another what they’ve learned throughout the year and share the joy. Learn more. you get to a point where you need to issue coupons for speakers, organisers, volunteers and sponsors. Usually, coupons are “shared” with others from that group: volunteers will share a coupon code, speakers will share a different coupon code, and so on.

Using a shared coupon code also means that we need to verify every coupon that was used: is the buyer entitled to use the coupon code? Not every WordCamp team does this, but the WCEUWCEU WordCamp Europe. The European flagship WordCamp event. team does this.

For WCEU 2023 below is an overview of coupon codes that are needed:

  • Photographers: 24
  • Volunteers: 190
  • Speakers: 70
  • Organisers: 99
  • Sponsors: 208

Total of 591 coupon codes

As you can imagine this number causes quite a huge workload on the team that is responsible for the tickets, especially when they come across a name that is not on the list: then these names need to be flagged and also verified. Maybe this name was initially missed on the list? Or maybe this name is replacing someone else?

Smaller WordCamps may have around 125 coupon codes, but they don’t have a dedicated team just for the attendee services, but probably one person responsible for the tickets and verifying the coupon codes.

Using a personalised and unique code for everyone entitled to a coupon code is the best solution. Coupon codes are matched against a name and if there’s a mismatch: you know who to approach.
Also: the personal coupon code can’t be shared endlessly with other people who are not involved in the WordCamp.
And, not less important: it saves us from cancelling tickets that have been booked by people who shouldn’t use the tickets and also from hurting people’s feelings as they might feel offended when we contact them to inform them.

There are WordCamps that have created workarounds for personalised coupons, all were done through some side coding solutions, not as a real solution. So there is definitely a need for personalised coupon codes.

In the past couple of weeks, Vagelis Papaioannou developed a pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party that generates personalised coupon codes. You can find his repository on GitHub. It’s an add-on to the CampTix plugin. This plugin would really help WordCamp organisers create personalised coupons and save them a lot of time and unnecessary work.

Note: this post is a summary of a post in Slack.

#camptix, #meta-wordcamp, #slack, #wordcamps

WordCamp Asia 2023 Contributor Day

Contributor DayContributor Day Contributor Days are standalone days, frequently held before or after WordCamps but they can also happen at any time. They are events where people get together to work on various areas of https://make.wordpress.org/ There are many teams that people can participate in, each with a different focus. https://2017.us.wordcamp.org/contributor-day/ https://make.wordpress.org/support/handbook/getting-started/getting-started-at-a-contributor-day/. is fast approaching and we couldn’t be more excited. We had some great suggestions and all of them seem worthwhile to pursue!

So how will the Community Team be using our time?

  1. We will provide space for #WPDiversity to meet with attendees who would like to hold an open discussion about diversity in the WordPress community in Asia. 
  2. Be available to attendees who have questions about starting a meetupMeetup Meetup groups are locally-organized groups that get together for face-to-face events on a regular basis (commonly once a month). Learn more about Meetups in our Meetup Organizer Handbook. or WordCampWordCamp WordCamps are casual, locally-organized conferences covering everything related to WordPress. They're one of the places where the WordPress community comes together to teach one another what they’ve learned throughout the year and share the joy. Learn more. in their area.
  3. Help any new contributors apply to the Meetup Reactivation project or to be a WordCamp MentorEvent Supporter Event Supporter (formerly Mentor) is someone who has already organised a WordCamp and has time to meet with their assigned mentee every 2 weeks, they talk over where they should be in their timeline, help them to identify their issues, and also identify solutions for their issues..
  4. Improve the documentation 
  5. Discuss:
    1. What blockers prevent women from being involved as organizers and how can we support them?
    2. What people want to see on a WordCamp attendees page. What information would add value for other attendees?
    3. Discuss what the benefit and impact is of not allowing branded slides for WordCamp speakers, and why we should keep that rule.

Can’t attend in person?

Join the conversations that happen all year long in the Make Community SlackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/.. It’s simple to join and allows you to connect to all of the Make WordPress contributor teams!

Comment on the post to share your feedback, particularly around the two items we’ll be discussing. You’ll also have a chance to approve any updates to the handbooks so be looking for that opportunity.

Additionally, consider amplifying the event on your personal social media. I’ll be tweeting pictures from my @mysweetcate account using #CommunityTeam.


Thanks @devinmaeztri, @tacoverdo, @nukaga, @onealtr, and @peiraisotta for contributing to this post.

#meetups, #community-team, #contributor-day, #wordcamps

Discussion: Refining the Mentor Program

To better serve the community and the Community Team, @devinmaeztri and I are working to improve our current MentorEvent Supporter Event Supporter (formerly Mentor) is someone who has already organised a WordCamp and has time to meet with their assigned mentee every 2 weeks, they talk over where they should be in their timeline, help them to identify their issues, and also identify solutions for their issues. program. We believe this project will help get rid of gaps in our current roles and create a smoother functioning Community Team with room to grow.

An Overview

  • End date: 31 March
  • 4 Issues addressed in this post
    • update or create role information and tasks
    • add in new Mentor roles to help our growing community and team
    • retire the “DeputyProgram Supporter Community Program Supporters (formerly Deputies) are a team of people worldwide who review WordCamp and Meetup applications, interview lead organizers, and keep things moving at WordCamp Central. Find more about program supporters in our Program Supporter Handbook.” title
    • build for the future
  • 3 Discussion Posts planned starting with this one

The Main Elements

Craft More Accurate Role Information and Task Lists

The project will start by looking at where we are and end with clearer information about new and existing roles.

  1. Evaluate the current roles and their descriptions, qualifications, and expectations.
  2. Evaluate the current assigned tasks and see if they need better descriptions or adjustments to make them more manageable to accomplish.
  3. Create descriptions, qualifications, expectations, and clearly described tasks for any new mentor roles added.

For reference, find the current roles and expectations on the Community Team’s Team Projects page.

Add in MeetupMeetup Meetup groups are locally-organized groups that get together for face-to-face events on a regular basis (commonly once a month). Learn more about Meetups in our Meetup Organizer Handbook. MentorsEvent Supporter Event Supporter (formerly Mentor) is someone who has already organised a WordCamp and has time to meet with their assigned mentee every 2 weeks, they talk over where they should be in their timeline, help them to identify their issues, and also identify solutions for their issues. and Mentor of Mentors

Meetup Mentors: We currently have a group of Meetup Reactivators that we would like to invite into the Community Team to continue their meetup outreach. If our meetupsMeetup Meetup groups are locally-organized groups that get together for face-to-face events on a regular basis (commonly once a month). Learn more about Meetups in our Meetup Organizer Handbook. are the heart of what we do, then having a group and system in place that provides regular check-ins should help keep them strong. It also provides a nice first level of activity for new members.

Mentors of Mentors: These would likely be our current Super DeputiesProgram Manager Program Managers (formerly Super Deputies) are Program Supporters who can perform extra tasks on WordCamp.org like creating new sites and publishing WordCamps to the schedule. with opportunities to promote other veteran mentors as they qualify. 

Mentors of Mentors would continue to support our other mentors and have responsibilities within the Community Team around nurturing growth. They could also mentor WordCamps as they choose.

We would continue to have the existing roles of WordCampWordCamp WordCamps are casual, locally-organized conferences covering everything related to WordPress. They're one of the places where the WordPress community comes together to teach one another what they’ve learned throughout the year and share the joy. Learn more. Mentors and Community DeputiesProgram Supporter Community Program Supporters (formerly Deputies) are a team of people worldwide who review WordCamp and Meetup applications, interview lead organizers, and keep things moving at WordCamp Central. Find more about program supporters in our Program Supporter Handbook./Community Mentors with similar responsibilities to what they have now.

Current Contributor Roles
WordCamp Mentors
Community Deputies
Super Deputies
Future Contributor Roles
Meetup Mentors
WordCamp Mentors
Community Mentors
Mentors of Mentors

Change the Community DeputyProgram Supporter Community Program Supporters (formerly Deputies) are a team of people worldwide who review WordCamp and Meetup applications, interview lead organizers, and keep things moving at WordCamp Central. Find more about program supporters in our Program Supporter Handbook. Title

The word “deputy” has two significant drawbacks.

  1. It’s difficult to translate in some languages while in others the word doesn’t even exist.
  2. In the US, it’s a term used to describe enforcement which does not represent the nature of the role well.

Our deputiesProgram Supporter Community Program Supporters (formerly Deputies) are a team of people worldwide who review WordCamp and Meetup applications, interview lead organizers, and keep things moving at WordCamp Central. Find more about program supporters in our Program Supporter Handbook. are already mentors who are working to nurture the community, often in more technical ways, but still interacting with the community. 

Because of that and the reasons above, we suggest changing:

  • Community Deputy → Community Mentor
  • Super DeputyProgram Manager Program Managers (formerly Super Deputies) are Program Supporters who can perform extra tasks on WordCamp.org like creating new sites and publishing WordCamps to the schedule. → Mentors of Mentors

The responsibilities would be similar (with some refinement) to current duties, but we’d have names that fit a more global community and better reflect what the Community Team is trying to accomplish.

Build a Foundation for Future Growth

A Single Unified Application: Along with refining the names, descriptions, and tasks, we also plan to create a single unified application and onboarding process as well as a clear contribution ladder. We think this will provide a smoother introduction to the Community Team and give contributors goals to grow towards.

A Removal Process: With onboarding, we’ll also need to create a path for removing inactive contributors as well as people who end up in the wrong roles. Not everyone fits every role. Let’s create other opportunities where contributors can make the best use of the skills they have instead of being stuck in a role that doesn’t fit. Maintaining a healthy community requires attention to this aspect as well.

Overall, we’re hoping all of the changes mentioned in this post create one solid foundation for the future of all of our programs.

The Community Team’s Role

We want to work alongside the group as a whole to refine our Mentor Program to better benefit us all. In order to do that, we need your support and feedback. 

Please comment below your thoughts regarding the project, and particularly about some or all of the following:

  • Changing the name of Community Deputies and Super Deputies.
  • If it’s too confusing to have all roles under the Mentor heading.
  • What current tasks function effectively, and which don’t.
  • New tasks you think it could be useful to add.
  • Adding in a Meetup Mentor role.
  • Adding in a Mentors of Mentors, and if the name is a good fit.

This post will close March 3.

#meetups, #community-team, #mentors, #mentorship-programs, #wordcamps

#q1, #refining-mentor-program, #updates

WordCamp Mentors’ December check-in!

Hello MentorsEvent Supporter Event Supporter (formerly Mentor) is someone who has already organised a WordCamp and has time to meet with their assigned mentee every 2 weeks, they talk over where they should be in their timeline, help them to identify their issues, and also identify solutions for their issues.!
If you are currently mentoring a WordCampWordCamp WordCamps are casual, locally-organized conferences covering everything related to WordPress. They're one of the places where the WordPress community comes together to teach one another what they’ve learned throughout the year and share the joy. Learn more., please share how the team is doing and any other insights, interesting ideas, or innovations that they’re planning.

Leave a comment on this post and share your update. Thanks! 😀

#mentors, #wordcamps

Announcement: New European Camera Kits

The Community Team started discussions around the WordCampWordCamp WordCamps are casual, locally-organized conferences covering everything related to WordPress. They're one of the places where the WordPress community comes together to teach one another what they’ve learned throughout the year and share the joy. Learn more. Camera Kit program in 2018. During these discussions, it was agreed that the Camera Kit program still has its place, but the equipment is hopelessly outdated.

In 2019 @angelasjin asked for recommendations for possible new equipment. Because of the pandemic, plans for new Camera Kits were halted. Early this year, I revived the refurbishment by proposing the composition of new equipment. The first batch of equipment was ordered in late July to run some tests.

Finally, it’s time to say hi to the new European Camera Kits! Please welcome Europa, Callisto, Triton, Dione, Mars, Sedna, Eris and Neptune to the community! These eight brand new WordCamp Camera Kits will be available for all European WordCamps starting in January 2023.

All new European Camera Kits are capable of live streaming and recording WordCamp sessions. Equipment is put together with ease of use, good audio quality and easier processing of raw footage in mind. These are significant improvements compared to old Camera Kits.

Camera Kits include a Zoom Q8n-4k camera, Zoom SSHSSH Secure SHell - a protocol for securely connecting to a remote system in addition to or in place of a password.-6 microphone, Rode Wireless Go II microphones, camera stand and necessary cables* and accessories. Six of the kits include a device that transforms the camera output into a webcam so that any computer can be used for streaming.

Currently, two of the kits include capabilities for more advanced live streaming, allowing organisers to mix multiple video sources like camera and stage screen into the stream. Video stream mixed with ATEM Mini and transferred via USB-connection acts like a typical webcam when connected to any computer.

Camera Kits travel in pairs of two. That creates even more possibilities for events with a single track, as the camera of the second kit can be connected to a video mixer, making it possible to change the angle of view in the stream. If you wish to take advantage of the video mixer at your WordCamp, mention that in the Camera Kit request form.

I will update the handbook pages shortly to contain all documentation needed for using and making the most of the new Camera Kits. European WordCamps taking place in 2023 can already submit Camera Kit requests.

What about other continents? If the new European Camera Kits prove to be effective and wanted by organisers, WordCamp CentralWordCamp Central Website for all WordCamp activities globally. https://central.wordcamp.org includes a list of upcoming and past camp with links to each. will consider having similar equipment available in the Americas and Asia in future. Meanwhile, the original Camera Kits are still available in the U.S. and Canada.

What happens to old European Camera Kits? WordCamp Central and I plan to donate the equipment to communities in need, primarily for WordPress or other Open SourceOpen Source Open Source denotes software for which the original source code is made freely available and may be redistributed and modified. Open Source **must be** delivered via a licensing model, see GPL. communities. Details about this and the application process will be shared in 2023.

Timi, what’s up with the names? Kits have been given names of different astronomical objects. Moons, to be exact. This helps with tracking and handling the logistics of kits.

If you have questions about the new European Camera Kits, don’t hesitate to ask in the comments or connect with me in SlackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/.!

I want to thank everyone who shared their thoughts or in some other way helped during this process: @grapplerulrich, @tjnowell, @00sleepy, @drivingralle, @desafio, @fstaude, @sbddesign, @peterhebert, @otto42, @jerrysarcastic, @drbe4t, @ubernat, @stk_jj, @andreamiddleton, @weslinda, @pablo-moratinos, @roseapplemedia, @jtleathers, @angelasjin and @harmonyromo.

* Extra HDMI cables are needed for more complex setups.

#camera-kits, #europe, #wordcamps, #wptv

Idea: Freescout for WordCamp organising teams

When organising a WordCampWordCamp WordCamps are casual, locally-organized conferences covering everything related to WordPress. They're one of the places where the WordPress community comes together to teach one another what they’ve learned throughout the year and share the joy. Learn more., the organisers have to handle a large number of emails. Large is actually an understatement. For the past years, WordCamp Europe has been using email addresses in the domain wp-europe.org, every team had their own mailbox: sponsors@wp-europe.org, content@wp-europe.org, and so on. Somehow this is ideal, as it allows to structure mailboxes across the teams, but it does not allow teams to see each other’s emails, nor an easy email handover from one team to another.

WordCamps have its own email address in the wordcamp.org domain by default: berlin@wordcamp.org, madrid@wordcamp.org, europe@wordcamp.org, and so on. And since October 2020 WordCamps are given Google Workspace because of the non-profit status of the Foundation (https://make.wordpress.org/community/handbook/wordcamp-organizer/first-steps/web-presence/g-suite-for-wordcamps/). 

For the past editions, the WCEUWCEU WordCamp Europe. The European flagship WordCamp event. organisers have been pleased with Freescout as it is right now: it’s mature, it’s stable and allowed us to handle large numbers of emails. Freescout started as an Open SourceOpen Source Open Source denotes software for which the original source code is made freely available and may be redistributed and modified. Open Source **must be** delivered via a licensing model, see GPL. clone of Helpscout. We discovered that it has a very powerful search engine for emails. 

Advantages of Freescout over Google Mail

  • no need to share the credentials of Google Mail with 40+ organisers
  • Google Mail credentials are only known to Freescout, not to the users of Freescout
  • grant individual access in Freescout to the general inbox
  • keep track of which user did what in Freescout (replied to customers, moved/deleted emails)
  • assigning emails to users (handlers)
  • adding internal notes to emails
  • smart tagging and structuring of incoming emails
  • quickly handing over emails from one team to another
  • notify SlackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/. about new emails
  • keeping track of previous conversations for a particular email address
  • email is still received in the Google Mail
  • email is still sent out via Google Mail

The only disadvantage of Freescout is that it needs a web server to offer its service. Since WCEU 2021 we’re using a small Digital Ocean VPS to host our Freescout instance.
I’ve had a couple of talks with the organisers of WordCamp Asia and WordCamp US, they both have a similar setup. We have come to the conclusion that we’re reinventing the wheel here and that it would make sense if Freescout would be part of the default stack for WordCamp organising teams. Especially the larger WordCamps would benefit from Freescout, as they have to handle very large quantities of correspondence with sponsors, speakers, volunteers and other external parties (WCEU 2022 had over 3,000 emails to process!)

Let me know what you think.

#wordcamps

WordPress Events Organizer Training (Americas Timezones Version)

As part of WordPress Deputy / Organizer training series, we are excited to invite all MeetupMeetup Meetup groups are locally-organized groups that get together for face-to-face events on a regular basis (commonly once a month). Learn more about Meetups in our Meetup Organizer Handbook. and WordCampWordCamp WordCamps are casual, locally-organized conferences covering everything related to WordPress. They're one of the places where the WordPress community comes together to teach one another what they’ve learned throughout the year and share the joy. Learn more. organizers around the world to attend our upcoming Zoom Session for WordPress Organizer Training.

@samsuresh hosted this training earlier this month on the 15th at 8am ET, but it was requested that we also host one that is Americas timezone-friendly. We will go over the same topics as last time, just with different participants. 🙂 If you attended the previous session, you are still welcome to attend this one, as the questions and tips shared may differ.

Date & TimeThursday, September 29, 2022 at 5:00 PM EDT
LocationZoom Video Conference
RSVPZoom RSVP

WordPress Meetup organizers and WordCamp organizers from all over the world are invited to this chat. This is also a wonderful opportunity to meet other people involved in the WordPress community and exchange advice and ideas with other event organizers!

Agenda

TimeAgenda
Thursday, September 29, 2022 at 5:00 PM EDTMeet and Greet
Thursday, September 29, 2022 at 5:15 PM EDTWordPress In-Person Events Briefing
Thursday, September 29, 2022 at 5:30 PM EDTWordPress Meetup Reactivation Project
Thursday, September 29, 2022 at 5:45 PM EDTQ&A by Community organizers
Thursday, September 29, 2022 at 6:15 PM EDTClosing

Please RSVP to receive an invitation via email with the Zoom link! If you have any questions, feel free to email support@wordcamp.org.

#meetups, #community-team, #wordcamps

WordPress Events Organiser Training

As part of WordPress Deputy / Organiser training series, we are excited to invite all MeetupMeetup Meetup groups are locally-organized groups that get together for face-to-face events on a regular basis (commonly once a month). Learn more about Meetups in our Meetup Organizer Handbook. and WordCampWordCamp WordCamps are casual, locally-organized conferences covering everything related to WordPress. They're one of the places where the WordPress community comes together to teach one another what they’ve learned throughout the year and share the joy. Learn more. organisers around the world to attend our upcoming Zoom Session for WordPress Organiser Training, scheduled as follows:

Date15 September 2022 (Thursday)
Time2022/09/15 12:00 UTC
LocationZoom Video Conference
RSVPZoom RSVP

WordPress Meetup organisers and WordCamp organisers from all over the world are invited to this chat. This is also a great opportunity to meet our global volunteers, share ideas and find new friends in the community.

Agenda

The agenda of this training is as follows:

TimeAgenda
2022/09/15 12:00 UTCMeet and Greet
2022/09/15 12:15 UTCWordPress In-Person Events Briefing
2022/09/15 12:30 UTCWordPress Meetup Reactivation Project
2022/09/15 12:45 UTCQ & A by Community organizers
2022/09/15 1:15 UTCClosing

Please RSVP, so you can receive an invitation in your email that will include the Zoom link. If you have any questions, feel free to email support@wordcamp.org.

#meetups, #community-team, #wordcamps

Return to In-Person Events: Blue Sky Thinking

When we come together we step outside of our comfort zones and regular thinking and open ourselves to new, innovative ideas. When you’re gathered together, away from the distractions of regular life, your mind opens and creativity flows.

While there was lots of innovation around online events, COVID stopped in person events in its tracks, but that seems to be changing.

This post gives us a place to share ideas on how we can support organizers who are trying to restart in-person events in their communities.

What is Blue Sky Thinking?

Blue Sky Thinking is just another way to say “brainstorming”. The idea is simply that the sky is the limit to any ideas you might have to share. Even if it seems unachievable now, who knows when the right pieces might exist to make it possible.

So, for our purposes here, share your ideas below with kindness and compassion as your only limits.

The Goals of This Exercise

We have three goals to meet in this exercise:

  • support organizers as they navigate COVID concerns
  • help attendees feel safe and comfortable
  • offer resources and options that make being together at in person events exciting and interesting

If we don’t meet the first two, then the community is unlikely to use our ideas.

Why? The people we’re trying to bring with us have changed. This article from Andrea Middleton dives into that a little more.

The Organizers We’re Helping

As people, we’ve been through a lot. We’ve all made some painful choices and worked extra hard just to manage what used to be simple tasks. We’re tired and we’re more cautious than ever.

If we’re feeling that way in general, how much harder must it be for those organizing and attending events?

However, if our organizers feel supported and our attendees feel safe, they’ll more readily embrace ideas we’ve laid out for them to implement.

There’s a very good chance this could be achieved by continuing to clearly state our COVID guidelines and how we help organizers implement them, as well as easy to access channels for both organizers and attendees to ask questions.

It’s Time for Your Ideas to Reactivate In-Person Events

Once people are more comfortable being together, we can move one step further and help make organizing events a little easier.

Fortunately for us, WordPress has been far from idle in the pandemic. New programs like Learn and the Photo Directory have been launched, just to name a few. Along with what’s new, there are also some resources that are still relatively unknown to the community like the do_action events.

These new and existing resources could be used to help ease the weight of planning and streamline a return to events with less additional effort on our part.

But let’s not stop there!

Through brainstorming, we can look at the resources we have with new eyes, and possibly even use them as a prompt for more ideas. Who knows where your creativity and unique perspectives can take us!

This is Blue Sky Thinking after all. Don’t let what we have done or current resources limit your creativity. Any and all ideas are welcome here. How we do it or if we can do it are irrelevant. This is a purely open sandbox.

Before You Share

Remember:

  • this is asynchronous brainstorming
  • there are no wrong answers
  • be kind to fellow brainstormers
  • the discussion on implementation will come later

Guidelines:

  • Share your Concept
  • Answer what you can from this list (no pressure here)
    • Why do you think this is a good idea?
    • Who would benefit?
    • Does this meet Community team goals?
    • Does it use any existing resources?
  • Post your response by April 22, 2022

Let the brainstorming begin!

#discussion #wordcamps #meetups #brainstorming