Category Archives: Tracks

What Will Happen at WordCamp RI 2016?

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WordCamp RI is two days loaded with information and tips and tricks for using WordPress.  It takes place at New England Tech in East Greenwich on Friday and Saturday, September 30 and October 1.

Here’s what’ll happen:

Workshop Day  –  Friday, September 30 – Bring your laptop

  • There’s a beginner’s workshop that will take you from no-website to Your Website!
    • Great for those who want a portfolio,
    • A blog, or a
    • Website for small businesses and non-profits.
  • The intermediate track is for those who already have a website and want to have it noticed by Google.
  • The Contributor Day’s workshop is for those who want to work on projects to make WordPress even better.

Happiness Bar (aka Help Desk) – Both Days

Volunteers will be at your service at the Happiness Bar, giving you one-on-one help with your WordPress website.  Bring your laptop and your questions!

Keynote – Saturday, October 1

We are very excited to have John Maeda, former President of RISD, as the Keynote Speaker at the 5th Annual WordCamp RI. His talk is ” From STEM to STEAM to Startups and Dreams.”  He’ll talk about bringing advanced design to the advanced technology of WordPress. He’s in a position to know about that.  Maeda is now the Global Head of Computational Design + Inclusion at Automattic, the people behind WordPress.

Seminar Day – Saturday, October 1 – (Bring your favorite note-taking device(s) – be it laptop or pen and paper)

  • Check out the sessions for beginners on how to improve your website, portfolio or blog
  • Come to a more advanced session for intermediate WordPress users
  • Learn ways to make sure Google notices you
  • Absorb best-practices for your business
  • Attend a session on making your site look good

After-Party

We’ll have a private tent on the waterfront of East Greenwich at Finn’s Harborside.  Need we say more?

Get your tickets! – $20 gets you

  • Admission on both days
  • Lunch on both days
  • Access to the Happiness Bar both days
  • In-depth Workshops on Friday
  • Seminars on Saturday
  • The After-Party on Saturday

Really – can you afford to stay home???  See you at the 5th Annual WordCamp RI!

 

Our Fifth Year of WordCamp RI

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This year marks the fifth annual WordCamp RI.  Can you believe it?  Here are some #Throw Back and #Flash Back highlights.

  2012

2012 WordCamp Providence logo

2012 WordCamp Providence logo

Our first WordCamp was held in 2012 at the University of Rhode Island’s Harrington School of Communication and Media in downtown Providence.  The lead organizer was Luke Gedeon. Jesse Friedman was on the WordCamp organizing committee.

The first year we held a one-day WordCamp, on a Saturday at the end of October.  There were three seminar tracks: beginner, developer, and education.

Some of the sessions and speakers were:

  • “Plugin Development – Stirred not Shaken” by Jon Desrosiers
  • “From Employee, to Freelancer, to Business Owner (An Unnatural Progression)” by Aaron Ware
  • A “Panel: The use of WordPress at The Harrington School of Communication and Media, URI” led by Jonathan Friesem.

The After-Party was held at Congress Tavern.

2013

WordCamp 2013 was expanded to a 2-day weekend of learning all things WordPress.  The co-lead-organizers were  Luke Gedeon and Jesse Friedman.  There were four tracks in 2013: beginner, intermediate, advanced and marketer.

The all-day Friday in-depth sessions focused on mobile strategy, WordPress templates, and starting a WordPress website for beginners.  Saturday sessions offered topics such as:

  • “How We Built the Harrington School Website with WordPress” by Renee Hobbs
  • “Real-Time Site Personalization” by Jesse Friedman
  • “Plugin Development” by Jon Desrosiers.

In 2013 the After-Party was held at Local 121’s Speakeasy.

2014

2014 found WordCamp back at the Harrington School of Communication with Jesse Friedman as the lead organizer.   During the last weekend in September, WordCamp started with three all-day sessions on Friday: WordPress Basics, Plugin Development, and Security.

Saturday had sessions on a variety of topics: beginner, advanced user, developer, business, education, and design.  They included:

  • “WordPress Security: Fundamentals for Professionals” by Joseph Herbrandson
  • “You Will Never Be Good Enough” by Aaron Ware
  • “Flexibility of WooCommerce ” by Danny Santoro.

This year the After-Party was at Trinity Brewhouse.

2015

In 2015 we stayed with the two-day format, but changed locations to the New England Institute of Technology in East Greenwich.  The organizing committee wondered if WordCampers would be happy with a change in venue from downtown Providence.  We need not have worried.  The new location was an instant hit.  WordCamp RI was held the last weekend in September.  Jennifer Kusiak and Aaron Ware were the lead organizers.

The Friday boot-camp sessions were WordPress Basics, Getting to Know SASS, and Contributing to WordPress Core.

Some of the Saturday sessions included:

  • “Child Themes” by Ajay Coletta
  • “The World Of WordPress: Roles, Tasks, and Skills in WordPress Development” by Colin Murphy
  • “Content is King, but You Don’t Have to be its Slave” by Aileen McDonough.

The After-Party was held at Chelo’s Waterfront Bar & Grille.

2016

wcri-logo-background

What’s in store for our fifth WordCamp in Rhode Island?  Stay tuned to this space for developments.  WordCamp RI 2016 will once again be at New England Technical Institute in East Greenwich.  The dates are Friday and Saturday September 30 and October 1.

What are some of your best memories of WordCamp here in the Ocean State?

Let us know in the comments section!

Also tweet us @WordCampRI and like us on Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/wordcampri/