Catherine Cilcius “The Energy Is Incredible”

WordCamp RI September 22 and 23, 2017       For the third year, WordCamp RI will be held at the East Greenwich campus of New England Tech. The location works well with access to internet/ audio/  visual technology and food catering that makes lunchtime go smoothly.

Catherine Cilcius, Training and Events Coordinator for the Center for Technology and Industry shares some of her thoughts about WordCamp RI.

Q-
Cathy, the New England Institute of Technology is once again the host of WordCamp RI. It’s a great location for attendees: plenty of free parking, accessible by public transportation and a bright and cheerful venue. Why does NEIT like hosting this group?
A-
NEIT has established a great relationship with the amazing staff and volunteers from WordCamp RI and we thoroughly enjoy hosting this event each year! The energy that the attendees and speakers bring to the workshops is incredible and transforms the campus into a very dynamic place during the 2-day event.

Q-
How is WordPress used at New England Tech?
A-
We teach WordPress in our Graphics, Multimedia and Web department and our GMW students use WordPress to create their personal portfolios. Ajay Coletta, Assistant Professor of Graphics, Multimedia and Web teaches many of these classes throughout the year.

Q-
Do you have any advice or tips for attendees to get the most out of WordCamp RI?
A-
My advice to attendees is to go to the workshops that interest them and use this incredible opportunity to meet other users, share their experience, have a great lunch, learn and have fun! Personally, I don’t know of any other event that we host that is more enjoyable!

Q-
What are the advantages of the NEIT venue for attendees at WordCamp RI?
A-
Our East Greenwich campus offers a centrally located state-of-the-art facility with wifi, spacious classrooms, a beautiful Atrium, easy navigation for attendees, lots of spaces to meet and greet, free parking and a helpful staff. I like to think that’s why people keep coming back!

Q-
Attendees are going to notice some changes at your East Greenwich campus this year! Tell us about them.
A-
The campus has been under construction for some time as we prepare for the opening of our first residence hall this fall. Along with the residence hall, we will have a new Academic Center encompassing an expanded food area, bakery, grill, café, convenience store, sitting areas, as well as an 8,000 square foot fitness center and additional innovative classroom and laboratory space.   WordCamp RI will be one of the first occupants of some of these new classrooms for the event.

Q-
If someone is considering attending NEIT, what should they do to learn more?
A-
This is a very exciting time for NEIT as we grow and expand into our next phase. If anyone is interested in more information on NEIT and our programs, please contact our admissions office and they will be happy to assist them.

Learn more about the New England Institute of Technology at http://www.neit.edu/.
Follow New England Tech on Twitter: @NEInstituteTech

What’s Your Data Story?

How many of your web visitors tell you what they like about your site and what is a stumbling block?  Answer:  all of them.

At WordCamp RI Jennifer Shaheen will kick off a session that will outline what data is available to you and how you can use it to make your web presence more visitor-friendly.  Her talk is geared to marketers and content managers at both the beginner and intermediate level.

WordCamp RI will once again be on the East Greenwich campus of New England Tech.  Come join us September 22 and 23.  Admission lets you attend as many talks and workshops as you want, get one-on-one help at the Happiness Bar (as the Help Desk is called), plus you’ll get lunch and admission to the Friday night reception.  Learning, networking and fun!  See you at WordCamp RI!

https://2017.rhodeisland.wordcamp.org/tickets/

Woo for You: Customizing WooCommerce

WooCommerce powers a large percentage of online stores.  Speaker Gary Thayer will outline how to get the most out of this tool for your business at WordCamp RI.

This talk is designed for business owners and will help them configure WooCommerce to work best for their operation.

Tickets are available for WordCamp RI, being held September 22 and 23 at the East Greenwich campus of New England Tech.

WordCamp RI will cover all things WordPress for beginner to advanced users.  Admission covers two days of sessions, one-on-one help, lunch and the Friday night reception.

See you there!

Don’t Just Design and Build a Death Star, Maintain It Too

WordCamp RI tickets are available    GoDaddy’s Matthew Clancy has some advice for website maintenance.  His session is geared to WordPress beginners.  He’ll detail the maintenance steps you should take to keep your website in good working order.

Tickets to WordCamp RI give you admission to all talks and workshops, one-on-one help at the Happiness Bar (the WordPress-term for the Help Desk), networking during the included lunch and Friday night reception.

Once again this year we’ll be at the East Greenwich campus of New England Tech, September 22 and 23.

There are sessions for every level of WordPress website and blog user.

 

So Many Plugins – So Little Time

WordCamp RI September 22 and 23, 2017    Are you a beginner WordPress user struggling to figure out which plugins, if any, you should be using?

Reiko Beach will tackle that topic during WordCamp RI.  She’ll hone in on the plugins you should start with on your website.

Reiko explains, “For someone new to WordPress choosing the right plugin can be overwhelming and frustrating. I will go over some simple tips to help make your selection process easier.”

WordCamp RI will be held September 22 and 23 on the East Greenwich campus of New England Tech.

https://2017.rhodeisland.wordcamp.org/tickets/

WordPress, Women, and Tech

There’s been a lot of talk about the lack of women working in technology.  Patch.com has an interesting article on both the current status of women in the tech workforce as well as opportunities that are available.  These opportunities include scholarships and institutions of learning with a good reputation for helping women advance.

Another fantastic opportunity for women (and men!) comes each year with WordCamp RI.  This two-day learning conference has sessions for beginners, intermediate techies, and advanced pros. There are workshops, seminars, one-on-one help at the Happiness Bar (aka Help Desk), along with networking opportunities during lunch breaks and at the Friday night reception.  All of this is included in your admission ticket.

There are many outstanding colleges and universities in our area and WordCamp RI is being held on the campus of one of them: New England Tech in East Greenwich. If you are considering furthering your education, you’ll have a chance to see NEIT’s classrooms and other facilities while attending WordCamp.

WordCamp RI will be held Friday and Saturday, September 22 and 23, at the East Greenwich campus of New England Tech.

Rise Above the Noise

WordCamp RI September 22 and 23, 2017    Did you know that in the 1970s the average person in the USA was exposed to 500 ads a day?  Now we are exposed to 5,000 ads a day, according to the University of Southern California.

You are not just competing with your direct competitors to be heard; you’re competing with every organization, company and group who joins you in being part of that 5,000.

One of the speakers at WordCamp RI is Susan Finn.  She’ll share strategies to help ensure the people who should know about you, do.

WordCamp RI is being held September 22 and 23 on the East Greenwich campus of New England Tech.  Admission gives you unlimited access to every talk and workshop, one-on-one help at the Happiness Bar (as the Help Desk is known), lunch, and the Friday night reception.

See you at WordCamp RI!

https://2017.rhodeisland.wordcamp.org/tickets/

5 Steps to Personal and Website Security

WordCamp RI September 22 and 23, 2017    Adam Warner will be outlining how to keep your website secure.  In fact the company he works for, Sitelock, has an interesting blog post on why you are NOT too small to be hacked. He’ll be outlining the steps you can take at WordCamp RI, being held at New England Tech in East Greenwich on September 22 and 23.

His session is geared to beginner and intermediate web users.

Your admission ticket covers all sessions, one-on-one help at the Happiness Bar (aka Help Desk), lunch and the Friday night reception.

We look forward to seeing you at WordCamp RI!

Doubling Your WordPress Site Conversions

WordCamp RI September 22 and 23, 2017    Tom Shapiro of Stratabeat has a question for you.  Is your website one of your hardest working resources?  At WordCamp RI, Tom will review how to achieve a high number of conversions on your website. He will walk you through effective techniques to get more of your site visitors converting.

Some of the techniques he’ll focus on:

  • Behavior-based data gleaned from heat maps, scroll maps, and A/B testing
  • Messaging, neuromarketing, and human psychology
  • Color, design, and UX (user experience) elements

This talk is geared to anyone looking to sell more online, increase leads, promote an upcoming event, build an email list, and/or drive site visitors to another type of conversion event.

Tom says “you’ll walk away from this session with highly specific methods for increasing your website’s conversion rates.”

WordCamp RI is Friday and Saturday, September 22 and 23, on the East Greenwich campus of New England Tech.

Little Things Make a Big Difference

WordCamp RI tickets are available    What approach should you take to make sure people read what you publish on your website or blog?  Here’s some advice that has stood the test of time, from the movie Taxi Driver. “You talkin’ to me?”

One of the speakers at WordCamp RI has strategies to figure out who you are talking to and then how to reach them.  Michelle Ames’ talk is “Little Things Make a Big Difference.”

WordCamp RI is two days of all things WordPress, held September 22 and 23 at the East Greenwich campus of New England Tech.

Tickets are on sale.  Admission gives you access to all the seminars, workshops, one-on-one help at the Happiness Bar (aka the Help Desk), lunch and the Friday night reception.  Hope to see you there!