The WordCamp Report

While the decision makers of a WordCamp event should be restricted to one to two people, the event cannot work well with only one person doing everything. If you can get a team of volunteers and helpers to pitch in, the event will be easier to manage and increase the likelihood of success.

The number of volunteers and responsibilities necessary for a WordCamp event vary from event to event, based upon the facilities, sponsors, speakers, event activities, number of participants, and goals of the WordCamp organizers.

Some of the committees recommended for organizing and implementing a WordCamp event may include:

1. Speakers Committee: One or more people may be needed to put together the Speaker’s List. This may involve just asking and inviting people to speak, or opening up applications for speakers. The volunteers on the Speakers Committee must handle communication, interaction, lodging, transportation, compensation, and support before, during and after the event. The Speakers Committee may also host a pre-event speaker’s dinner with or without sponsors to get the speakers to meet and get to know each other before the next day’s event.
2. Sponsors Committee: Finding sponsors can be a chore, but also a highlight of the entire event. A sponsor can be anyone, from someone who hands over a compensation without expectation of return or acknowledgment to business that want and need to be highly visible and represented throughout the event. Having a single contact for all the sponsors is key, but having a team to track down and get sponsors to participate might work best for your community. Have one or more volunteers to be a “Speaker’s Schmoozer” to aid sponsors during the event.
3. Blog: You will need one or two people to create, develop, and contribute to the WordCamp blog, including updating information on the official WordCamp site. Interviews, editorials, and announcements on all the participants, sponsors, speakers, and event plans are critical to spreading the word and keeping the community informed.
4. Online Community: Social Media Tools are critical to spreading the world and community building before, during, and after the event. Like the blog, announcements must be frequent and updates continual to build up enthusiasm and attract participants.
5. Video/Audio: WordPress.tv now hosts all videos of presentations and interviews about WordPress, so don’t miss an opportunity to have your WordCamp included. Volunteers and teams are needed to videotape every presentation and produce it for the WordCamp event, live and recorded. These are watched around the world, so don’t wait until the last minute, and always have backups for video, audio, and live streaming.
6. WIFI/AV: The WIFI and audio/visual technical aspects of a WordCamp make or break the participant’s experience. WordCamp attendees are social media experts and they want to communicate constantly through their blogs, Twitter, and other social media outlets about the event during the event. Ensure the the audio and visual production of the event is at its best so those covering the event live can photograph, record, and see all aspects, and report to the world now.
7. Registration: Registration is critical to get set up in advance through an online event registration service, and a team of volunteers to greet participants at the door. These volunteers also handle bag stuffing, schwag, t-shirts, name tags, signups, and directions to the various events, speakers, and rest rooms. They need to have familiarity with the layout and the event details as they are the first line of defense for the event.
8. Schwag: Volunteers are usually needed to stuff bags and handle coordination and display of sponsor or gift schwag during the event. Some WordCamps will seek free gifts, stickers, magnets, and other schwag for the event from within the community, such as the Chamber of Commerce, Tourist agencies, local businesses beyond the tech world, restaurants and cafes, and other community companies or representatives. They might not sponsor the event, but they will donate free stuff for every attendee.
9. T-shirts and Event Schwag:
   

   Reading the sponsors list on a t-shirt

   There are a variety of ways to handle event wear such as t-shirts, hats, sweatshirts, etc. Some WordCamps have local schools and art institutes hold a competition for designing the WordCamp logos, others invite the community to compete. Others just hire someone or do it themselves. The registration fees rarely cover the costs of these, so sponsors are often asked to help offset the cost or pay for it, especially if their logos can be part of the event wear. Volunteers are needed to coordinate these as well as distribute them during the event.
10. WordPress Community Outreach: There are a variety of WordPress-specific blogs, podcasts, and videocasts always looking to support WordPress Events. Contact them to let them know of your event and do an interview if possible. Reach out wide to the WordPress Community to help promote the event through the various meetup, upcoming, Facebook, and other online event sites that WordPress fans monitor.
11. Food and Meals: The costs and handling of food, drinks, and meals for several hundred people at a WordCamp event is a challenge. Barbecue seems to be a favorite, paying tribute to WordPress founder Matt Mullenweg’s favorite food group. Volunteers are often needed to help find restaurants and caterers willing to donate or work with sponsors to offset the costs of the food, as well as serve and manage the food during the event. They should have some experience with food handling, if the local authorities insist upon it.
    
    

    Choosing a WordCamp unconference program

12. Unconference Coordinators: If there is an unconference part of the event, one or more people will be necessary to structure and organize that aspect of the event. This involves finding speakers and participants and coordinating the schedule and location of the events within the unconference area of the facility.
13. Before and After Parties: Often paid for and sponsored by local or national businesses, before and after parties at a WordCamp are very important social networking opportunities. It’s a great time for a sponsor to get good exposure by hosting such an event. The pictures of the event published on blogs and on social media services are often the last chance to promote the event, as well.
14. WordPress Meetups: Have a volunteer on task to facilitate a WordPress Meetup within two weeks of the WordCamp event, if the community doesn’t currently host one. It is important to keep the energy going and keep the community active and involved as soon as possible, giving community WordPress fans more social interaction and a chance to learn from each other – and a team of volunteers for the next WordCamp event.

These are just a few of the tasks and descriptions of the workload necessary to present a WordCamp event.

Have a team handling as much of these as possible so there are backups to the team leaders, and get as many people involved as possible so everyone feels like they are helping to give back to the community and WordPress.

And don’t forget to send out thank you notes afterward to all the people who work so hard to make your WordCamp event a success.

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