WordPress is a powerful way to create robust Content Managed websites for my clients. If you're not familiar with WordPress, it's a world-renowned open source website creation tool written in PHP. Having created many websites with it for many years, I've found it's the easiest and most powerful Website Content Management system (or CMS) in existence today that empowers my clients to take control of their content.
What is a WordCamp?
A WordCamp is a conference that focuses on everything WordPress. WordCamps are informal, community-organised events that are put together by WordPress users and developers. Everyone from casual users to core developers participate, share ideas, and get to know each other. That is one of the reasons I use WordPress; it's outstanding and supportive community. WordCamps happen all over the world, and many are recorded and available to view over on WordPress TV.
Having been to Manchester many times (personally and for client meetings) I knew a visit there would be a refreshing change. It was my first time attending WordCamp Manchester, held at Manchester Metropolitan University’s New Business School Building, which was very smart and seemed adequate for the event.
Speakers topics covered:
- 20 things you should do to get the most out of WordCamp
- Why switching to WordPress Coding Standards will make you a better developer
- 10 Steps to doing your own thing (with WordPress)
- Taming Your Content with Custom Post Types and Meta Fields
- The REST API for the rest of us
- Battling The White Screen of Death: A Tech Support Tale
- Object-Oriented User Experience
- WordPress Security 101
- Using WordPress to help charities recruit supporters and increase donations
- Making WordPress menus smarter
- Tremendous Taxonomies
- Lessons learned using WordPress Multisite
- Brexit: "when you say it’s gonna happen now well when exactly do you mean?"
Here's the website of this particular event. WordCamp Manchester Link
Overview
Overall the event was well run with a varied range of speakers. I enjoyed the supportive community feel and the chance to chat with fellow designers and developers. I made many notes and gained valuable insight into the variety of ways WordPress can be used to enhance clients' websites and what the near future holds for this platform. All run and organised by volunteers who are passionate about WordPress and supporting the open-source ethos. I even got my photo taken with "Wapuu", the mascot for WordPress.
Get involved
If you're a WordPress user, developer, designer or blogger or use WordPress to power your business then I highly recommend attending a WordCamp event near you. It's great to give back to the open-source community and you'll probably benefit from this supportive group.
Swag rating
Conferences can also be rated by the amount of swag (freebies and give-a-ways) that you can get your hands on.
Here's my 'swag rating' for WordCamp Manchester. Lots of stands giving away some great note pads, bags, umbrellas and books, so I give this event a 4/5.
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