Author Archives: B.J. Keeton

Who Wants to Sponsor WordCamp Bham? You Do!

In case you’re looking for a good home for some of your charitable donations, WordCamp Birmingham is looking for sponsors. Putting on a WordCamp is a huge undertaking, and we couldn’t do it without the support of our community sponsors.

We have some amazing tiers that you can choose between if you’re interested in sponsorship. You can do as much or as little as you want, too.

WPYALL has had some truly fantastic sponsors in the past, and that’s not even just talking about their monetary generosity. Some of the most fun at a Camp can come from Campers interacting with sponsors at their tables, hanging out between sessions, and joking around and making real connections at the after-party and speaker/sponsor dinner party.

Heck, we watched an Alabama football game together last year, and that was only possible because a local sponsor brought a projector and hooked it up for everyone. Now that is understanding and caring about your community.

You’re able to get your company or brand in front of a massive audience by sponsoring WCBham, and we are dedicated to making sure that you get as much out of your contribution as possible.

So please, check out our call for sponsors, see our cool tiers and the neat stuff you get for being a part of WordCamp Birmingham, and if you’re interested, feel free to give us a holler. We are more than happy to answer any and all questions you may have, and we want to work with you if you want to sponsor in any way that’s not listed on any of our pages.

Thanks a bunch, and we can’t wait to see what kind of trouble we can get into with you at #wpyall this year. 🙂

Like to Talk? Then Speak at WordCamp Birmingham 2018!

Okay, folks, it's time to put your thinking caps on again and brainstorm ideas for talks you can give at WordCamp Birmingham on August 4-5. We are looking for any and all ideas you have to make this year's #WPYALL better than ever.

We have three tracks for your talks: Blogging & Content Creation, Business, and Development. You can submit any number of talks you like, and we can work together to see which ones best fit our community.

Submit Your Talk Ideas

Brian Krogsgard giving the 2017 WPYALL Keynote

Community Request: Podcasting

Finally, we want to call attention to a community request that came a lot during and after last year's WordCamp. Many people were discussing podcasting and live streaming, in either questions at panels, the Hallway Track, or just conversations at dinner.

We would love to hear your thoughts on these topics, and since we're in the planning stages, let us know what cool ideas you have.

Would you want to teach an afternoon workshop? A tips & tricks panel? A hands-on equipment demo? Let us know because there's certainly been a demand for it.

Send in the Talks!

Like I said, feel free to throw your WordPress ideas at us, and let's make WC Birmingham even bigger and better than it has ever been.

Need an idea of where to start? Check out last year's schedule to see what filled up Campers' days!

Submit Your Talk Ideas

Can't wait to see you in Birmingham, AL on August 4-5!

WordCamp Highlights – Kathryn Lang and Jenny Munn’s 2017 #WPYALL Talks

The only bad thing about WordCamps (and conferences in general) is that there is no way to attend every talk and panel you want. Because the schedule is separated into multiple tracks — and because you can only be in one place at one time (unless you're Hermione, and you're sadly not) — you have to give up something during your time with us.

Never Fear, Loyal Camper!

Because of the magic of this thing called the internet, you can travel back in time to October 2017 and relive the exciting talks that were given at WordCamp Birmingham! All from the comfort of your office chair when you should be getting work done.

But this is professional development, so that's okay.

All WordCamp talks are archived on WordPress.tv, and WC Bham is no different. You can check out the whole archive and spend hours getting yourself pumped for this year's Camp. (BTW, have you bought your ticket yet?)

As we lead up to #wpyall 2018, we want to highlight some of the speakers from last year so you can get a feel for what to expect this year.

Jenny Munn's SEO Talk

SEO in 2017 requires a mix of foundational best practices, following trends and updates, understanding the nuances for your industry, and making continuous improvements. Come to this workshop prepared with your keyword list, WordPress, Google Analytics, and Google Search Console (if you have it) account information handy.
Munn's talk description

Kathryn Lang's Blogging Talk

Developing a successful website does not have to be complicated. Know who you are writing for, know what you want to focus on, know why you are writing what you write, and develop a calendar for when you will get the words done.
Lang's talk description

That Got Your Brain All Tingly?

Good! You can check out the whole archive of 2017's WordCamp Birmingham talks here, and because you're so excited about #wpyall 2018, you can go ahead and buy your tickets over this way.

Oh, One More Thing…

Oh, and by the way, we could really use your help. We always need volunteers to make the event a success, so if you or anyone you know want to lend a hand (and get a free shirt and free ticket in the process), sign up to be a volunteer! Heck, sign the whole family up! It'll be a hoot.

Help! I Need Somebody! (To Volunteer for WordCamp Birmingham)

Howdy! We wanted to take a second and ask for a favor. You see, organizing a WordCamp is like raising a child — it takes a village. And we want you to help babysit for a while.

Or something like that.

Either way, we'd love for you to be a volunteer for WordCamp Birmingham this year. We need folks for both days — August 4 and 5 — so if you're available, let us know! And if you're available on August 3rd, too? Awesome. You can help us set up Camp!

We have a form ready for you to fill out on our Call for Volunteers, and it's chock full of fantastic info about what we need so you can pick where you want to spend your time. And y'all, we need everything, so no matter what your specialty is, you're gonna fit right in.

What We Need:

– Setup/Clean Up
– Registration
– Room Emcee
– Photography
– Room Runners
– Happiness Bar
– Food/Beverage
– All Purpose

You can read detailed descriptions of each volunteer role here, too.

What's In It For You?

Isn't it enough to just have the satisfaction of knowing that you've given back to a community that truly loves you? It is, but we want to give you something else, too.

Every volunteer will get a free #wpyall t-shirt, as well as a promo code for a discounted or free WordCamp Birmingham ticket. If you volunteer for half a day, you get a half-off discount. If you volunteer for a full day, you get a full-price discount!

How cool is that? Yep, I hear ya. Pretty cool.

We Can't Wait to Work With Y'all

We really do appreciate all of you. Your support means everything, and none of this would be possible without you.

If you can lend a hand in any way, we would love to have you. And if you can bring a friend…that's even better! So spread the word, sign up, and let's make WordCamp Birmingham more spectacular than it's ever been.

Fun, Frolic, and Friendship: Building the #wpyall Community at WordCamp

One of the perks of being the oldest WordCamp in the Southest is the community that has come together over the years. Sure, WordCamps are about learning and professional development, but there's a laid-back atmosphere, and the real focus is on building relationships and friendships.

That's the kind of networking that we here at #wpyall think works best. You can hand your business card out to a thousand people and not get a single lead. But you can play rock, paper, scissors with someone and make a business partner for life (or a karaoke buddy, right, Dwayne?)

Each fall, we get together at WordCamp Birmingham, not just to spread what we've learned about WordPress and business over the previous year, but also to see old friends and to make new ones.

The after-parties give us a chance to hang out with people who live a whole continent away and to have laughs with new people from Birmingham and the greater Alabama area (or wherever your WordCamp is located) who you might have never met or didn't even know existed.

It's the social aspect of any WordCamp that really makes them special. And more than that, it's y'all that makes WordCamp Birmingham special. WordCamp has let us come together and really make friends and create memories that wouldn't have happened otherwise.

We've got karaoke videos of us all making fools of ourselves, and we have the collective memory of that time Nathan wouldn't let Kathryn eat dinner. You can't not bond over getting extra popsicles on a hot, August day — even if you choose the wrong flavor for your bonus. And those of you who skipped panels to watch the game? You know who you are.

Whether you're a developer or blogger or business professional, there's going to be someone like you here. We chose the hashtag #wpyall for a reason: y'all are the focus of WordCamp Birmngham as much as WP is.

So we would absolutely love to have you join us at WordCamp Birmingham this year. We want to meet you, hang out with you, laugh with you, and really get to know you.

Grab your ticket, spread the word, and let's have some fun and frolic while we make some friends. Whaddya say?

Get Tickets Now!

Tickets for #WPYall 2018 are on Sale Now!

It’s that time of year, y’all! We are ramping up planning for WordCamp Birmingham (or as we lovingly call it, #WPYall), and we want to invite you to be our guests on the weekend of August 4 – 5, 2018.

Here’s the deal (and yes, it is quite the deal): you pay just $40 for a two-day ticket that includes all the WordPress-y goodness you can stand. You get blogging panels, dev talks, business advice, and hands-on help from WP professionals at our Happiness Bar (think of it like Apple’s Genius Bar, only happier).

Make sure to check out last year’s schedule for an idea of what to expect.

Location, Location, Location

WPYall will be hosted at the Pelham Civic Complex in Pelham, AL. Yes, that’s right, folks; it’s the same wonderful venue as last year. Which means that you have easy access to hotels within walking distance, excellent restaurants just nearby, and perhaps best of all, free parking abound.

Don’t Wait! Get Your 2-Day Ticket RIGHT NOW!

You can just mosey on over to the ticket page, grab your two-day pass (and one for a friend, while you’re at it), and get ready for an absolutely delightful weekend on August 4th and 5th.

I want to buy WordCamp Birmingham tickets!

And while you’re at it, let the world know about your favorite WordCamp by using the hashtag #wpyall on Twitter and Instagram! That’d be great.

So make sure to grab your tickets and make plans for August. See ya then, Campers!