Wrapping up WordCamp Boston 2011

Jake Goldman on July 26, 2011

WordCamp Boston 2011 was every bit as informative, fun, and inspiring as we expected.

Like most great WordCamps, Boston wasn’t just a venue for some great sessions; it was an opportunity to chat it up with a diverse crowd that ranged from lead WordPress contributors to new users just discovering the ways they can use the booming content management system. On Saturday morning – the first day of the event – I finally found the time and inspiration to send in a short sponsorship blog post. Recalling memories of WordCamp Boston 2010, I was excited for the event, and it didn’t disappoint.

At 10up, we place a lot of importance on giving things back to the community. We recognize that without open source software like WordPress, 10up wouldn’t be what it is today. We also believe that anything we do to help lift up our favorite platform helps everyone inside that community. That’s why 10up purchased a silver sponsorship and members of our team volunteered their time to help out for the entire weekend.

I also had the honor of speaking to a room packed with campers eager to see what WordPress was capable of as a content management system. Not surprisingly, the audience was warm, receptive, engaging during the Q&A, and even laughed along with me. I was humbled by the feedback from attendees, organizers in the room, and the buzz on Twitter. While it’s always nice to get  a small pat on the pack, there’s no feedback that warms my heart like hearing that I changed a mind or two. It was the gentleman who told me that I turned around his skepticism and the young woman who said I inspired her to try some new things that left the biggest impression.

And while it was fun educating a big crowd, it was also rewarding to spend some one on one time with enterprising users in the Expert Zone. Whether it was the ColdFusion convert building a dermatology database, the volunteer who wanted to build an extended family blog, the designer excited to move into development, or the non profit leader who just wanted a print view for her website, I was amazed by the enthusiasm and creative applications that kept coming.

A big round of applause for the dedicated organizers of WordCamp Boston and a cheer for the fantastic people who showed up. And sometime between preparing slides for WordCamp Chicago next weekend and getting back to work for our deserving clients I’ll get those slides converted and online!