I attended my first WordCamp in NYC earlier this summer and all I can say is it was a blast.
The development side of WordPress does seem to have a steep learning curve, but that didn’t stop the WordPress organizers from providing informational sessions for attendees from all different levels and abilities. There was even a blogger and Pro Blogger track which I’m sure many appreciated. The best part of it all was the networking of course and I met many talented and helpful people along the way.
At Baruch College where WordCamp NYC 2012 was hosted did feel a bit crowded. Many of the classrooms were overflowing requiring some attendees to sit on the floor or stand out in the hallway. Surely this owes to the increasing popularity of WordCamp in New York City and elsewhere. In addition, it is a fairly cheap conference to attend so that may owe to the venue that was chosen. If you ask me I’d rather have a more crowded venue than some overly expensive hotel and conference fees any day of the week.
The best thing about WordCamp is its a year around affair. There are local WordCamps in cities around the world. And you can catch recordings of them at WordCamp TV . You may find some of the topics overwhelming but over time you will become more accustomed to the lingo.
One of the most informative videos I found is the presentation done by Frederick Townes. He explains in the video titled Working Backwards how and why its best to optimize the speed and performance of your WordPress based site so you can keep your the interest of your visitors. Even though the presentation was made a couple of years I still find the advice and most of the solutions very relevant today.
I am definitely looking forward to attending the next WordCamp when it returns next year.
