Selfies, Prizes and the WCLAX AfterParty!

Yay! #wclax is upon us! I certainly don’t want to rush things and talk about after the conference when it’s just getting started! Nonetheless, as the official WCLAX 2014 AfterParty Planner, I must confess I’ve been thinking about the endgame for months!

And I don’t mean that metaphorically! I’m super excited to announce the WordCamp Los Angeles Selfie Scavenger Hunt (aka #wclax #ssh), which is not only a game, but a game with prizes!

This year we decided to get the AfterParty started early, so the Qualifying Round of the Selfie Scavenger Hunt takes place all day Saturday, during WCLAX!

To play, simply post the indicated selfies to Twitter! Everyone who posts the first six selfie pics and their respective hashtags to Twitter by the close of WordCamp LAX Saturday Sessions will win a FREE YEAR of Shared Hosting from awesome AfterParty sponsor SiteGround! The first 5 people to complete the Qualifying Round will also get a Bonus Prize from SiteGround!

The Final Round (aka the Grand Prize-winning Round!) takes place at the AfterParty itself. Complete the Qualifying Round, then come to the party to post your final selfie and you’ll be entered into a drawing to win one of FIVE Grand Prizes!

WCLAX SSH Grand Prizes

  • one iPad Air!
  • two iPad minis!
  • two pairs of Sennheiser PRO headphones!

Please see the WCLAX Selfie Scavenger Hunt Official Instructions included below for selfie and hashtag details!

Now, we all know not everyone is gonna wanna be selfie-ing and hashtagging all day, so I’m thinking the odds of you winning one of the Grand Prizes are pretty good! And hey, you’re going to come to the AfterParty anyway, right?

Because when you do there will be a nacho bar, sliders, bleu cheese fries (!!) and a drink waiting for you. Gratis.

The WordCamp LAX AfterParty is at Los Angeles Brewing Company right down the street from Blankspaces DTLA, where Sunday’s sessions are being held. The AfterParty is free and open for all WCLAX attendees, but because it’s LA, you’ll have to pay for parking (your best bet is the lot around the corner at 8th and Spring).

WordCamp LAX AfterParty
Who: WCLAX attendees
Why: Free food, drinks and chilling
When: Sat, Sept 6, 6-8pm
Where: Los Angeles Brewing Company
750 S. Broadway
Los Angeles, CA 90014

At 8pm sharp we will do the Grand Prize drawing! Yes, you must be present to win!

BTW, in addition to the Grand Prize giveaway and food and drinks, there will be a photobooth from the rad folks at SnapYourself.

Oh, and mini-cupcakes. Of course.

Anyway, like I said … no need to focus on WordCamp LAX being over just yet! Enjoy it! And remember, at the end there’s a mini-cupcake with your name on it* waiting for you.

*mini-cupcake not actually inscribed with your name

WCLAX Selfie Scavenger Hunt Official Instructions

QUALIFYING ROUND
1. Take the first six #wclax #ssh selfies
2. Post pics to Twitter using the specified hashtags
3. Win a FREE YEAR of SiteGround Shared Hosting!
*bonus prizes to first 5 people to complete this round!

FINAL ROUND
1. Complete the Qualifying Round
2. Come to the WCLAX AfterParty (it’s free!)
3. Post selfie #ssh7 by 7:30pm to be entered into the GRAND PRIZE drawing at 8pm!

THE SELFIES

QUALIFYING ROUND
#wclax #ssh1
you and your WCLAX badge

#wclax #ssh2
you and another WCLAX attendee

#wclax #ssh3
you and a WCLAX speaker

#wclax #ssh4
you and a WCLAX volunteer

#wclax #ssh5
you and a WCLAX newbie

#wclax #ssh6
you and a SiteGround team member

FINAL ROUND
#wclax #ssh7
you at the WCLAX AfterParty!

wclax_afterpartyflyer_web

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WordCamp LAX Photos

Thank you everyone for coming out to WordCamp LAX. Media Temple hired a Sam Graham Photography for the After Party, and Adam Silver from Silver Lining Photography took a lot of awesome photos of the attendees throughout Friday’s thank you dinner through Sunday at Cross Campus. Also, Raquel Landefeld took some awesome photos of the Thank You Dinner and WordCamp Saturday. You may see all of the pictures by browsing the Photos page.

Below are some selected shots from all three photographers:

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WCLAX Survey

Thanks to everyone: the speakers, the sponsors, the volunteers, and the attendees for such a great WordCamp LA! We hope everyone had as much fun as we did.

Please tell us about your WordCamp experience by taking the survey so we can make next year even better!

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Thank you

photo cred: Adam Silver (http://silverliningphotography.net)

As organizers, it can be tough to look past all the hiccups, the things that didn’t go the way we expected, and the stuff we planned that didn’t end up happening. But, in spite of all that, I’ve heard nothing but compliments and good things about the experience all of you had this past weekend as our guests at WordCamp Los Angeles.

Sure, we organized it. We led the charge and oversaw everything. But this event would never have happened in a million years were it not for the support and help of everyone in the community. I speak, of course, of the amazing and talented speakers who traveled at their own expense to Los Angeles to present unpaid to our audience. I speak of the sponsors who gave us the funds to pay for venues, food, tshirts, printing, and more. I speak of those who volunteered to help us out. Those who pitched in and made the event something really extra special. And I speak of all of those who bought tickets and gave up their weekend to attend WordCamp.

It’s no small thing to announce that you’re going to try and pull off some wild and crazy caper only to find hundreds of people, some of whom you don’t even know, offering up support and encouragement in any way that they can. In the weeks leading up to the event, we had volunteers pitching in every which way to make sure things were taken care of. Not once did anyone turn us down when we asked for help. Not once did anyone drop the ball and not follow through.

All weekend long, people came up to us and offered help. And sometimes, guys, the stuff we needed help with was not the most glamorous. We needed help setting up a couple hundred folding chairs, we needed help sorting and handing out hundreds of tshirts, we needed help cleaning up trash and recycling hundreds of lemonade bottles. And every single time we asked, people pitched in and helped – and they did so cheerfully and happily. We didn’t hear a single grumble, a single complaint.

It takes a community to pull off what happened here in Los Angeles this past weekend. It takes hundreds of people who understand that they’re going to get back way more than they put in, people who are happy and thrilled to be a part of something larger than themselves, people who are selfless and supportive and giving. It was an absolute honor to be a part of making an event this wonderful and amazing happen, and we can’t think of anything better to say than thank you from the bottom of our hearts and SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!

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Are You All Ready for WordCamp?

It’s almost here, party people. WordCamp Los Angeles is, like, less than 24hrs away and I couldn’t be more terrified about the whole thing! Kidding, kidding. A lot of effort and planning has gone into making this thing happen and the community has really rallied around us in support of those efforts and that has been awesome!

You guys are going to love WCLAX!
Some of the tips below come from this post on WPcandy.

Are you prepared?

Well. Are you? To help everyone get ready for what’s going down this weekend, I’ve made a list of things to note:

  1. For Saturday and Sunday eat a good breakfast. We’ll have coffee, water and tea at the venue Saturday but no snacks.
  2. T-shirts will be handed out after 3pm.
  3. Power outlets and strips will be limited, so plan accordingly i.e. bring extra batteries, or an external charger, limit wireless usage etc.

What should I bring?

Your beautiful brain and yourself of course! There’s going to be a ton of content to cover and while you may find that you want to bring all of your electronics, you really only need to bring your phone and a notepad; I’d say a laptop/tablet isn’t actually necessary and can even be cumbersome to lug around all day and could hinder your ability to socialize and network. Just my two pennies there.

  • Smartphone
  • Laptop
  • Chargers
  • Pencil and a Notebook in case the other items die on you

What do you want to know?

I find that attending these events is similar to drinking a milkshake too fast. It hurts and can be discombobulating. That is, there’s going to be a ton of content to cover on both days. Really. Ask yourself “what do I want to learn” and start jotting down questions; ask them of your speakers, peers, strangers and more. Having a strategy or an idea of what you want to know can help you get more out of your WordCamp…

That’s great, but how do I get the most out of this thing?

What makes WordPress such a great platform really is the community that drives it. Anyone who is a part of this community will tell you as much. If you’re new and just coming into it, you’ll find it’s unlike most other communities you’ve been a member of. So jump on in, the water is fine!

That said, to get the most out of a WordCamp is simply to partipate

  • Make a new friend. Say “hello!’ Lots!! Meet new people, talk about what you do and ask questions! People love questions! I’ll even tell you how I keep my hair just-so.
  • Find a friend who’s going to be there. Carpooling is the bees knees
  • Ask questions of your speakers
  • Download speakers’ presentations

What else do I need to know?

Participation in WordCamps events, for attendees, sponsors, speakers and volunteers, is an elective endeavor for most. People participate for a variety of reasons: to learn; to connect; to give back; to share… If you see a sponsor or a speaker at the event, be sure to give em a quick ‘thank you;’ they, along with our attendees and speakers make these events possible.

 

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Saturday Registration Details

Here’s what you’ll need for a great day at WordCamp LA:

REGISTRATION
When: 8-8:45AM
Where: Cal State LA, Golden Eagle Building: Soriano Boardroom (3rd floor)
Free parking in Lot 5, you do not need to purchase a permit
Download the Campus Map

Remember, power outlets will be in short supply so bring a power strip if you want to win friends and influence people

See you all tomorrow!

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But wait, there’s more!

But wait, there's more!

But wait, there’s more!

With WordCamp Los Angeles 2013 less than 24 hours away, we’re getting really excited. And if you’ve taken a look at our schedule, you’ll see why! We have great speakers, one heck of an after party, and an awesome Sunday planned.

Happiness Bar

Are you having trouble with your WordPress website? Have you ever wanted to ask a question about WordPress, but were afraid to ask? If so, you’ll be thrilled to know that there will be a Happiness Bar available to all attendees on Saturday.

A Happiness Bar is a live help desk, where you can bring your questions and get some expert help. So, bring that tricky WordPress question that has been bugging you, and get some answers from a professional!

WPwatercooler

If you haven’t heard of WPwatercooler, where the hell have you been? (Only kidding. But seriously. Check it out.)

WPwatercooler is a weekly roundtable discussion hosted by Jason Tucker. Each week he brings together people from the WordPress community to discuss WordPress and how it is changing our businesses and lives. “Okay, Ryan, that’s cool, but what does that have to do with #WCLAX?” Well, if you’d just give me a minute, I was getting to that…

On Saturday, WPwatercooler will be recording live from WCLAX’s Unconference Room during lunch. So, stop by and check out WPwatercooler from 1:15 to 1:45!

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Sponsor Spotlight: Steve Shorr

We are monitoring Health Care Reform where there won’t be anymore questions about Pre Existing Conditions and no one can be denied.  – Steve Shorr

headsh1Don’t lie, you don’t know jack about Medical Insurance other than the fact you need it to fix a booboo! Small Business. It’s cliche, but Small Business is big business. Whether you’re a one person show or if you run a small team there’s a ton of stuff to manage. Health coverage is one of those very things that is often overlooked and misunderstood…

Enter Steve Shorr. He’s kind of a wizard with Medical Insurance and getting people accurate quotes but also making sure that they get the right coverage for their business. He’s been in the business since 1981 (and you thought 1981 was a throw-away year… pfft! Rookie!) and people love working with him!

This is Steve’s first WordCamp that he’s sponsored and we’re absolutely thrilled to have him on board as a sponsor this year. It’s the generous donations from people like Steve Shorr that help make WordCamps possible! Steve, you and I are shot-gunning some beers on Saturday! Whoop whoop!

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Freelancer Panel Discussion on Sunday

Okay, folks. I’m really, really stoked about this particular panel. This is our freelancer’s panel and we’ve got some great folks who bring some excellent insight from their various failures and successes. In short, these folks are going to be dropping knowledge bombs all over the place.

There are no silver bullets in life. It’s about hard work, determination, discipline and a willingness to be coached and so much more. Being a Freelancer is scary and it’s hard. We think our panel can impart some words of wisdom to y’all.

Who is this discussion for?

If you’re brave/crazy enough to venture out on your own and ‘call your own shot’ then this panel is for you!

  • If you’re just treading water and wondering if other people have been where you are and how other folks deal with it, this panel is for you.
  • If you have a business and client base you’re building up then this panel is for you.
  • If you’ve ever wondered “Gee whiz, how can I go out and grab more clients?” then this panel is for you.
  • If you run a business and you want to know what it’ll take to get to the next level then you may have surmised that this talk is just for you!

Who’s Speaking?

We have an awesome group of speakers for you guys.

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The WordCamp LAX After-Party!

With all the awesome going down during the day, you know we had to do an after-party to match! We’ll be partying it up in Downtown LA with free food, drinks and prizes, thanks to our exclusive after-party sponsor … (mt) MediaTemple!

mt-logo-bug-black [Converted]
Blue-Cow-Kitchen

WHO
YOU + speakers, sponsors and other WCLAX attendees!

WHAT
Come party with us! Network, mingle or just come enjoy the ambiance of Downtown LA at twilight! (Plus, free booze!)

WHEN
Saturday, September 21
7-9pm

WHERE
Blue Cow Kitchen and Bar
350 S Grand Ave Los Angeles, CA 90071 (map)
2-hour validated parking in the Blue Cow building ($7.50 flat rate after that)

WHY
Because there ain’t no party like a WordPress party! Plus, (mt) is giving away free hosting and …. a Google Chromebook!

google-chromebook

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