Category Archives: Updates

Team WordCamp Does It Again

We’re still hearing from everyone how much you enjoyed WordCamp this year, and we love all of the stories of business and personal connections that were made all surrounding our love of WordPress. This makes all the work that goes into WordCamp worth every minute.

Speaking of work, we really need to thank all of the people that made this conference happen. We’re grateful to our organizers and volunteers who made this event possible.

The Organizer Committee is:
Lydia Roberts (our fearless leader!)
Julien Melissas
Steven Slack
Boomer Sassmann
Corey Bullman
Lisa McAlpine
Denise Wilson
Jeff Bowen
Alicia Murray
Rich Owings
John Dorner.

Read more about the organizers here!

WordCamp Organizing team waving at you

And, a shout out to all of our amazing volunteers who sacrificed their time and talents to pitch in anywhere it was needed. We had volunteers design our logo and banners, reach out through social media, moderate speaker’s presentations, staff the registration table, navigate parking, help at the Happiness Bar — you name it, we had a volunteer for it.  THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS! We are so grateful for your humble service.

Our volunteers:

Ethan Shepherd
Donna Donnelly
Tracey Rabjohns
Elizabeth Banks
Ann-Marie McBride
Gary Heisey
Sally Guerard
Noah Hall
Janice Lierz
Audra Gaiziunas
Matt Hoyle
Lewis Dahm
Steffi Rausch
Jason Johnson
Jamie King
Shantanu Suman
Marisa Falcigno
Chris Sparks
Michael Hull
Laurel Scherer
Sarah Benoit
Daryl Houston
Alicia Kryworuka
Kevin Koehler

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We are so lucky to have such an enthusiastic, dedicated group. Thanks again to everyone for making WordCamp Asheville a success!

Great First Day!

Day one of WordCamp Asheville 2015 is a wrap!

2015 WordCamp Asheville (sm)Look at all of these amazing people who came out to meet new friends, make business connections, and learn how to grow their businesses using WordPress.

Bring on day two!

Important Details for Attendees

WordCamp is coming up fast! Attendees: The following are all the nitty gritty details you need to know about getting here, parking, the after-party, and other details!

Location

The Highsmith Student Union is on the UNC Asheville campus located in North Asheville. Check out our Location page for specific directions on how to approach the parking lots. You will park on Founders Drive off of W.T. Weaver Blvd. A volunteer will be on site to show you how to enter Highsmith Student Union after you park.
View detailed directions and a campus map »

Registration – 8am Saturday

The registration desk is located on the lower level of Highsmith Student Union. Give your name at the desk and you’ll be given your badge and t-shirt. 

A breakfast snack will be available during this time, so grab some food and that all-important cup of coffee!

 WiFi

Please allow a few extra minutes in the morning to get set up on UNCA’s WiFi network. You can save time by getting the WiFi password in advance. Check your email for directions that we’ve created for you. If you have trouble with these directions, please go to the Happiness Bar in the open food court area for help.

After Party!icon-2015-beer

Following each day’s sessions will be a casual gathering at The Wedge in the River Arts District. The Wedge is frequented by food trucks so you should be able to get a snack or dinner here as well.
Get Directions to the Wedge »

Things to Do In Asheville

Asheville
Summer is a great time to be in Asheville! We’ve put together a list of things to do for those of you who aren’t familiar with the town we live in, work in, and LOVE.

Come to Asheville because of WordCamp, stay in Asheville because of the the people, the lifestyle, and of course, the mountains!

If you have some extra time surrounding your visit for WordCamp, here are some top things to do:

Beer

You can’t come to Asheville without hearing about (and tasting!) beer. Here’s a great video explaining the South Slope with an interview from AshVegas’ Jason Sanford.

Nightlife

While we’re going to have a few kickin’ after parties, if you can’t make them, or have extra time to spend in Asheville, check out all that our nightlife scene has to offer.

Food

It’s best to come hungry to Asheville as it’s definitely a foodie paradise. There are tons of options and many restaurants use locally sourced food. Explore Asheville’s Foodtopia site is a great source for information about where to eat — or use this guide to search based on cuisine or neighborhood.

The Biltmore House

Visitors young and old love the Biltmore House.  This stately mansion boasts 250 rooms (34 family and guest bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, and 65 fireplaces) and is home to some of the best views in Asheville. There’s the house, the grounds and gardens, and a winery all on site.  (WordCamp attendees are getting a coupon code for discounted admission!)

Watering Holes

Asheville (and the surrounding area) has tons of places to cool off on a hot day. Check out this list of awesome area swimming holes.

Shopping

There are plenty of places to shop including many eclectic stores right in downtown Asheville and there is a brand new outlet mall that opened up — complete with a store that sells only beef jerky!

Here are some great local websites if you want to know more about Asheville:
AshVegas.com
MountainXpress
Asheville Tourism Website
Asheville Citizen-Times

Schedule is Live

The official schedule is live and lists an impressive lineup of topics from talented presenters who love WordPress.

Here’s a quick reminder of how WordCamp Asheville is set up:

Friday, July 24 is PreCamp Beginner’s Day (requires that you purchased the PreCamp + WordCamp ticket)
Saturday and Sunday, July 25-26 are WordCamp session days and after parties (more details on the after parties to come)

The schedule is broken down by track, so you can easily see what’s available, but don’t feel like you have to stay in one track. We encourage people to go to any session they like.

We’re really excited about the sessions this year and the speakers are gearing up for some great conversations!


See the Schedule Now


Sold out!

It took just under two weeks, but all tickets for PreCamp and WordCamp are SOLD. We’re thrilled that the Asheville WordPress community responded so quickly. We’re putting together a great conference, have amazing speakers lined up, and now we have YOU to connect with at the end of July.

If you missed out on a ticket, sign up for our newsletter and follow us on Twitter and Facebook so you don’t miss our future announcements. You can also check out our social wall to follow along. And, all sessions are being videoed and will be shared for free on WordPress.tv after the conference. If you’re in the area, please join us at our local meetup group too!

Tickets are now on Sale

Woohoo! The big day is here. Ticket sales are now live.

Tickets for WordCamp  are $40 and includes a t-shirt and lunch both days (Saturday, July 25 and Sunday, July 26). Pretty sweet deal, huh?

Friday’s PreCamp is a hands-on workshop aimed at helping beginners get a new WordPress site up and running, and is packaged along with WordCamp for $60.

Check out our Tracks to see what you’ll be learning at WordCamp! We’ll be posting a detailed schedule with all the sessions and speakers in the coming week.

We sold out quickly last year, so why take a chance at being left out? Get your ticket today and spread the word.

PreCamp tickets available soon – limited to 50 attendees!

PreCamp is a hands-on Beginner’s Day for those new to WordPress. Unlike WordCamp (Sat & Sun), which focuses on presentations by various speakers, PreCamp (Fri) is a do-it-yourself day.

Are you new to WordPress (or know someone who is) and want some hands-on support in setting up your website? PreCamp is designed to take you from a blank slate to a fully functioning website before you walk out the door. We provide almost everything* you need to get started – including three months of hosting for your site thanks to the generous sponsorship of SiteGround.

If you’re a beginner who is wondering if this is the right place for you – the answer is YES!

Want to be one of the lucky 50 attendees?

Make sure you’ve signed up for Email updates (subscribe on right-hand sidebar) and we’ll notify you when tickets go on sale.

We look forward to meeting you at PreCamp! *you will need to bring a laptop with wireless internet and administrative access, any images and content you will want on your website, and a willingness to learn through hands-on experience (a great sense of humor and willingness to laugh while you learn is appreciated – but not required.)


Learn More About PreCamp


Speaker Submission Update

WordCamp Asheville speaker proposals
Our speaker submission form is officially closed and the WordCamp committee is combing through each and every proposal. We’re narrowing down the list (with so many excellent presenters and topics, this is no easy task!).

We’ll be reaching out to speakers who make the list by early next week.

After we confirm all speakers, we’ll start announcing the line up. So, stay tuned to this site and to our social channels for updates and for when tickets go on sale (which will be very, very soon)!

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