Dos and Don’ts for attending your first WordCamp

Tomorrow I hit the road for WordCamp US and I’m super excited. It’ll be my fifth WordCamp, but my first US one. It’s a big one, so I don’t really know how it’ll be different from the others I’ve attended, but I expect I will walk away with some new knowledge and new friends, and that’s kind of the point.

But if it’s your first time at a WordCamp, you may be nervous and not know what to expect. So I have a few pointers to help get you through.

DOs

• Introduce yourself to people. Don’t be afraid to make new friends. Networking and making contacts with other people who do what you do is one of the great reasons to attend a WordCamp.
• Review the sessions the night before and think about which ones you want to attend. There are a lot of concurrent sessions and sometimes you have to make some tough choices.
• Take notes! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve logged into Evernote after a conference to review notes about the conference. So much information comes at you, it can be hard to keep track of it.
• Go to the afterparty. It’s a great opportunity to get to know more of your colleagues.

DON’Ts

• Hide in a corner. Make friends!
• Be afraid to ask questions. If there’s a great speaker and you want to know more, don’t be afraid to ask questions.
• Feel like an imposter. There are users, designers, developers of ALL LEVELS at WordCamps. This is a safe place for everyone who loves WordPress, so don’t feel like an imposter. Understand that part of WordCamp is learning new skills to enhance your use of WordPress and increase your business.
• Don’t miss the State of the Word from Matt Mullenweg. This one is specific to this particular WordCamp, but seriously, don’t miss it. I’m gonna make a point to try not to be too FanGirly. (No promises.)

And if you’re there, be sure to introduce yourself to me and Susan! We love making new friends!