inMotion Hosting Helps Bicycle-Kick WordCamp LA into Shape!

inMotion Hosting is like the German National Football Club of 2014, if the German Football Club did Web Hosting… And were based out of Los Angeles… Okay, maybe that was a bad analogy. Probably. Definitely. Let’s just say that inMotion Hosting dominates the hosting game and they’re right here in good ol’ Los Angeles, with all the other cool kids! They say it on their site, “We Love LA” and gosh golly we love those kids, too!

They’re not a one-trick pony either. If you want to run WordPress, they have optimized solutions just right for your needs. They’re support wizards are friendly and knowledgeable and when you need help, they’re there. One time I had a site go down and rung up their support team and they said “Not on our watch, brochacho!” Yes, they’d recovered my site in all of ten minutes. People, I can barely style my hair in 10 minutes. So when I say inMotion is impressive, believe the hype!

Let’s give a hearty thanks to the good people at inMotion for helping make WCLA get going this year!

WooThemes Lends a Hand to WordCamp LA

WooThemes. Do I need to say any more? No, seriously. Be quiet. Think of something WordPress-related that doesn’t do the whole “Seven Degrees of Kevin Bacon” thingy majig. YOU. CAN’T! WooThemes is a part of your life. You’ve touched  a site using their themes, you’ve built sites running their themes; you sell products using their snazzy WooCommerce product. The point is this: WooThemes is big. No, they’re HUGE!!! And even though they’re located all the way over in South Africa (almost typed “South America” for a moment there) they continue to make a global impact on business owners running WordPress as their foundation.

In this ecosystem it’s truly amazing what they have accomplished and not one other company has come close to replicating what Woo has done. Period. Not even my nice hair holds a candle to them!!

So let’s give a hearty “Huzzah!” to the good folks at WooThemes for their generous donations this year. You guys is great!

Sponsor Spotlight: Sprout Apps

I’d like to talk to you about our newest sponsor for a moment, Sprout Apps. You might be wondering who they are. I wondered the same thing.

The folks over at Sprout Apps aren’t just looking to build the next “also-ran” product. They’re looking to change the way you do business with your clients. Because you know what, guys? Doing business is hard! How does Sprout Apps plan to make things easier for you and I? Oh, you know, by being philosophically sound in their product development approach. As Chris Lema puts it: “The trick to making difficult things easy, is to keep the easy things still easy.

What does that mean exactly? It means closing the gap between your website and your customer intake systems.

Wait. What?

If you’re like me, you probably have Gravity Forms on your site. You get a request for a quote. You review it, blah, blah, send an email back and, if the potential client wants to do some business you get stepping on creating an estimate. It doesn’t sound like a lot of work, but even two to three of these can eat up hours of your time before you notice that time has gone and left you.

That’s where Sprout App comes in. They’re building an integrated tool that automates this workflow headache for you. Yeah, auto-magically! If it sounds like Pixie Dust and Unicorn Pies in the Sky, it’s not! It’s not available yet, but it’s coming and it’s something to keep your eyes, kids.

That said, let’s give a big thank you to Sprout Apps for sponsoring WordCamp LA this year. You guys rock!

WP Site Care Cares So Much They’re Sponsoring Too!

Do you manage WordPress sites for a living? If you’re here then you probably do. I don’t know about you, but I hate providing support for projects that have long been finished. In fact I’d rather take  sharp stick to the eye. WP Site Care, though, supporting you and making sure your sites are purring, free of nasty malware and malicious code is what they do. It’s like it’s their job… Oh wait, it IS their job!

Ryan Sullivan runs WP Site Care and I have to tell you, he knows what he’s doing. Not only that he’s all about the community. He doesn’t just say, he lives it and breathes it. Maybe you’ve seen him sponsoring at WordCamps, maybe you’ve seen him speak at a WordCamp, or just maybe he answered one of your questions on the WordPress.org forums. Without a doubt, he’s a stand-up dude!

Let’s give a hearty thanks to Ryan Sullivan and WP Site Care!

Chris Lema is Sponsoring WCLA!

When he sneezes, the people around him get new product ideas; when people sit in his office and listen to his eloquent voice and furious fingers tapping away on the keyboard, they close not one, but TWO business deals; by the time you finish reading this, Chris will have made more money than you will in 586 years… And he blogs daily. He is the most awesome dude in the world, he is the Chris Lema.

We’d like to take this time to thank the incomparable Chris Lema for yet another generous donation. He contributes so much more to each and every Camp and is a true pillar of awesome in our community.

Thanks, Chris!

Call for Sponsors

An artist's rendition of the official #wclax carrier pigeon, Mr. pre_get_posts()

An artist’s rendition of the official #wclax carrier pigeon, Mr. pre_get_posts()

In lieu of the fact that our primary means of communication getting destroyed (our Conch Shell) and that our second option, Carrier Pigeon, Mr. pre_get_posts(), is crappy at delivering hand-written messages (he’s old and kind of a jerk!) we’re going to deliver our Call for Sponsors via a standard old blog post.

Sponsors! We need you, man!

One of the things that makes WordCamps such great events is undoubtedly the community and how it comes together to make for something that creates value for all who participate. Often, one of the most overlooked aspects of a Camp are the generous donations from Sponsors who step-up and give their time and resources to ensure that they DO happen.

Shut-up-and-take-my-moneyWe’ve been fortunate to have some amazing sponsors contribute in so many different ways. And you know what the crazy thing is? They fall over themselves to help us out!! We don’t give them anything more than credits on the site and at the event; we don’t even give them cookies! I mean, it’s the least they deserve!!

It’s humbling and makes our job for raising funds for the camp so much easier.

Why Sponsor a WordCamp?

Sponsors help make WordCamps an awesome experience that focuses on providing value first and being a place that fosters a safe environment to learn, grow and thrive. It sounds cheesy, but it’s the truth! Sponsors help ensure a great event is experienced by all.

Sponsors of WordCamps, I think, understand it’s not just about “throwing money” at an event and slapping their logo on a website. The Sponsors that get the most out of donating to a WordCamp find the most value comes from interacting with the community and really taking part in it; knowing they helped create something of value for a lot of people. You’d be surprised how many folks remember the Sponsors who really take part in the festivities and reach out to them later. So if you decide to Sponsor a WordCamp be sure to take full advantage and connect with as many people as you can. Whether you’re a large company, or a one-person-shop, there’s a ton of value to be had from the interaction. It’s truly an opportunity to build something of worth.

Yeah, Sponsors help make sure that happens!! If you’re considering sponsoring this WordCamp or have done so in the past, this next part is for you!

 

Sponsor Inquiry

If you’re interested in sponsoring WordCamp Los Angeles, please complete the form below and we’ll contact you.