In traditional fashion and as it’s been a full week now since the end of WordCamp Los Angeles 2017, it’s time for the wrap up post.

The Starting Line:

For the 4th year in a row we were back at CSULA with a sell out event. This year actually sold out much earlier than the past 2 years, which was very cool.

This year we had a few different items to manage, with the first being the bringing back of the beginner track on Friday. Though there were a few hiccups with registration, but overall the session was a success. There were over 65 people in attendance (was supposed to be capped at 50!) and it set the stage for an amazing weekend of learning and sharing.

Beginner Track – WCLAX 2017

Another change this year was the after party location. This year we kept it local. Real local! Instead of heading to an offsite establishment, we went downstairs to the CSULA Student Union plaza. Turnout was great as there was no commute to deal with. Additionally, it provided an awesome transition for more discussions, networking and community building. The lack of loud music, was a definite perk IMO.

After Party – WCLAX 2017 – Photo by Glenn Zucman

On The Track

Once again, I’d like to thank all the sponsors of all levels. Without your support this event would not have been as easy nor as affordable. I did hear from one sponsor who thought initially it was a bit light as far as turn out, which got me a little worried as sponsors rely on attendees for the ROI on sponsorship. That prompted me to check the attendee check-in list and pop into all the rooms. I was happy to see that they were all full. Additionally many people were standing as there weren’t enough seats. Whew! So yes, it was light at the sponsor area during the presentations, but that is a good thing. It means that the sessions were of value to the attendees.

Stepping up to be a speaker is not easy for most people. The whole “fear of public speaking” is a real thing for the majority of people in the world. By the way, selecting speakers isn’t easy either! There were so many great talks submitted but only 28 spots available!

Thank you to everyone who submitted talks and to those who did present. You all did an amazing job. I am going to call out one speaker and was Jansen Henschel. At 11 years old, he nailed it! He was prepared, entertaining and provided great value during is presentation. If you missed his talk, be sure to check it on WordPress.tv when it comes out.

Jansen Henschel

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, it takes a village. That village is often comprised of volunteers. Souls who want nothing more but to be of service. Sure they get to attend an amazing event but more often than not, they just really want to and enjoy helping people wherever they can in life. From manning the registration table, monitoring the rooms, running video cameras, and handing out swag, they all did a great job.

As lead, my job was to keep driving forward and I knew that the smartest thing I could do was to surround myself with people who were all smarter and more talented than me! There is no way that I could have pulled any of this off without the amazing support of the organizing team. That team consisted of Rachel Cherry, Jen Miller, Bridget Willard, Stephen Harvey, Amber Hewitt, Renee Johnson, Roy Sivan and Thomas Patrick Levy. I just drove the car, but they made sure we arrived at our destination. Thank you for joining me on this crazy trip.

The WCLAX 2017 organizer team

The Finish Line

I’ve had the honor of leading WordCamp Los Angeles for the past two years and I didn’t take this role lightly. My mission was to have a place where the WordPress community would find a safe place to gather, share, learn and build lifelong friendships. I’d like to think I pulled it off, but the only way to know for sure is if you join the community and get involved.  I’ll leave you with this quote I said at closing remarks by Howard Thurman, “Community cannot for long feed on itself; it can only flourish with the coming of others from beyond, their unknown and undiscovered brothers.”

Ready to get involved?

On your mark, get set, go!