Rachel Avery Conley is one of the Providence WordCamp Organizers.
What inspires someone to devote the time and energy to being a WordCamp organizer? What insights can she offer?
Here’s a Q-and-A with Co-chair of Volunteers, Rachel Avery Conley.
What brings you back as one of the organizers this year?
Rachel- I love being involved in the WordPress community and the Providence WordCamp organizers are a great group of people.
What is your favorite part of WordCamp?
Rachel- The classes and the collaboration.
What do you get out of it?
Rachel- I have some introvert tendencies, so being able to help with the planning and connecting with people before the event allows me to feel more comfortable and able to absorb more information.
What is your level of comfort with creating and maintaining websites?
Rachel- I am very comfortable with WordPress, moderate level comfortable with changing CSS and HTML. I can work my way around a database too, but only if I have to!
What do you do with WordPress?
Rachel- I create content in the form of weekly blogs and website content for creative professionals on WordPress platforms.
What would you say to someone who is thinking about attending WordCamp, but says: “I know nothing about websites and will be totally overwhelmed.”
Rachel- I would suggest that you go and keep your ears open. 80% of it will not be absorbed (but that’s true for MOST attendees at any level), but it will introduce you to key ideas and people that you can then go back and follow on social media and take your learning to the next level. Also, all WordCamps are taped and available to watch online, so you can also go back and watch it again to really understand it. But if you don’t go, you don’t know what you are missing!
What would you say to someone who says: “I know so much about websites and WordPress there’s nothing I could get out of WordCamp.”
Rachel- The best part of WordCamps is the collaboration and core contribution. Also, maybe someone can learn something from you! Feel free to volunteer at the Happiness Bar (aka Help Desk) and give back to people who could benefit from your expertise!
What impressions do you come away with about the other speakers, volunteers, sponsors and the organizers?
Rachel- They’re awesome, but I’m biased.
Any advice for a first-time WordCamp attendee?
Rachel- Bring a notebook and lots of business cards.
Rachel Avery Conley is The Photographer’s Blogger, providing Regular Blogging Service and Content Creation for Creative Professionals on WordPress platforms. She has spoken on the topic of WordPress for Photographers before groups such as the 2013 Inspire Photo Retreat and before a CT Photography Users Group.
{the Photographer’s Blogger} http://blogforphotogs.com/
{twitter} https://twitter.com/rac_photoblog
{instagram} http://instagram.com/rac_photoblogger
Rachel Avery Conley and Daniella Norwood are the Co-Chairs of Volunteers for Providence WordCamp 2014.
Contact them if you would like to volunteer for all or part of the weekend of September 26 and 27!