Every now and then I see someone ask in the dev channel how they can meet up with other local WordPress developers. We’re thinking about ways to make WordPress.org more of a resource to facilitate local connections, but in the meantime, I thought it might be helpful to publicize some upcoming WordCamps, the weekend conferences organized by local communities to talk about all things WordPress.
WordCamp New Zealand: Wellington, New Zealand, August 8-9, 2009
WordCamp Huntsville: Huntsville, Alabama, USA, August 15–16, 2009
WordCamp Los Angeles: Los Angeles, California, USA, September 12, 2009
WordCamp Philippines: Makati City, Philippines, September 19, 2009
WordCamp Portland: Portland, Oregon, USA, September 19-20, 2009 (Last year’s PDX WordCamp was awesome, IMO.)
WordCamp Seattle: Seattle, Washington, USA, September 26, 2009
WordCamp Birmingham: Birmingham, Alabama, USA, September 26-27, 2009
WordCamp Netherlands: Utrecht, Netherlands, October 31, 2009
WordCamp NYC: New York, New York, USA, November 14-15, 2009 (Logo contest in progress!)
WordCamp Mexico: Mexico City, Mexico, November 20, 2009
If any of these are within a reasonable distance to you, consider attending. WordCamps are a great way to meet other WordPress users, find collaborators, and expand your t-shirt collection*. I know I’ll be hitting at least a few of these; WordCamps are also a great way to get user feedback to take into consideration while we’re making decisions about what to include in core.
You can always find an up-to-date list of upcoming WordCamps at WordCamp Central. You can also try searching for WordPress groups at Meetup.com to find more regular monthly gatherings in your area.
*Most WordCamps include an event t-shirt in the registration fee.