WordCamp Orlando

We just wrapped up two great Camps near Orlando, WordCamp Atlanta and WordCamp Miami. A frequent question was “Will there be a WordCamp Orlando in 2017, and if so, when?”

WordCamp Orlando will be returning in 2017, and we are in pre-planning now. We normally host our Camp in November, and we’re planning on doing that this year as well (hurricanes notwithstanding)!

If you’re interested in getting involved, attend a WordPress Orlando Meetup, and contact us through there. We always need volunteers, and while we’ve not got much work to go around this early, we’ll need plenty of help when the event gets rolling. We’re part of a non-profit and do this in our free time, so help is appreciated!

If you want to learn more, subscribe to emails from us in the sidebar of this site.

It’s been almost a month since WordCamp Orlando 2016 take two ended. I joke that we are the first WordCamp to ever be canceled by a hurricane, but I guess more accurately we’re the first to be rescheduled by a hurricane. Because we were far from canceled.

WCORL16 was a smaller, more low-key and intimate camp than our usual affairs. Every year, the organizers have focused on growing bigger and better, but I feel that in doing that, we almost lost sight of the core focus: providing a learning opportunity for WordPress users of all levels and ages.

It’s almost like Mother Nature saw our egos and sent Hurricane Matthew to put us back in our place. And you know what? It worked. We stopped focusing on beating other camps in terms of numbers and focused more on what makes our camp unique.

We continued to nurture what makes us, well, us:

• Extensive themeing on branding and swag
• Providing longer-form learning opportunities
• Networking brunch
• Utilizing local businesses

I haven’t heard a bad thing about the camp experience from anyone (of course, we haven’t sent the surveys out yet, so who knows!) But for all that happened, the event couldn’t have gone better.

Huge thanks to three of our sponsors:

• Siteground continued to sponsor our brunch even though they couldn’t attend.
• GoDaddy paid for drinks at after party to help ease budget stresses.
• Bluehost provided a ton of moral support and filled four speaker slots.

Also I have to acknowledge our amazing speakers, volunteers, and organizers. Without you all, this camp couldn’t have rolled back a month and still been amazing. And of course, our attendees deserve some recognition for coming out and giving us a reason to have a WordCamp. For every irate apple in the bunch there were 100 amazing apples encouraging us to do our best and supporting our work.

So lets hope 2017 is a less tropical year!

Lisa Melegari
WordCamp Orlando 2016 Organizer

We’ve had a lot of demand to see the schedule, and rather than waiting another week to confirm the few empty spots, we’re releasing the majority of the schedule today. Note that we’re still missing three talks for Saturday, but don’t worry, we’ve got some great people potentially lined up for those slots!

You can check out the full schedule here. And don’t forget – if you refunded and changed your mind or don’t have a ticket yet, there are still plenty to grab!

The WordCamp Orlando Team would like to extend our sincere gratitude to everyone who’s rallied behind us to help overcome the rescheduling issues. We have the final few refunds in process and new tickets on sale for those of you who missed out on the first round.

We still have a few holes to fill in our schedules before we can revise the speaker list and talks. This is where we need YOU to help us out. If you are interested in speaking (even if you applied during the first speaker application deadline) we ask that you please submit an application for consideration for our rescheduled camp.

We are especially looking for business and marketing talks for Sunday’s 3rd track, but all types of talks and levels of user are encouraged!

And don’t forget, we are still looking for volunteers! If you are interested, please email us at wordcamporlando@gmail.com and we will follow up with you regarding assignments.

 

You didn’t think we just gave up, did you?

WordCamp Orlando 2016 is officially rescheduled for November 12-13 at the UCF Rosen campus!

Same location, slightly different schedule.

We are working to re-confirm our speakers and put together a new schedule. For now, this is what we can tell you:

Saturday, Nov. 12 will be the networking brunch, Jeff Noel with the keynote, and then 3 tracks of hour-long sessions.

Sunday, Nov. 13 will be workshop day with the Developer’s Workshop and WordPress for Beginners. We will also have a regular track of talks focused on business and marketing.

What happens to refunds and ticket holders?

If you did NOT request a refund and will be attending, you do not have to do anything. Your ticket carries over to the rescheduled camp!

If you did NOT request a refund and will not be attending, make sure you fill out the refund request form by October 14th.

If you DID request a refund and still want to attend, please e-mail us at wordcamporlando@gmail.com with the name of each attendee you want to cancel the refund for.  Please send your refund cancellation request by Monday, October 17.

If you are attending and purchased a Friday + Weekend ticket don’t worry! We are working out the details to get refunds for the cancelled Friday.

Extra tickets will go on sale as soon as we have the sessions decided and more speakers confirmed.

Is there still a hotel rate?

We are unable to re-negotiate a discounted rate with Rosen Shingle Creek. However, they should have contacted you regarding reservation cancellations due to the storm. We suggest you call them directly and try to re-book at the same rate. We cannot guarantee anything, as we are not affiliated with RSC.

Let me start this off by saying thank you to all our attendees, speakers, sponsors, volunteers, and especially my fellow organizers. The last few days have been difficult, full of decisions that no other WordCamp has had to make until now.

The decision to cancel is now out of our hands. The Rosen UCF campus is under an order to remain closed through Sunday, so we are unable to go forward with our event.

Refunds

Anyone who purchased a ticket is eligible for a full refund. Please fill out this Google Form to request your refund. We will be collecting refund requests through Friday, October 14th, after which they will go to WordCamp Central for processing. If you purchased your ticket more than 60 days ago, WordCamp Central will contact you to arrange your refund.

What’s next?

When we know what our next event plans are, we will email everyone who purchased tickets to WCORL 2016 (even if you got a refund). We are considering other options so the months of planning WCORL 2016 are not in vain.

If you want to use your ticket purchase toward our next event, you do not have to do anything. All non-refunded tickets after the refund period will automatically be carried over to our next event’s “guest list”.

Final Notes

Again, I thank you all for your patience. I want to remind everyone that the WordCamp Orlando organization team is made up of volunteers. As such, we ask that you abide by the Code of Conduct and treat us with respect. Believe us, no one is more upset about the cancellation than our team.

See you all in 2017 at least! (maybe sooner?)

Lisa Melegari
WordCamp Orlando 2016 Organizer