Oh, people, I am sorry to tell you that unless you are a speaker or sponsor, and we have saved a ticket for you, we are all out of our 580 tickets.
When we have people get refunds for tickets they can’t use, we will release the tickets again – so keep checking. If you’d like to get a ticket, should they come available, include your name and the type of ticket you need, in the comments below. If we have tickets open up later, you might be able to snag one.
In the meantime, check out our local WordPress Meetups. They are a great resource for learning more about WordPress and getting involved in the WordPress community.
Why didn’t we plan for more people?
We have had some people question why, when we knew that WordCamp was so popular, didn’t we find a venue that would hold more people. One person suggested maybe we were too worried about profits, another said that selling out in three hours was a fail and suggested that next year we should hire an event planner.
Since many of you are new to the WordPress Community, let me explain that there are general guidelines all 372 WordCamps must follow, no matter where they are in the world.
According to WordCamp.org,
“WordCamps are not meant to be big, fancy, expensive conferences. WordCamps are meant to be low-key local gatherings that are affordable — cheap, even — to allow people from all walks of life to attend, meet, share, and learn. Sponsorships and donations make this possible, keeping ticket prices low, usually below $40 for a 2-day event.”
WordCamp Atlanta is put on by volunteers from our local WordPress Meetup Community. Our organizers had to be approved by the WordPress Foundation, to put on an event called a WordCamp.
We are not about making a profit here. Putting on a WordCamp is a labor of love. Any money generated by donations and tickets sales, that was not spent on Camp, goes back to the foundation to help with future WordCamps.
You might think that the most difficult task in organizing a WordCamp would be raising money. But no. There are many great companies who are eager to step up and get involved. Just check out the sidebar to see our fantastic group of sponsors.
Actually, the the most difficult task for most WordCamp organizers is finding a venue. This is especially true in Atlanta, an expensive convention town with hotel conference centers that are cost prohibitive. Some WordCamps have been fortunate to have a local university donate space to hold the event. We haven’t found anyone yet who could give us enough space.
When you have a WordCamp for 500 people with different levels of interest and experience, you need to have at least four tracks. This means having four rooms that hold 125 people each. Take my word for it, this type of space is hard to come by. And having more tracks with smaller rooms makes the event even more complicated and time intensive for the volunteer staff.
We would love to have everyone who wants to attend be able to come to WordCamp. Unfortunately, this year that won’t be possible. If any of you would like to help make this possible in the future, we would welcome your involvement.
Check out the infographic about WordCamps in this post by WPBeginner.
