As we shared in the closing remarks of WordCamp Philly 2017, we are eager to bring new people onto the organizing team for 2018. Over the course of this past year, we were reminded of the value of having a diverse, well-rounded, and energetic team to craft a wonderful WordCamp experience.

To be clear, building  a successful WordCamp requires a lot of work from a lot of people to make those work levels reasonable. As we strive to deliver another successful WordCamp in Philly next year, we’re seeking to add new people to our team.

About the Organizing Team

To pull off a WordCamp, the organizing team needs to be stacked with “doers” and “givers”. Our current team is a mix of WordCamp planning veterans and new members – yet everyone on the team is a “hand up” person. That is, they are always raising their hands to volunteer to address a need or to complete a task.

Beyond that, the team is a mix of designers, developers, project managers and more. We’re business owners, agency employees and university staff. We all love WordPress and the WordPress community. We use WordPress in different ways but we’re all committed to making the community as diverse and inclusive as possible. We believe in “belonging”.

Basic Requirements

There are two basic requirements to be a successful member of an organizing team:

1. A desire and commitment to give of oneself, sharing back with the community;
2. An ability to work well in a team of volunteers.

While a working knowledge of WordPress is an added bonus, it’s not absolutely required. We really are looking for Philly area people who are ready, willing, and able to grow and improve our local WordPress community regardless of their level of WordPress knowledge, experience, or focus.

Our Needs: Logistics of Getting Involved

Here are a few items to consider when thinking about whether you’d like to apply to join our team:

• In years past, we held online meetings every two weeks to move the planning tasks along. We met at 2 pm every other Tuesday afternoon (via a video call). This changed to weekly meetings in September 2017, as the date of the WordCamp drew closer.
• We’re looking at mid to late autumn dates for WordCamp Philly 2018. Organizers are expected to be present for the entire weekend.
• While not all weeks are the same, serving on the organizing team will require at least a few hours per week of work. This will definitely increase as the WordCamp gets closer.

Roles and Volunteer Activities

As organizers, we’re responsible for so many tasks. We’ve set some of them out below to give you a glimpse into what you might be asked to do. This list isn’t comprehensive – and it’s not presented in any particular order – but it’s a good start:

• Set and follow the WordCamp budget
• Style and update the WordCamp website with important information and news
• Recruit speakers and coordinate speaker involvement and support
• Recruit and coordinate volunteer involvement and support
• Secure sponsorship from local companies, organizations and people
• Research, select and procure conference swag
• Determine catering menus
• Design signage and badges
• Promote WordCamp Philly across social media
• Arrange the after-party
• Structure and organize activities for Contributor Day
• Much, much, more!

As a member of the organizing team, you would be assigned to a small team to focus on and complete tasks around a specific organizational effort, like sponsorships, speakers, or volunteers.

A Commitment to Diversity

As a local community, we’re committed to diversity. We believe that bringing together different genders, races, cultures, sexual orientations, and sexual identities adds more strength and value than any single group alone could deliver. We are committed to ensuring that our organizing team is an accurate reflection of our local WordPress community. We’re working hard to make “belonging” a watchword of our community.

Of course, any successful applicant will be required to adhere to our Code of Conduct.

How to Apply

Please use the form below to share your details and to register your interest in serving on the organizing team.

The deadline for applications is 11:59 pm Sunday, 31-Dec-2017.

Please note that we’re a small volunteer team. We can’t guarantee that we’ll respond to all applications in a timely manner – but we will respond to all applications. We value your time and effort and will be sure to respect both.