The third annual WordCamp US (WCUS) is being held in Nashville, TN, December 1-3. And for the first time ever, nine WebDevStudios (WDS) team members will be there together. This is a big deal for so many reasons.
One, nine of us in the same spot at the same time is huge. WDS is a 100% distributed company; so we work remote, not in an office together. To have nine of us spending days together (and all from different departments, mind you) is major.
Two, we LOVE WordPress and WordCamp. A bunch of us celebrating that as a team will be an amazing bonding experience. And, lastly, some of us haven’t even met in person yet! Coming together for WCUS gives us the opportunity to finally connect face-to-face and not just on Slack, as we normally do. Add to that, we’re even staying in a WDS-sponsored Airbnb together. It’s like the ultimate WordPress slumber party… or maybe an episode of “The Real World.” What happens when WDS stops being polite and starts getting real? We’re about to find out.
So who’s going and what are we looking forward to? First, there’s our fearless leader and CEO, Brad Williams, and our Operations Manager, April Williams. WDS developers who will be in attendance are Lead Frontend Developer, Greg Rickaby, and Backend Developer, Jeremy Ward. Greg is looking forward to hanging out with coworkers and making them homemade pizzas, while Jeremy can’t wait to take a break from the computer and attend a Nashville Predators-Vancouver Canucks hockey game.
Creative Lead, Cameron Campbell, and Client Strategist, Jodie Riccelli, will also be there. This will be Jodie’s third WCUS event, as the first two were held in her hometown of Philadelphia, and she was a volunteer organizer at both. She’s eagerly looking forward to donning a cowboy hat and simply spending time with her coworkers. Cameron, on the other hand, will be attending the hockey game with Jeremy, but he’s also looking forward to eating hot chicken and enjoying one of the coolest cities in the world.
Cristina Holt, Account Manager, and John Hawkins, Business Development Director, are set to attend WCUS, too. Cristina says she can’t wait to see (and meet) her coworkers. “Plus the bonuses are country music, good food, and beer!” she exclaims. John agrees. In addition to connecting with coworkers, he is also really looking forward to seeing his WordPress colleagues from all over.
As the company’s Communications Specialist, I’ll be there, as well, covering the event for WDS social media. Take a moment now to follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram. Also follow WCUS and the hashtag #WCUS on Twitter, too, for even more event news. See the full schedule of WCUS sessions and talks here.
WDS is available for interviews! Podcast hosts, vloggers, and bloggers who wish to interview Brad or other team members during WCUS can schedule appointments in advance. To set one up, send an email to [email protected].
With over a thousand people expected to attend, WCUS is destined to be the hottest WordCamp of the year. WDS is glad that we can be there together. As always, if you spot one of us at WordCamp, don’t be shy. Stop and say hi. See y’all in Nashville.