- Opportunity to volunteer at WCEU open until 31 March 2018.
- Hear stories of how volunteering has positively impacted lives.
- Personal experiences offer new insights into volunteering at WordCamps.
There are less than 100 days until WordCamp Europe welcomes attendees from all over the world to Belgrade, Serbia for its annual conference. The event will include talks and workshops covering a variety of topics relating to WordPress, including development, design, accessibility, content and business, but one of the most striking elements of WCEU is its community.
With WordCamp Europe’s call for volunteers open until 31 March 2018, we’ve taken a closer look at stories to make your soul smile from volunteers who are part of the global WordPress community, including past WCEU volunteers.
Our first story is from Yvette Sonneveld, Founding Partner at Sonneveld & Goeijenbier, who shares her first experience of volunteering at WordCamp Miami and how continuing to volunteer at WordCamps has positively impacted her confidence and connections.
“About 4 years ago, I was looking for a way to overcome imposter syndrome. I wasn’t shy by nature, but I found it hard to position myself as an expert. I decided to create a bucket list with challenges that would boost my self-esteem. Attending an Internet marketing-related conference was one of them. Skydiving another.”
“After I won a sky dive, I found the courage to sign up for a WordCamp: Miami, but as soon as I had purchased a ticket to the conference and an airline ticket, I got in a total panic zone moment. What had I done? A few days later, a mail arrived in my inbox. Looking back now, this mail has changed my life.”
“The organizers of WordCamp Miami were looking for volunteers. I signed up, helped to haul around boxes, alphabetize registration cards and register attendees. Within an hour, I was working, chatting and laughing with other volunteers. Focusing on the joint goal, making attendees feel welcome and right at home, helped me shift away from my anxiety and towards making real connections. I am still in contact with some of the people I volunteered with that weekend.”
“The confidence gained during that weekend helped me to attend several other WordCamps. If I travel to an area I don’t know many people, I usually sign up as a volunteer. Almost every new conference I stretch out a bit further, and most of the time this happened as a result of the encouragement of other community members.”
“If you are looking for a safe place to grow, to become the best person and professional possible, please consider becoming an active member of this community. It has made all the difference to me, and that is what I want for you to.”
The second story is from Nagesh Pai, Happiness Engineer for WordPress.com with Automattic, who describes the rare opportunities that WordCamps provide, including what can feel like a mixing of worlds:
“WordCamp Europe helped me connect and become good friends with community members around the world. I met Matt Mullenweg for the first time, which was the biggest fanboy moment of my life. WCEU 2017 was a walk with the legends – each and every contributor and community member present there.”
The next story is from Jan Löffler, CTO at Plesk, who highlights the prestige of the event and the importance of contributing to a cause you care about:
“Volunteering at a WordCamp is absolutely exciting! You’ll meet passionate and inspiring people and have a chance to contribute to one of the best web development conferences in the world. This let’s you get backstage and contribute to the global community. You will leave the event fully loaded with energy and inspiration. Everybody who really cares about WordPress should volunteer at one of the WordCamps.”
Our fourth story comes from Adelina Tuca, Content Writer at Themeisle, detailing the opportunities WordCamp volunteers have to try something new and to challenge themselves in a positive way:
“I was on the communication team two years ago, when my task was to send live tweets from the sessions to the WCEU official Twitter page. It was a first for me and, doing this at a high-profile event like WordCamp Europe, made the whole experience even more challenging. My small contribution made me feel like home there, and I was being one of the hosts. Volunteering puts everything in a different light and lets you see the conference from a whole new perspective. It’s like being at the core of the event. You should try it too.”
Finally, our story from Wendie Huis in t Veld, owner and WordPress expert at the Website Club, explains that the impact of volunteering at a WordCamp is not limited to your professional life, but can change your whole life for the better:
“Volunteering at WCEU has been an extraordinary experience every single time. I love that with my small role I contributed to making an awesome event. It has been a game changer for my confidence which is visible in my work, in my personal life, in my friendships, basically in every single part of my life.”
Learn more about the volunteer roles.
Applicants can sign up as a volunteer online before the deadline on 31 March 2018.