Start with your name. Easy huh? 🙃
Pascal Birchler
Tell us about your team in three words.
Diverse, Community, Speakers
If your team were a WordPress plugin, what would it do?
The speaker’s team is probably best represented by a spreadsheet application or a Tetris game-like plugin. Our goal is to choose from hundreds of pieces (speaker applications) the ones that fit together the best for a really high score (happy attendees).
What’s the most unexpected skill you’ve used while organising WCEU?
In hindsight, it is probably not very surprising, but I’ve certainly rediscovered my spreadsheet skills, trying to stay on top of the hundreds of speaker applications we’ve received and later the selected presentations. Nothing beats great organisation so that the team always has a clear picture of the conference program and never feels lost or overwhelmed.
Describe your WCEU experience so far using only emojis. Add as many as you want.
🇨🇭🐕😂😃🗣️🕺💃👏🧑💻📝
What’s the funniest or most memorable moment you’ve had with your team?
It’s probably not one specific funny moment, but all the little ones along the way, be it a funny joke or Cookie the Dog appearing on screen. For me personally, I think the most memorable moment will be at the closing remarks of the conference, after two days of lots of great presentations with hopefully no hiccups.
If WCEU were a music festival, what would be your team’s anthem?
Tough one! It needs to be something upbeat that captures the WordCamp’s atmosphere and this sense of community. And of course, the legendary after-parties, which are always the grand finale. How about “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire?
What’s one thing people don’t realise about your team’s work behind the scenes?
Great question! There is definitely a lot going on behind the scenes. After the Call for Speakers and the selection process, our number one priority is that we have everything we need for the conference, but most importantly, the speakers have everything they need as well. That requires a lot of documentation, emailing back and forth, and coordinating with other teams and volunteers to ensure a smooth process during the conference.
In the spirit of open-source collaboration, what’s the best lesson WCEU has taught you about teamwork?
Communication is key. With so many people working together from all over Europe, all in their spare time, it’s important to have clear and consistent communication.
Which famous fictional character would make the best addition to your team, and why?
I would probably choose Hermione Granger (Harry Potter) for her exceptional organisational and communication skills. She is very community-minded and genuinely wants to help others succeed in an inclusive environment. The conference itself involves lots of walking between the different rooms, so with her magic skills, that would be a breeze.
Convince someone in 10 words or less why they should join WCEU next year.
Behind the scenes, make friends, celebrate community, inspire people
Leave a Reply