One of the perks of being the oldest WordCamp in the Southest is the community that has come together over the years. Sure, WordCamps are about learning and professional development, but there's a laid-back atmosphere, and the real focus is on building relationships and friendships.
That's the kind of networking that we here at #wpyall think works best. You can hand your business card out to a thousand people and not get a single lead. But you can play rock, paper, scissors with someone and make a business partner for life (or a karaoke buddy, right, Dwayne?)
Each fall, we get together at WordCamp Birmingham, not just to spread what we've learned about WordPress and business over the previous year, but also to see old friends and to make new ones.
The after-parties give us a chance to hang out with people who live a whole continent away and to have laughs with new people from Birmingham and the greater Alabama area (or wherever your WordCamp is located) who you might have never met or didn't even know existed.
It's the social aspect of any WordCamp that really makes them special. And more than that, it's y'all that makes WordCamp Birmingham special. WordCamp has let us come together and really make friends and create memories that wouldn't have happened otherwise.
We've got karaoke videos of us all making fools of ourselves, and we have the collective memory of that time Nathan wouldn't let Kathryn eat dinner. You can't not bond over getting extra popsicles on a hot, August day — even if you choose the wrong flavor for your bonus. And those of you who skipped panels to watch the game? You know who you are.
Whether you're a developer or blogger or business professional, there's going to be someone like you here. We chose the hashtag #wpyall for a reason: y'all are the focus of WordCamp Birmngham as much as WP is.
So we would absolutely love to have you join us at WordCamp Birmingham this year. We want to meet you, hang out with you, laugh with you, and really get to know you.
Grab your ticket, spread the word, and let's have some fun and frolic while we make some friends. Whaddya say?