We’re delighted to announce our third, and final, group of speakers. Newly arrived on our speakers page, please welcome:

• Josh Bedford
• Melin Edomwonyi
• Lisa Freeman
• Georgios Gkouvousis
• Tom Greenwood
• Carl Hughes
• Mark Jennings
• Evgenii Nasyrov
• Elliot Taylor
• Kayleigh Thorpe

These final ten, together with the previously announced twelve, make for a total of twenty-two fabulous speakers.

Spread across two tracks and over two days, they will be delivering a fantastic and varied range of talks covering: WordPress development, business and entrepreneurship, writing and content, design and creativity, accessibility, Google Analytics, and much, much more. We even have a fascinating looking talk about introducing WordPress and site development to young children, which will surely be of interest to attendees who are parents.

As I’m sure you will agree, there’s something for everyone. Don’t forget that your ticket price includes teas and coffees, and buffet lunches on both days, a t-shirt and other swag, and access to the Saturday night social event.

Tickets are still available at https://2017.bristol.wordcamp.org/tickets/.

The full schedule of talks will be published soon.

We’re delighted to announce our second group of speakers. Please welcome:

• John Blackbourn
• Richard Hill
• Stefania Mattana
• Khalid Munir
• Edmund Turbin
• Franz Vitulli

These knowledgeable and experienced speakers have offered a fantastic range of interesting and varied talks. Find out more about them on our speakers page.

To hear them speak and join in all the fun at WordCamp Bristol go grab your ticket here!

Our call for speakers has now closed.

We’re really excited by the range of talks available for us to choose from and amazed by the high quality of the submissions. We think we’ll be able to draw up a fantastic programme of talks with the choice available to us.

Thanks to everyone who has submitted a talk –  some have even submitted more than one. We have had many more people wanting to speak than our schedule will accommodate. This means that unfortunately some of you will be disappointed.

We will be notifying successful speakers in the next few days.  We’re really looking forward to meeting the speakers at the WordCamp and hearing their talks!

Great job guys – you’ve helped to make the very first WordCamp Bristol amazing!

As we’re aware that many people are coming to Bristol for the WordCamp from outside the city we’ve prepared some information so that you can plan your visit.

Travel information, hotels, and even where you can park for free can be found on our new Visiting Bristol page.

With just a little over a month to go it’s time to start getting in the zone. Hope you’re looking forward to it as much as we are!

We’re delighted to announce our first group of speakers. Please welcome:

• Jonny Allbut
• Graham Armfield
• Ashten Fizer
• Tammie Lister
• Jack McConnell
• Mark Wilkinson

If you would like to hear these knowledgeable and experienced speakers you know what to do – grab your ticket here!

Have your own story to tell? Our call for speakers is open until 14th April, so you still have time to submit a talk. This is the page you need!

Ahoy, me hearties.

We’ve finally set a date for our volunteers meeting. It’s going to be in the evening of Tue 28 March. You’ll  hear about the variety of roles on offer, and you’ll be able to bag the one that best suits your skills, talents and interests.

If you want to get involved in WordCamp Bristol then this is your chance to help out and get to meet new people in the WordPress community and make new contacts and new friends. When you’re not busy you’ll be able to sit in on the talks and you’ll also get all the benefits of a regular attendee such as swag, buffet lunches, Saturday evening social, etc…

Fill in this form and we’ll get back to you with details of time and venue.

We look forward to having you on board.

The team organising WordCamp Bristol are both delighted and proud that Bristol has been named the best place to live in Britain in the Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide.

Helen Davies, home editor at Sunday Times said: “The city is a worthy winner thanks to its ideal combination of extraordinary culture, impressive schools, buzzing culinary scene, exciting redevelopment and community spirit.”

“We sum the city up as cool, classy and supremely creative.”

An excellent city for both work and play, the guide explains that Bristol has “glamorous, creative, hi-tech and professional” careers available, offers a thriving selection of food and drink, and “crams in all the culture you could wish for”.

Mayor of Bristol, Marvin Rees, noted that cultural diversity and an independent spirit are at the core of what makes Bristol special.

Culture, community spirit and jobs are just three of a range of factors that are assessed in order to compile the top locations in the annual guide.

Of course, many of the things that make Bristol a great place to live also make Bristol a great place to visit. In fact Bristol is named fourth on the list of the Rough Guide’s 10 Best Cities to Visit 2017.

So what better reason is there than to plan a visit to Bristol?

WordCamp Bristol is happening in the middle of May, just as the weather is starting to get nicer and the city is looking at it’s very best. It’s a great time to visit so why not extend your stay for a day or two  to absorb the culture, see the sights (we have a bridge, don’t you know?!), and enjoy a drink or a meal al fresco with a harbour-side view.

There are still tickets available for WordCamp Bristol on the weekend of 13-14 May 2017.

Join us to experience this great city alongside our WordPress community.

[Photo via Visualhunt.com]

We love WordPress, and we aren’t the only ones. 27.4% of websites use WordPress, and it is used all over the world. It won Content Management System of the Year 2016 and continues to dominate the CMS market with 58.5% market share. Being open source and inclusive, WordPress is an excellent platform with a dedicated community developing around it.

WordCamp events are for anyone who uses WordPress, whether you are a blogger, developer, designer, SEO or UX expert, entrepreneur, business or not-for-profit organisation.

The idea for WordCamp Bristol was born out of a local Bristol WordPress meet-up group for beginners and specialists alike, whether they be bloggers, content editors, copywriters, designers, or developers. As an active community of around 300 members who love WordPress, the meet-ups cater for a range of different disciplines covering all levels of expertise. The group meets monthly for interesting talks, expert website help and the opportunity to share knowledge with each other. (We meet on the first Tuesday of every month at The Famous Royal Navy Volunteer. Find more info on the meetup page or the website.)

When we realised there was no WordCamp event in a city with such a lively WordPress community, we couldn’t let this injustice go on any longer. We took the plunge and decided to organise the inaugural WordCamp Bristol, which will take place over the weekend of 13-14 May 2017 in the Watershed Media Centre.

Bristol is a diverse and creative city that is full of life, so there were many themes that we could have chosen for the event. We decided on a maritime theme because the identity of the city is built on its culture, so we felt that there was no better option than to reflect Bristol’s seafaring heritage.

The event is taking place on the Bristol Harbourside, which is a stunning area to walk through or enjoy dinner or drinks. The vibrant waterfront area echoes the lively personality of the city, whilst representing Bristol’s maritime history.

It’s thanks to our generous sponsors that we are able put on an affordable and engaging event for the WordPress community in Bristol. In return, our sponsors gain exposure and visibility from tech-savvy WordPress users, designers and developers. If you would like to sponsor the event, you can learn more on our Call for Sponsors page.

There’s just one month until our deadline for speaker applications. If you have a story to tell about your experience with WordPress, we want to hear it. Apply to be a speaker on our Call for Speakers page by 14 April, and good luck!

Finally, it is important to us that WordCamp Bristol reflects the friendly, open atmosphere of the WordPress community and the creativity of Bristol itself. We would love to see you there to help make the inaugural WordCamp Bristol a special one! We welcome not just local WordPress enthusiasts but WordPress enthusiasts from anywhere who would like to combine attending the WordCamp with a visit to this beautiful and welcoming city. Get your tickets on our Tickets page, and if you can afford it please consider purchasing a micro-sponsor ticket – it will make a big difference to our funding and help us make WordCamp Bristol even better!

Unable to make WordCamp Bristol? We’re sorry we won’t see you there, but it’s not the only opportunity if you’re really keen to attend a WordCamp.

WordCamp Europe is the World’s largest WordCamp and is happening just a month after WordCamp Bristol, maybe we’ll see you there instead.

WordCamp Bristol is in need of a crew – we’re recruitin’ volunteers to help out over the weekend of 13/14 May at the Watershed.

We have a number of roles that you can take on, including:

• reception desk meet-‘n’-greeters,
• swag distributors,
• speaker wrangler,
• sponsor wrangler,
• mic-runners,
• MCs,
• catering co-ordinator,
• etc…

So whatever your talents or skills, you can be sure that we’ve got a place for you on our crew!

This is your chance to not just help out with, and attend, a WordCamp, but to meet new people in the WordPress community and make new contacts and new friends. And you get to share in the group satisfaction of a job well done at the end of it all!

So splice the mainbrace, all hands on deck – head over to our volunteers page to sign up and get involved.