Conferences of any type can be an eye-opening experience, especially to someone looking to make gains in their prospective field. Whether you need new work, knowledge, partners or just want to gain experience, the up and coming abundance of WordPress conferences can be a great asset. Today I’ll touch on why you should be attending WordPress conferences and how valuable the experience really can be.

Benefits Of Attending WordPress Conferences

It might seem like a no-brainer why attending conferences can be truly beneficial. Meeting new people, hearing talks or seeing live demos will allow you to see new things first, giving you an advantage. Conferences keep you up-to-speed with the latest and greatest happenings in your field. In a world that moves as fast as ours, it doesn’t take long to get left behind.

Finding Work

If you are interested in finding work, you can use a conference as a way to meet people and gain contacts. More often than not you will be able to exchange information with people that could use your services. No matter how involved with WordPress you are, the opportunities are out there. It just boils down to meeting people and finding out how you can help each other.

Remember it is not a one way street. People benefit from each other, so if you attend looking for work you need to be prepared to offer something in exchange.

Gaining Knowledge

WordPress conferences are an amazing way to learn new technology before the mass public hears of it. Sometimes conferences feature workshops which give you a hands on approach to the topics of discussion. WordPress community members often give lectures to broadcast new ideas and theories on the future of WordPress and how it can continually evolve into a both a great content management system and blogging platform.

Networking

Meeting new people no matter the circumstance usually leads to the discussion of work if the conversation lasts a while. Be sure to exchange contact information. This is a great time to get your business card design hot of the press and ready to distribute to anyone you think could have any interest working with you. Share links to your WordPress websites or offer consultation services on miscellaneous things such as design, blogging, development, or whichever is your target WordPress niche.

Addressing Key Issues

If for some reason you have been battling a feature release or bug in your WordPress workflow now is a great time to discuss it with your new peers. The community will understand your voice as they are all there to discuss the same topics. This in return provides a richer experience for any person attending a conference.

Travel

Most conferences are held in various cities throughout the world. Having a WordPress conference in London, San Diego, New York and many more places allows you to travel virtually anywhere and connect with people who understand and speak the same WordPress lingo you do. There is something to be said to traveling to a new location and having the feeling of being comfortable with your surroundings. Traveling somewhere new without visiting a WordPress conference is certainly manageable, but will require more planning on your own part. What better excuse to visit somewhere new than to attend a WordPress conference.

Generate Ideas

Working as a freelancer myself, I often work alone rather than in a team setting. Once in a while, it’s really smart to break your routine and do something completely different. Become more of an extrovert and start talking with others. Brainstorm together. Find new ways to use the software. Can you make your own application with WordPress? Will there be user login and payment gateways? The list is virtually endless, which is why WordPress is the leader in Content Management Software.

Conferences To Attend

PressNomics

PressNomics is a WordPress Conference for those who power the WordPress Economy. Entrepreneurs and skillful people alike can unite to discuss the products and services they offer to the ever-growing industry. Charting in at 3 days, this event offers a lot of content, useful networking, and learning sessions to advance any WordPress user to the next level in their workflow, career, or phase of product.

The next conference is January 22 – 24 2015 in Phoenix, Arizona

Reserve your seat

WordCamps

WordCamp is a conference that focuses on everything WordPress. They are informal, community-organized events that are put together by WordPress users like you. Every type of WordPress user is welcome whether you are a core developer or a casual user.

There are some many WordCamps to list that there is likely one in a city near you. Attend one and gain more insight than you ever thought possible with WordPress.

Find a WordCamp or Learn More

WooCommerce Conference

The WooCommerce Conference is geared towards developers and eCommerce WordPress users. Store owners and developers unite to discuss topics, ideas, and issues surrounding the WooCommerce platform.

The next conference is November 3-4 2014 in San Francisco, California.

At the moment there are no key speakers for this event. You can visit this link to vote for topics of discussion. Be sure to scroll down the page. I wasn’t aware of this until my second visit.

How This Effects the WordPress Marketplace

With so many conferences and events for the sole sake of WordPress, it is no wonder why the software has scaled so impressively. With so many people utilizing WordPress, the amount of information and insight available is virtually endless. Apart from the wonderful documentation, using other people and their own techniques is a great way to learn and excel even more in your given WordPress niche. Whether you use WordPress for blogging, eCommerce, or a portfolio, the answer to your question is out there.

By utilizing the internet and people you meet at WordPress conferences, you can excel further than you ever thought possible.

Take away

Be sure to book a conference at some point in the future. Just give it a try. Whether you use WordPress a lot or just a little, you will be sure to gain some knowledge and contacts throughout the span of the conference. On top of that, you can opt to travel to attend a conference or luck out and attend one in your home town. The choice is yours. Use the community to your advantage. It’s there for the taking.

Feature article image via shutterstock author Bloom Design

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