Yet another WordCamp is never just-another-WordCamp, and WordCamp Chicago 2016 was absolutely no exception. That's why I was so glad to be shooting #wcchi from April 30 to May 1, in all its character, for GoDaddy and the WordPress community.
It didn’t take long that weekend to realize I was keeping excellent documentarian company, including:
- Toon artist and video interview blogger Doc Pop from Torque Magazine.
- Topher DeRosia, writer and curator of compelling WordPress stories at HeroPress.com.
- Adam Silver, champion of the intermediate WordPress user and KitchenSinkWP podcaster.
- Jeff Chandler, perhaps reluctant but well-respected journalist at WordPress Tavern and podcaster of WordPress Weekly.
- Emily Barney, social media maven for WCCHI on Twitter and Storify.
These and other amazing WordCamp Chicago attendees documented so many resources for those who couldn't be there, and reminders for those who were.
Memories from WordCamp Chicago
Those that couldn't attend will have missed ServerPress.com’s Marc Benzakein's 6-year-old daughter, Brenna, traipsing the hallways with a camera seemingly bigger than she is. Brenna was helping her dad and me get the shots of what made this WordCamp super special — the phenomenal people, the swag, the fantastically comfortable venue.
They will have missed the laughter in the hallway track, the hugs from old friends, the awesome sponsor giveaways, and all the new connections waiting to be made. They won’t have seen Ryan Erwin leading his organizer and volunteer team like a boss (a really friendly in-the-trenches-with-you kind of boss). They would have missed Clare Parkinson leading the architecture walking tour through downtown Chicago, and the best mac 'n cheese ever at the after-party.
They wouldn't have had a chance at an impromptu portrait or a Found Art Photography WordCamp sticker from me, or at one of the precious few Gravity stickers and stress balls featuring astronaut Wapuu (squee!).
