Speaker Applications are now CLOSED, thanks to everyone who applied! We’ll be announcing speakers in the coming weeks.

Our theme for WordCamp this year is “Creating Intention.”

We feel that our best work is always done when we have a sense of the greater purpose behind it. So, we want to explore the reasons why we do things, whether that’s development, design, content, teaching, learning, or strategy.

In addition to the typical rules for speaking at a WordCamp, there are a few other things we are looking for:

• Represent a diverse range of voices from the local and national community, including experienced speakers and new speakers with a passion for their topic.
• Emphasis on connecting with other creative and tech communities outside the WordPress space, or outside the typical presenters we normally hear at WordCamps.
• Appeal to an audience with a broad skillset, especially the thriving development, design, and blogging communities here in Minneapolis
• Present a variety of topics on WordPress, including Web Development, Design, Technology, Writing, SEO/Marketing, and other fields as they relate to using, building, creating, and improving WordPress sites, themes, plugins, and products

What does that mean for your talk submissions?

• Topics presented should focus not just on “what to do” or “how to do” something, but why it should be done and the purposes behind it.
• Special consideration to talks that can promote cross-disciplinary collaboration, applying lessons from one field/area to another, or the importance of learning/education
• We want to encourage diversity (of opinions, of people and backgrounds, of voice, and of skillsets)

Additional thoughts for potential speakers:

• Talks do not have to be specifically about WordPress, but must relate to WordPress in some way, whether it’s using WordPress, building/developing/designing for WordPress, enhancing WordPress, or interacting with the WordPress community
• Calling JavaScript developers! In light of the call to “Learn JavaScript Deeply” in 2016, we are trying to have a dedicated JavaScript track on Sunday afternoon, from beginner to intermediate (and possibly advanced)
• Calling design thinkers! We’d like to try to run a design/”design-thinking” track both days. This isn’t just visual design, but user inferfaces, user experience, animation, and cross-disciplinary applications of design thinking principles in other fields
• Calling strategists, writers, bloggers, and content producers! The web wouldn’t exist without content, and we want to hear from you about creating it purposefully
• Looking for 45 minute talks (including Q&A), and a few lightning talks. We are also open to panels or multi-person talks.

Know someone you’d like to hear speak?

If you know a person who is a great speaker, or maybe a new speaker with tons of knowledge to share, and would like to nominate them to speak, get in touch via our Contact Form and let us know who it is, where they are located, and what it is they speak about, as well as a way for us to get in touch.

Ok, enough introductions… apply now!