Everything You Wanted to Know About WordCamp Philly

When does WordCamp Philly start on Saturday? Is there parking? Is there wifi access? Are people wearing costumes? What’s scheduled for Sunday?

Our attendees have dozens of questions. We have answers to most of them here.

Doors Open and Registration

On Saturday, October 28, doors for WordCamp Philly will open at 8 am. Registration will be from 8-9 am in the McNeil Science and Technology Center (McNeil STC). Opening remarks will begin promptly at 9 am, immediately followed by the keynote presentation.

Location

WordCamp Philly and Contributor Day will both be held at University of the Sciences, 600 South 43rd Street Philadelphia, PA 19104.

The following map highlights in which buildings WordCamp Philly will be held.

WordCamp Philly: U Sciences map

Travel and Parking

If you’re not traveling via your own car, we have full details on public transport and other options for getting to and from WordCamp Philly.

There is free parking at USciences. There are two large parking lots with plenty of spaces. That said, the Admissions Department at USciences is holding campus tours this Saturday from about 9-11 am. We’re not sure what this will mean for parking, so we suggest that you arrive early.

Badges, Stickers + Pins

When you register on Saturday morning, you will be given a badge and lanyard with your name on it. Please wear this badge throughout the conference. It will help people know and recognize you (“Oh! It’s you! I follow you on Twitter. It’s so nice to meet you in real life.”) You will also need your badge to get into the After-Party. (See below for more details about the party.)

We will have gender pronoun pins available at the registration desk. If you’d like we invite you to pin your preferred pronouns to your lanyard or outer garment. That can help others refer to you in ways that make you most comfortable.

At the registration desk, we will also have Color Communications Badges. The badges are stickers that can be placed on your badge and will enable people to express their communication preferences quickly and non-verbally. (We have shared more information in a blog post about color communications badges.)

Code of Conduct

All attendees at WordCamp Philly are required to adhere to our Code of Conduct, which is designed to empower everyone to enjoy the event to the fullest. Please be sure to read our Code of Conduct in advance of attending WordPress Philly.

During the course of WordCamp Philly, the After-Party and Contributor Day, if you wish to report a Code of Conduct violation, please see one of the organizers, all of whom will be wearing rainbow lanyards with their name badges. You can also file a report online, via the WordCamp Philly website.

Saturday Sessions and Schedule

There are four tracks of talks on Saturday: Designer, Developer, Business/Freelance and WordPress 101. The full schedule for Saturday is on the WordCamp Philly website.

Please note that should we need to make changes to the schedule, we will update the website accordingly. Please follow @WordCampPhilly on Twitter for real time updates during the conference.

If you prefer a PDF of the schedule, you can download a PDF of the Saturday schedule of sessions before you arrive at WordCamp Philly. (For environmental reasons, we won’t be distributing printed schedules on the day.)

Saturday Meals and Coffee

Breakfast: from 8-9 am, coffee, juice, water and a range of light breakfast foods will be served in the atrium of the McNeil STC. We previously shared details about the food options in a blog post.

Lunch will be served from 12:15-1:15 pm in the Athletic/Recreation Center (ARC).

Afternoon snacks: during the break at 2:55 pm, there will be healthy snacks served in the atrium of the McNeil STC. The snacks will include fruit, carrots, celery and granola bars. We previously shared details about the food options in a blog post.

Coffee: we will be sure to have coffee available all day on both Saturday and Sunday. You will very much be able to get your coffee fix on.

The Happiness Bar

Like any good WordCamp, we will have a full service Happiness Bar available from 9 am-5:10 pm in the McNeil STC.

The Happiness Bar is a peer-to-peer tech help support desk. Those who know a little more about WordPress help those who know a little less. We previously shared a lengthy write-up about the Happiness Bar.

Swag

Yes, we will be sharing some wonderful swag to all ticket-holding attendees on Saturday. No! We’re not going to tell you what our wonderful swag is. You’ll have to be there on Saturday to find out!

Wifi Access

The wifi network for both Saturday and Sunday is as follows:

Network: events
Password: devil$

Social Media

For updates and information on during WordCamp, follow @WordCampPhilly and use the hashtag #wcphilly. We’re also on Facebook.

The After-Party

The After-Party will be held at William Street Common, a rustic beer hall in West Philly.

William Street Common is located at 3900 Chestnut St., 3900 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104. It’s a 20-minute walk from University of the Sciences. You can also take the #11 or #36 trolley (the Green Line) to 36th and Chestnut, and walk the remaining three blocks.

The party will run from 6-10 pm. Light snacks and appetizers will be served. You will also find a fully-stocked cash bar with a great selection of cocktails and beer.

Don’t forget to bring your badge for entry.

If you are so inclined, come in full costume. We’ll have drawings for winners in costume.

For full details, please read the blog post about the after-party.

Schedule for Sunday

Sunday, October 29, will be Contributor Day. It will run from 1-5 pm in the McNeill STC. We have shared details about Contributor Day in a blog post.

Getting Help During the Conference

We want WordCamp Philly to be a wonderful experience for all attendees. If you need help with anything, please ask an organizer or a volunteer for assistance. Organizers will be wearing rainbow lanyards and all volunteers will be wearing orange lanyards. We will all be delighted to aid you in any way that we can.

Questions?

If you have any questions for the organizing team you can send us an email, complete the contact form on our website or speak to us in person at the conference. All organizers will be wearing rainbow lanyards.