Author: Megan

WordCamp Kent is just over a week away on June 9 & 10!

Make sure to purchase your ticket soon!

We’re sharing all the details you’ll need in order to ensure your weekend goes as smoothly as possible.

VENUE
Kent State University Hotel and Conference Center
215 South Depeyster Street
Kent, Ohio 44240
Phone: 855-353-4031 or 330-346-0100

Enter the venue from the front (Main Entrance) or rear of the building. WordCamp sessions will be located on the first floor in the rear Conference Center rooms.

For more info on our venue, or to reserve a last minute room, check out the Location page.

PARKING
We recommend parking at the Kent Central Gateway Parking Deck located across from the hotel & conference center on South Depeyster Street

$10 Total – for Registered Hotel Guests
(in-and-out privileges all weekend)
$5 per/day  – for Non-Registered Guests (no in-and-out privileges)

Click here for additional parking locations & details.

REGISTRATION
Saturday 8:00am & Sunday at 9:00am

Registration tables will be located on the first floor. Head through the entrance to the conference area and registration will be right past the doors.
(We’ll have signs to guide you!)

FOOD & BEVERAGE
Breakfast: Bagels, cream cheese and muffins
Lunch Saturday Noon: Taco bar at the venue
Lunch Sunday at Noon: We will be splitting into networking groups broken out by topics (development, design, blogging, etc)

Coffee, tea, and Coke products will be available throughout the weekend!

Whether you’re joining us from out-of-town, or just planning to cut the commute, we recommend you stay at the Kent State University Hotel & Conference Center located at 215 S. Depeyster St. Kent, OH 44240.

WordCamp Kent will be located in the conference center, so you’ll be in the heart of the action all weekend long!

And when you’re not attending sessions or the After Party, take a stroll through the nearby Kent State University campus or wander into some of the local artisan shops and restaurants downtown.

Hotel amenities include boutique-style rooms and suites, a heated indoor salt water pool and spa, free Wi-Fi, and a restaurant on-site.

Guestrooms & Suites Include:

• Complimentary Wi-Fi with PrinterOn for Wireless Printing from Laptops,
  iPads, and Smartphones
• Comfortable Workspace with iPad/iPhone Docking Station
• 100% Smoke-Free Accommodations
• Refrigerator and Microwave
• Coffeemaker with Locally Famous Erie Island Coffee
• Complimentary Local Newspaper and USA Today

Rooms are going quick, so book now to take advantage of the WordCamp Kent discounted rate of $109/night (not including tax). The special rate is only valid until May 18^th or they run out of rooms, whichever comes first.

Reserve your room by calling 330-346-0100 and using Group Code: WPWC8.

We’re looking forward to seeing you at WordCamp Kent!

A common question we’ve gotten since opening ticket sales has been if the conference is geared more towards beginners or advanced WordPress users. We are actually planning on a few different tracks which include marketing and business-related topics, WordPress development topics, and a WordPress 101 track on Sunday with Joe Querin.
To make sure we are covering the topics you want to hear, please fill out the survey below if you are new to WordPress or are interested in attending our WordPress 101 sessions:

We’re sorry, the survey is now closed. Thank you for those who submitted!

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us on Twitter or fill out the contact form.

WordCamp Kent wouldn’t be possible without the support of our generous sponsors. Our sponsors have made the General Admission ticket possible ($40 for a two-day event!), but the Microsponsorship Ticket is available if you choose to pay more.

From the venue, catering, and refreshments, to the A/V and WiFi, to the swag and signage, WordCamps can get very costly. The Microsponsorship covers the full cost of your attendance, which is $106 (or $53.07/day). As our thanks to you, you will be listed among the other Microsponsors on our site.

If you have benefited from the open source WordPress project or community in some way, please consider purchasing a Microsponsorship Ticket.

We’re very happy to announce our speakers for WordCamp Kent, June 9-10. They have volunteered their time to share their knowledge and expertise in order to give back to the WordPress community.

Joe Querin

Joe has been a web designer/developer since 1998.

Joe blends his creative side and knowledge of Graphic Design with his problem-solving skills and self-taught programming skills to build and support websites. Joe also has designed, implemented and maintained a variety of server platforms for websites over the years.

When Joe is not manipulating pixels into works of art, or stringing variables and methods together to bend WordPress or any other website technology to his will, he enjoys spending time with his two daughters and wife of 19 years. In his free time, Joe enjoys cooking/grilling, woodworking, video games and 3D modeling.

Matt Trask

Matt is an open source PHP developer with a passion for REST and the OpenAPI Specification. He is all about helping and volunteering and helps out with mentoring and helping developers grow. When he isn’t doing that, he is antagonizing cars around Nashville on his bike or hanging out with his dog at the park.

Amit Rathi

Tech enthusiast, enjoys tinkering with electronics, attending meetups, and sharing great memes.

Corey Hammond

Corey is an experienced digital marketer with a long love of WordPress. With his experience in the agency world and now in hosting, he has worked with WordPress from a lot of different perspectives and has helped a significant number of people start, build and grow their WordPress based websites. He is currently the CMO for A2 Hosting where he oversees growth initiatives for the company.

Eric Malcolm

Senior Web Developer, Designer & Strategist building usable, human-friendly and accessible websites, interfaces, and apps. Lead organizer for the Metro Detroit WordPress Meetup and lead organizer of WordCamp Detroit. Well-versed in a numerous aspects of the web.

Leif Fairfield

Leif Fairfield is a visual creative professional with over 15 years of print packaging, presentation, and production design experience. He enjoys both ideation and implementation, with a history of brand agency and CPG experience in the San Francisco Bay Area. He holds an MFA in 2D Media from the University of Cincinnati and a BA in Printmaking from California State University, Hayward.

Leif coordinates Marketing and Community Engagement for his current employer, Ingage Partners, an Information Technology consulting firm and Certified B Corp. He believes in using business as a platform for community engagement and social responsibility.

Leif began using WordPress.org through his professional position and quickly saw the potential to apply it to non-profit and community organizations. In addition to maintaining two corporate websites, he encourages local non-profits to embrace the user-friendly platform as well.

He volunteers with MyCincinnati, a non-profit organization in East Price Hill that offers free classical music training to youth. He is also an active member of F3Cincinnati, a volunteer-led all weather outdoor workout group for men that emphasizes 3 Fs: fitness, fellowship, and faith.

Originally from rural Northern California, Leif has “four main passions: music, fitness, nature, and food.”

 

 

Please Note: The speakers are listed in no particular order.

We’re very happy to announce our speakers for WordCamp Kent, June 9-10. They have volunteered their time to share their knowledge and expertise in order to give back to the WordPress community.

Dustin Hartzler

Dustin Hartzler is a Happiness Engineer at Automattic by day, where he helps business owners work all of the kinks out of their WooCommerce stores. If working with WordPress all day wasn’t enough, he spends time each week recording his WordPress podcast called Your Website Engineer. He enjoys helping people understand and use WordPress to it’s fullest capacity and spends time tinkering with code.

When he’s not in front of the computer (which is rare), he enjoys spending time CrossFitting, reading and traveling. He lives in Dayton, OH with his wife, 4 year old daughter, and 1 year old son.

Matt Hayman

Matt has spent the majority of his career focused on SMB sales. From door2door sales, selling to fortune 100 companies, or running his own companies, Matt has a diverse sales background which he now uses to manage, teach, and train others. As an international sales leader he travels the globe sharing his insights through keynotes, blogs, and social media, on overcoming the 2 major obstacles in sales; prospecting and freeing up dollars without making major changes to how you work today. Matt currently resides in Dallas, Texas, with his wife and 6 kids. When he isn’t traveling he spends his time coaching multiple youth sports and building his community.

John Centofanti

John serves as a marketing strategist and content developer. In 2006, John founded Creative Stream Marketing, serving Technology and B2B clients, ranging from startups to $60 M in revenue. John has worked with numerous start ups, early stage, and established companies both strategically and in providing digital marketing services, developing brands and increasing response to their businesses.

In 2018, John became the owner and president of www.needtomeet.com, an online calendar scheduling tool.

Bruce Chamoff

Bruce Chamoff has been a web developer for over 21 years and has worked on over 1,000 websites. He has worked on WordPress since 2006 building themes and plugins for Fortune 500 companies as well as mom and pop shops. His Udemy courses have taught WordPress development to web designers in over 150 countries as he loves to teach!

His most recent involvement was with the Radio City Rockettes website in New York City and he is the senior director of technology and development for American Media Inc, the publisher of top gossip magazines in the US including National Enquirer, OK, Star, and Soap Opera Digest. In his spare time, he performs with this band and is a dedicated father.

Josh Gellock

Josh is the SEO and Content Strategist at Expander Digital, an SEO studio he founded in 2014. He helps other businesses drive website traffic from organic search. When he’s not meeting with clients, you can find Josh fishing, hiking, or biking on trails.

 

Please Note: The speakers are listed in no particular order.

We’re very happy to announce our speakers for WordCamp Kent, June 9-10. They have volunteered their time to share their knowledge and expertise in order to give back to the WordPress community.

Sandro Galindo

Sandro Galindo is a digital marketer focusing on search engine marketing & optimization. He just celebrated his 11th Twitterversary and was named by WKYC in 2009 as one of the 10 Most Interesting Twitterers in NE Ohio (though he’s pretty sure his mom stuffed the ballot). He started in digital marketing by handling social media marketing for small businesses and eventually expanded into event marketing and finally SEO. He is the co-host of the 60 Second Marketing Podcast, founder of SouperBowl CLE, a soup crawl and competition benefiting a local soup kitchen and co-founder of a nachos & margarita festival coming in April 2018.

Steve Grunwell

Steve Grunwell is a Senior Software Engineer at Liquid Web. Specializing in WordPress and application development he has worked with brands and organizations including Microsoft, TED, Xylem, Elmer’s, and Experience Columbus.

Steve has released numerous plugins in the WordPress.org repositories, including one from the grounds of The White House during the first annual National Day of Civic Hacking in 2013. When he’s not writing software he enjoys hiking, music, and writing about writing software on his blog.

Steve holds a B.A. in Telecommunications from Bowling Green State University where he graduated Cum Laude with minors in General Business and Recording Technologies.

More information, including portfolio work and his development blog, can be found at https://stevegrunwell.com.

Paul Oyler

Paul Oyler is a self-proclaimed “crazy old dude who wishes it were still the 1970’s but also loves 21st-century technology.” He has been using WordPress for almost 14 years, and in the last 4 years has become serious about the WordPress Community.

The owner of Oyler Creative in Butler, PA, Paul is a Follower of Jesus, Husband, Dad, ‘Pappy’, WordPress and Genesis user, Music Lover, Deadhead, Buffalo Sabres and Bills fan. His career path includes being a Web Site Builder, Social Media Manager, Small Business Owner, Photographer, eBay Seller, Truck Driver, Executive Housekeeper, Youth Pastor, Warehouse Worker, Machine Shop Laborer, Convienence Store Clerk, Book Store Clerk, Textile Mill Worker, Security Guard, College Athletic Department Manager, Janitor, Flea Market Vendor, Retail Manager, Burger Flipper, Paper Boy, Christmas Card Seller, Seed Seller, and Lemonade Stand Operator.

Michelle Ames

Marketing is intuitive for Michelle which is why she pursued and gained her MBA from the University of Rochester’s Simon School of Business. Michelle has over twenty years of experience in higher education; ten years owning a web design and marketing company; and currently serves as the Head of Customer Success for GiveWP.com

Michelle is a veteran of public speaking. Teaching is in her DNA. She’s been an instructor for a wide variety of topics including Using Quantitative Data Analysis Software, Meditative Drawing, Intro to WordPress, and Marketing for Massage Therapy. Michelle speaks at conferences all over North America. You can find many of them recorded on WordPress.tv including “Little Things That Make a Big Difference” and “Hidden Features of WordPress Revealed,” as well as panel discussions on marketing and women in technology.

When Michelle isn’t organizing events, she’s attending them, exploring photography, and mentoring people in her local community.

Jonathan Knapp

Owner of local consulting agency Coffee and Code, Jonathan Knapp has worked on many customized solutions for clients, some involving complicated WordPress plugin and theme creation.

Jon is also an organizer of Cleveland GiveCamp, an annual event that brings a few hundred volunteers together to work on technical projects for area non-profits and optionally camp in tents. Always seeking volunteers and non-profits, he’s hoping to find a bit of both from every corner of Northeast Ohio.
Please Note: The speakers are listed in no particular order.

We’re very happy to announce our speakers for WordCamp Kent, June 9-10. They have volunteered their time to share their knowledge and expertise in order to give back to the WordPress community.

Keynote: Kyle Maurer

Kyle works at Sandhills Development on Easy Digital Downloads which is a WordPress plugin that makes selling digital products ridiculously simple. He’s a native of Jackson, Michigan, co-hosts the Get Options podcast, and helps organize meetups and WordCamps in the region while brewing fine beer and playing guitar as often as possible.

Adam Warner

Adam W. Warner discovered WordPress in 2005 and has been working within the community ever since. To feed his entrepreneurial spirit, he founded several WordPress-focused businesses that provide education, plugins and consulting services for online business owners.

He is a true WordPress Evangelist in spirit and personality, and that happens to have been his job title when joining SiteLock.com. Today, he’s the Open Source Community Manager there, continuing to bring his experience and knowledge of the web, business, and security to many other communities.

Adam is also passionate about his family, robots, and of course Life, the Universe and Everything.

Lee Drozak

Lee Drozak is a Web Designer and Digital Strategy Expert for people who love their online business but haa-ate their websites.

She’s here for those who are tired of fitting into everyone else’s mold. Those who are rebelling against sleazy online marketing. Those who want a website that takes your customer on a journey and allows you to solve the problems that brought them to Google search.

Her straightforward advice has been featured at WordCamps, Soar To Success Magazine, and Pittsburgh Biz TV Shows. She’s presented to organizations large and small to share her love for website creation and passion for making the process simple.

And when she’s not teaching small business owners how to create effective and client attractive websites, you can find her exploring the outdoors, listening to the horse and buggies in her Amish town or enjoying a glass of wine.

To learn more about Lee Drozak and discover how a solid WordPress process can help you reign in your client projects. visit www.leedrozak.com.

Stoney deGeyter

TL;DR: Author, speaker, teacher, husband, father, web marketer!

Graduating high school at the age of 16, Stoney has always had an entrepreneur spirit. In 1998 he founded Pole Position Marketing, now one of the longest-running digital marketing agencies in the US. Over the past twenty-plus years, he has become a leader in the digital marketing space, helping hundreds of businesses grow their online authority through strategic and effective digital marketing strategies.

He authored The Best Damn Web Marketing Checklist, Period! which is the perfect desk-reference for digital marketers and managers of all skill levels. You can also see his articles published on Search Engine Land, Marketing Land, Search Engine Journal, as well as Pole Position Marketing’s E-Marketing Performance blog, and he has also written a number of ebooks that can be found on the Pole Position Marketing website.
And if that’s not enough, Stoney frequently teaches digital marketing at conferences nationwide, including PubCon, Search Marketing Expo (SMX), Affiliate Summit, and can also be hired to provide in-house training to help your in-house digital marketing team.

What Stoney loves most about digital marketing is that it’s all about creating jobs. The more businesses Pole Position Marketing helps, the more people find jobs and improve their standard of living, which in turn provides even more jobs.

Contact Stoney or the Pole Position Marketing pit crew at www.PolePositionMarketing.com or by phone at 330-768-7067 for digital marketing, to speak at your conference, seminar or workshop, and/or provide in-house training for your team.

Alex Riddle

Alex Riddle is a serial entrepreneur, and founder of Monarch Wave Marketing, a full-service digital agency serving small and medium-sized businesses and franchises. He’s built over a hundred sites on WordPress, and started building websites for clients before he could even drive at the age of 15.

 

Please Note: The speakers are listed in no particular order.