Over the past month or so, there’s been lots of hype surrounding LoopConf, a niche-Wordpress conference specifically for developers.
The conference aims to provide an opportunity for WordPress developers, regardless of their background, to come together to tackle more advanced engineering and development.
There are going to be topics that are geared toward enterprise level engineers, but we’ll also have sessions that are great for intermediate or self-taught WordPress developers who are looking to take that next step in their careers, Ryan Sullivan, event organizer indicated in an interview.
If you love to code, and love to code on the WordPress platform, this is going to be a great event for you to advance your skills.
The conference has scheduled some impressive speakers, at a most-impressive venue at The Westin Lake Las Vegas.
The idea for LoopConf came to life after Sullivan heard some friends mention the weren’t entirely sure who their audience was at a WordCamp: “I’ve talked to several presenters who had a tough time preparing content because it had to cater to such a wide array of individuals,” Sullivan said.
This is a common issue at WordCamps: many sessions try to meet an impossible one-size-fits-all criteria, which often times is not only challenging for the presenter, but can be disappointing for some attendees as well.
. . . I never would have even tried to do this event on my own, and was lucky to be approached by the organizers for ng-conf (an Angular dev conference) about doing something similar in the WordPress space, Sullivan said.
They had the experience and expertise to make it happen, so I talked to some people in the community and they all seemed to love the idea as well. Thus LoopConf was born.
As a WordPress-centric conference specifically for developers, LoopConf entered the niche space as a much-anticipated event that would allow like-minded developers from all walks of life to come together.
Just last week, however, controversy arose when LoopConf announced early bird tickets would be available on November 20 for $600, and regular admission tickets will go on sale December 17 for $800: a price considerably more expensive than other conferences in the space.
In the interview, Sullivan explained that the cost gives attendees a pretty great value, however:
The main reasoning behind the ticket price is that it costs a lot of money to put on an event of this scale. A resort in Vegas isn’t a cheap place for a conference, and considering the food, entertainment, hack nights, swag, and fabulous parties that will all be included in the ticket price, we feel like we’re delivering a great value.
Sullivan even pointed out that there will be a free live stream of the entire event for those unable to attend the event.
Even though the value might be great, the cost is still steep for many independent developers.
To help lessen the financial burden, it isn’t uncommon for events in the tech space to offer a scholarship program, which, if applied at LoopConf, would enable qualifying developers to attend the event at a discounted rate.
I asked Sullivan if this is something they would consider in the future. He said,
There’s a good possibility we’ll do something like this. We’re talking about the best way to make that happen internally.
Conferences like LoopConf have the opportunity to curate valuable and educational events that can greatly advance the skills of its niche-attendees, without adhering to the strict guidelines of the WordPress foundation, however it’s important to remember that sometimes this type of experience comes at a cost.
Are you attending LoopConf?
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