
Tickets are now on sale for the first ever PodsCamp. It’s being held in Dallas, TX on October 3rd, 2014, a day before WordCamp DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth) with a ticket price of $50 each. Each ticket grants you access to the event, BBQ for lunch, and direct access to the developers of Pods Framework.
The event will focus on what you can do with Pods and will feature sessions on topics such as an introduction to Pods, building applications, and a Q&A session with the Pods development team. For those not familiar with the plugin, Pods is a framework for creating, managing, and deploying customized content types and fields.
A First For The Pods Development Team
The event will mark the first time the entire Pods development team will be under one roof. Lead developer for Pods, Scott Kingsley Clark, said the team will be in Dallas, TX the Wednesday before WordCamp and will be working on putting the finishing touches on Pods 3.0.
Clark explains why the team hasn’t had a PodsCamp in the past. “We’ve been talking about and planning an event like this for years, but it wasn’t until the Pods team grew large enough for me to feel like we could really do something worth people’s time.”
No Conflicts With WordCamp
Initially, I thought PodsCamp was taking place at the same time as WordCamp DFW but since it’s a day before, it won’t interfere with the event. “It’s completely separate, in terms of organization and funding,” Clark told the Tavern.
A few years ago, PodCamps would sometimes be merged with a WordCamp to offer attendees a chance to attend two events with one ticket. However, WordCamp central frowns against this practice and now states that WordCamps must be focused on WordPress. From the WordCamp Central FAQ:
Q. Can I do a track at a BarCamp/PodCamp/other event and call it WordCamp?
A. No. The use of the WordCamp name indicates that it is a standalone event dedicated to WordPress, and to prevent confusion, WordPress “tracks” within larger events such as BarCamp or other conferences are no longer called WordCamps.
Sponsoring and Needing to Be Sponsored
The Pods Foundation is sponsoring the WordCamp DFW Contributor Day on October 5th, through a deal Clark made to secure the same space for both days. At the same time, PodsCamp is in need of more sponsors. If you’re interested in sponsorship opportunities, please get in touch with the organizing team. SiteGround, Chris Lema, Aesop Interactive, and Beil Media are just a sample of the sponsors already on board with helping the event.
I think it’s great to see events like PodsCamp where you can focus on a particular plugin or subject while not conflicting with a WordCamp that same weekend. I like the strategy on the part of Clark and his team for the event to be a day before WordCamp so people can attend both without worrying about missing sessions.
Will you be attending the first ever PodsCamp?
$50 for a ONE day conference?
The average WordCamp is $30-$35 and many are TWO days.