WordCamp San Jose, Costa Rica 2022 Recap

Years of ready had been lastly over: WordCamp San Jose was a go and happened on November 5 and 6. Two and a half years in the past, it was being deliberate, and excessive hopes had been positioned as this was by far the most important WordCamp in Latin America.

Like many communities worldwide, we had been dismayed by what went on with the world as COVID unraveled and altered our lives. Again then, as with many difficulties, we requested ourselves after we can be again once more after all the pieces was gone.

Time and life will at all times reply this for you.

The WordCamp was deliberate round 6 months earlier than it happened. The fantastic group of organizers are pricey buddies of ours, as Ericka, Rita, Irene, and I are from Costa Rica.

We had dinner earlier this yr which marked the primary time many people met and inspired folks to come back again in any method attainable. To talk, volunteer, manage, or no matter.

After that, the crew bought began and slowly however absolutely, they went again at it. I’ve large admiration for all of them.

Some are buddies I’ve identified for years, and I like their tenacity to do that. As a result of it’s quite a lot of work that goes unnoticed so that individuals have a superb time.

However as at all times, those who do know (the quantity of labor it takes) don’t have anything however gratitude in direction of them.

This WordCamp was deliberate smaller and in a distinct venue, which is a couple of mile from the place the outdated one was. The spirit or purpose was to get issues again, smaller, and take it from there.

Everyone was excited. And ultimately, the occasion was bought out. Good!

Speaker and Sponsor Dinner

This WordCamp Speaker and Sponsor dinner was a bit away. And I’m imply, AWAY. Like virtually two hours with site visitors and one hour with out. It was on the Restaurant Agnus, which is within the far east of the place I dwell.

Costa Rica is made up of the Central Valley, which is the economical coronary heart of the nation. So, going there was going to take an enormous crossing. However I did, and we had a good time.

It was nice to see some fellow audio system who I had seen in earlier years, in addition to the dinner we had hosted earlier this yr, alongside new faces.

I bought to see William and Aida once more, and Moncho this time, who’s from Spain, Canarias, and is a part of the sponsors too (SiteGround). I had seen him briefly at Porto, and this time, it was extra enjoyable to talk and have a superb time.

Additionally, I met up with Ana Garcia, a fellow organizer out of Valencia, Spain, at a chat that I attended throughout WordCamp Porto.

After a number of hours, the social gathering was over. Tomorrow was Camp day and also you gotta be sharp as a razor to be there all day and converse to tons of individuals and do tons of issues directly.

So, residence by midnight and on to relaxation for a number of hours.

The Venue

The Camp was on the College of Fidelitas, which due to Rita, we had been in a position to get.

There have been no complaints concerning the venue. It was appropriate for a smaller camp (about 400) and the job went nicely. The climate wasn’t good although, which is ironic contemplating we had our San Jose WordCamp throughout September when the climate is worse than it’s now.

However, oh nicely. We will’t have all of it.

Getting there was a breeze because it was Saturday morning. I’ve been to many WordCamps, and have quite a lot of experiences to share. Nevertheless, there is no such thing as a feeling like having the Camp “at residence”.

The whole lot goes slower, you have got extra power (since touring is so much much less), and you’ve got a way of familiarity.

For sure, I bought there with half of the swag. The opposite half was in Ericka’s hand, as she was the one who set our sales space up.

Our Sales space at WordCamp

High class. I’ve to present an enormous shoutout to Ericka, since she did, by far, among the finest cubicles we’ve had at any WordCamp.

It was FANTASTIC.

We had tables, chairs, a espresso machine, and naturally, the swag that killed it. We needed to truly decelerate with the swag as a result of on the rhythm we had been going, we had been positively going to expire of it in lower than a day.

Shirts had been being requested for by attendees as quickly as we positioned them on the desk. Shoot, just about all of our swag was. We ultimately ran out over the course of two days.

It was additionally nice to have Rita and Irene on board. It was their first time at a WordCamp attending as sponsors. While I’ve executed camps with completely different folks right here at GreenGeeks, it was a pleasant change to see the 4 of us work collectively.

Nice folks. Like all of us right here :-).

Ericka additionally had a shock for us: she introduced an expert barista to make espresso for folks! It was nice. So nice, the queues had been extraordinarily lengthy and we ran out.

It was a truth ready to occur. This was such a pleasant element that I hadn’t seen earlier than!

Day One

So, with our WordCamp booming, we as soon as once more went again to all of the magic.

The networking, the folks, the talks. The human interplay. I had a good time, and on the primary day, I attended one discuss, which surprises nobody.

It was a techie discuss given by Damian Suarez, a fellow Automattician out of Argentina. It was about Gutenberg and constructing blocks. For sure, tech subjects had been mentioned equivalent to APIs, React, and whatnot. It was a superb discuss.

On the primary day, we took our group image. This one was stable.

Day One Afterparty

The afterparty was held at PubRock, which is identical place we had it three years in the past, however they moved areas. So, it was the identical place however on the similar time, it wasn’t?

I do know. For sure, the social gathering was smaller, method smaller, than three years in the past. This was attributable to three issues: the primary one is a bit apparent: fewer folks this WordCamp than three years in the past.

The second motive needed to do with the climate. We had very unhealthy climate this weekend in Costa Rica. Usually, yearly, there’s a tropical storm earlier than the dry season is available in. Consider it because the “final stand” by the wet season earlier than the dry season.

The final motive needed to do with the truth that there was a soccer (soccer) ultimate that evening. And thus, most individuals had been glued to that and didn’t attend.

So, the social gathering was relaxed, and after a number of hours, it was time to name it a day. Exhausted, completely happy, and with yet one more day to go.

Day Two

As at all times is the case with WordCamps, the next day noticed a lower within the variety of those who made it. So on Sunday, it was a bit calmer however that doesn’t imply it was much less enjoyable.

It was time to speak to the opposite sponsors, and I had a fantastic phrase with Moncho and Ana from SiteGround. They’re flat-out, implausible WordPress folks. It was so nice to see folks.

Moncho and the SiteGround crew needed to fly again early, in order that they left round midday. We shared hugs of goodbye with an “I hope to see you once more sooner or later.”

At all times bittersweet relating to WordCamps.

After that, I used to be in a position to see some talks, particularly my pal Rommel Castro, from Costa Rica, who gave a speak about design patterns.

They’re mainly patterns of code that are supposed to be reusable all through your codebase, and it’s at all times refreshing to see them in motion.

And identical to that, WordCamp San Jose was over. Exhausted, completely happy, and with subsequent yr to look ahead to.

Til subsequent yr!