Introducing the WordPress Providence Meetup!

The idea was conceived of, you could say, when I bumped into fellow Rhode Islanders Suzanne McDonald and  Ken DeBlois between speaking gigs at WordCamp  Boston. I’d considered the idea of a local meet up before, having enjoyed a couple of local web dev meetups, started by Andy Shearer. But with broader PHP and WebDev meet ups attracting a modest dozen or so, I had visions of sitting  alone in a meet up room. I put the idea on the back burner.

A few weeks after WordCamp Boston, I sat down with Ken and Sue and floated the idea of co-organizing a local  meet up. Lucky for us, not only were they interested, they were eager. Having been told by WordCamp Boston founder John Eckman that their own local meet up started with 3 guys, I joked we had a solid minimum for our first event, relatively speaking.

The three of us come from three very different perspectives. Sue is a journalist / writer, Ken works for Brown, and I’m just a passionate local developer / consultant. And we’re really determined to make this meet up fun and valuable for participants of all stripes. Whether you’re a blogger looking to advance your blog, a developer looking for tips and tricks, a business looking for help, or just curious about WordPress, this is your meet up.

Each session will feature a presentation, a chance to pick everyone’s mind, and of course, plenty of networking. And as long as we can get sponsors (and keep our venue secure), free drinks for the first 15 participates!

So how can you help?

Above all – show up! Information about the next upcoming meet up will always be posted sticky, atop the blog.

Speak! We’re already putting together a roster of speakers: we hope to have final confirmation for our first speaker within a few days. Interested in presenting, or have an idea for a presentation? Go here and fill out the form.

Sponsor! It’s only $100, which pays for drink tickets for the first 15 participates. You get to pitch the sponsor, get a logo and link in the event announcement, and a link on the sponsors page for 1 year. More on sponsorship here.

Spread the word! Tell your friends, tell your own local meet up groups, even send out a tweet or post a note on Facebook.

So are you interested in participating? Have an idea? What more information? Leave a comment below; we’d love your input.