The moment has finally arrived: the WordCamp Chicago 2014 Call for Speakers is live and waiting for your application!
Love WordPress and got something you want to share? We want YOU to apply!
Learn More and Apply to Speak
We have decided to do something a little different this year- our tracks will not be organized by specific topic, but will contain a variety of subjects that will encourage people to visit multiple tracks. Our goal is to have something to appeal to every experience level (beginning, intermediate, and advanced) across the spectrum of WordPress topics.
To give you an idea of the types of talks we are looking for, here are some examples of topics that would be a great fit. This is by no means a limiting factor, so if you have a great talk that doesn’t fit these suggestions, please submit anyway!
DEVELOPMENT: The structure behind WordPress!
Plugins, Cool Custom work, Documentation, Best Practices, Contributing to WordPress, Workflow and Tools, Version Control, Testing/Debugging, Front-End Development, etc.
DESIGN: Focusing on the visual language behind successful WordPress sites (and the web in general).
Graphic Design, Usability, User Experience, Front-End Development, Best Practices, HTML5/CSS3, Responsive/Adaptive, Building Themes, etc.
COMMUNITY: Building a community with or around WordPress
BuddyPress/bbPress, Meetups and Events, Contributing to WordPress, etc.
NICHE: Interesting use cases for WordPress, including niche markets or finding creative solutions for managing complex data.
Real Estate, News, Education, Ecommerce, Non-Profits/Charities, Large/Complex sites, Case Studies, Multisite, etc.
CONTENT AND BUSINESS STRATEGY: The reason for having a website in the first place
Writing, Multimedia, SEO, Lead Generation, Analytics, Marketing, Social Media, etc.
BUSINESS/FREELANCE: For WordPress business owners, agencies, and independents
Running a WordPress business, Working with virtual teams, Pricing and invoicing, Selling WordPress products/licensing, Getting new business, Lessons learned, Etc.
FOUNDATION FRIDAY TOPICS:
WordPress 101 – Beginning WordPress Users
WordPress 201 – Intermediate WordPress Users
WordPress 301 – Intro To WordPress Development/Design
WordPress 401 – Advanced WordPress Development
Learn More and Apply to Speak
WordPress 101 by Shanta Nathwani
Getting the Most out of WordPress.com by Mel Choyce
WordPress Wizardry Without Code by Suzette Franck
Shortcode Shenanigansby Kyle Maurer
Why Setting Up Themes is a Niche in Itself, What to Know by Zac Gordon
Admin as a User Experience by Jamie Sanchez
Understanding WordPress Filters and Actions by Ian Wilson
A Walk Around the Loop by Kelly Dwan
Color Theory For Web Developers by Aaron Jorbin
You Don’t Need jQuery by Josh Bropton
Designing For Interaction by Travis Totz
Knowing What You Don’t Know by Alison Barrett
WordPress in Africa: Empowering Growth by Joel Bronkowski (download)
1 Million Downloads: Lessons Learned Growing a WordPress Plugin by John Havlik (use arrow keys or swipe to see slides)
Taking Your Javascript Further by Gregory Cornelius
Modular JavaScript by K. Adam White
WP-to-JS and Back Again by Nick Pelton
101 ways to elevate and demand higher fees by Troy Dean (must subscribe to download)
Designing for the First Five Seconds at WordCamp Chicago by Ross Johnson
From Zero to WordPress Hero by Ben Lobaugh
WordCamps would not be possible without a strong volunteer base from the community. If you’ve been thinking about attending WordCamp Chicago and want to help out, we would love to have you join us! We have tons of positions, from setup to registration to the Happiness Bar to helping with the rooms and everything in between. Or, let us know how you can best help us out! Sign up now to get on our volunteer list. If you register before May 23rd we can guarantee you a special volunteer t-shirt and a discount ticket to WordCamp Chicago! 
