Back in September, I co-organized the second edition of the WP BootCamp, in Brittany, France. After organizing the 1st edition we learned a lot and that is probably the reason why this 2nd edition was a blast!
Please note that we’re working on the 3rd edition, so please keep an eye on updates ;-)
What’s a BootCamp?
A BootCamp is an event taking place over a weekend where talks and groups activities are evenly split. A group of 18 people was there this year, arriving on Friday afternoon, and leaving on Monday morning. Which means more than 2 days of fun, talks, games and a great time altogether.
Why a BootCamp?
We realized that each time we were going to a WordCamp (aka a WordPress related event with usually a couple hundred attendees) most people were telling us that those big events are great but also overwhelming and the end result is that they can’t spend quality time with other attendees. That’s why we decided to create smaller events, WordPress related, where only 15 to 20 people can attend and get the time they need to actually talk together, share thoughts, start project etc… Like a company retreat for freelancers, devs, designers, and whoever willing to be part of that social event. And because the BootCamp is opened to anyone, diversity makes it an even better event since newbies can spend quality time with thoughts leaders and experts.
Where?
Last year, the WPBootCamp occurred in the South West of France, near Biarritz, and in a great villa having a heated outdoor swimming pool in front of the mountains… gorgeous! This second edition was in Brittany, the North West part of France, in a castle by the sea. Yes, you read it correctly… in a castle!!! The Ker Nelly castle (absolutely well suited for company retreats, wedding parties! Check their website!).
One of the BootCamp goals is to be occurring in a different location every year so that local people can attend as well without having to pay a lot of money to come.
Surprises!
Oh wait what? Surprises? Yeah, that’s something I didn’t mention. People who signed up for the BootCamp didn’t know anything about the content of the weekend. They just got the address, the dates and… that’s it! Talks topics or activities are kept secret until the end. Last year we went for a sailing boat tour, and this year there were more activities because we noticed that activities are great to break the ice and create a new kind of relationship amongst people.
Even a postcard and a stamp were in the bag so that attendees can send some love to their family or friends ;-)
4 Activities and a Yoga class!
The first activity was a ropes course, starting at one meter from the ground to 17 meters high! Scary, intense, amazing!
The 2nd activity was the visit to a local brewery, the Philomenn.
The 3rd activity was the visit of the “Chateau du Taureau” castle. It’s an old castle, accessible only with a boat, that was a great moment.
And the last activity was a walk by one of the most majestic place on earth, the Pink Granite coast.
We also had a yoga class by a certified yoga teacher, Cecile Jacques.
Talks, talks, talks!
We had a couple talks over the weekend, the first one being an advanced presentation on SEO methods for WordPress by Aurelien Denis.
The second talk was presented by… myself. A grunt related talk on to generate code on the fly using advanced javascript features.
The last talk was on the blockain, by Chamie.
Finally, we had a round table where all attendees had 2 minutes to present 2 ideas to share with the group. Those ideas could be work-related but not necessarily and all those pieces of advice, thoughts, recommendations were extremely appreciated by all of us.
Gimme food!
Because the event takes place in France, the food had to be great. That’s why for each meal, a professional check cooked for us: crepes, paella or local recipes were greatly appreciated by the group. We went to a restaurant just once, for the last meal. All beverages were local (beers, wine, cider, juices etc…).
Goodies!
All attendees received a bag of goodies, from our amazing sponsors, and also some personalized items like the very popular Breton bowl with their names or surnames on it!
A photograph for the weekend
We had a photograph taking great shots for us for the whole weekend, please check her Insta profile to see how amazing work she does!
Sponsors
The price of the event is 150 euros, for 3 nights at the castle, all meal, snacks, activities, talks, minivans rentals (yes all attendees were picked-up at the airport or the railway station and driven straight to the castle)… but the cost of such an event is higher than that, and couldn’t exist without sponsors. This year our sponsors were:
I’d like to thank them again for their trust and their support, please check their services, they’re all amazing!
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