With WordCamp Atlanta less than a week away, I thought it would be a good time to throw out a few thoughts on how you can make the most of your investment. There’s also a post in the archives about Making the Most from a BarCamp that has lots of good information. Check it out as well. So strap up and lets dive it!

Construct Your Schedule
The schedule for WordCamp Atlanta is up so take a little time before you head out to put together the timeline of sessions you want to attend. This can be kind of tricky, especially if your fairly new to blogging or this is the first WordCamp you’ve attended. Use the speaker profiles and the session descriptions to get the best idea you can about which ones to attend. You know yourself and your goals better than anyone else so choose for yourself. I usually select a first and second choice for each time block in case one gets rescheduled or doesn’t pan out the way I hoped. And speaking of rescheduling… expect it. Be flexible and go with the flow.

Contribute to the Conversation & Stream
Of the speakers I know, and even the ones I don’t, I can’t imagine any of them not welcoming your input during a session. The whole point of the camp style meetings is group learning. If the speaker doesn’t shed enough light on a topic you’re interested in, ask a question! If they’re asked a question that they struggle with (yes, we struggle with questions some times) and you know the answer, chime in. Don’t be afraid to contribute!

There will also be a stream of communication going on around WordCamp Atlanta as well. Twitter, FriendFeed and Flickr will be buzzing with comments, questions, and pictures. Look for the Twitter hashtag #WCATL and more info on other groups, feeds, and tags for the event.

Connect With People
There will be a ton of really smart folks at WordCamp Atlanta all with different backgrounds and experiences. You never know who you’ll be sitting next to in a session or what their interest in WordPress or blogging is. Take the time to at least introduce yourself, then ask about their blog. Its a pretty safe bet everybody there will have one or at least be starting one! If you happen to have business or calling cards, use them wisely! As Brogan says… don’t go around throwing them out like ninja throwing stars. If you really connect with someone they’ll more than likely ask for yours. If they haven’t asked for it, be cautious about whipping them out! By the same token, if you meet someone you’d really like to follow up with, ask for their contact info… then follow up! Use WordCamp as an opportunity to meet the avatars you’ve been talking to on Twitter and Disqus, maybe even meet some new folks… it’ll be fun… I promise!

Bonus Tip: This event is what you make of it
As with most things in life, you will get back from WordCamp Atlanta what you put into it. If you come looking for the answer to one or two questions… and never ask those questions in either sessions, at the genius bar, or even over lunch… how can you be disappointed if you leave without the answer. (If all else fails, come ask me. If I can’t answer it we’ll go together to find somebody who can!) The point is you have to put a little of yourself out there to get a little back. Don’t be shy!

If you have more tips that you’d like to share, PLEASE drop them in the comments below. We’d all love to hear them.

See you in Atlanta!
@jtrigsby

PS – If you see me at WordCamp Atlanta I’d love to meet you! Just walk up and introduce yourself! I promise I don’t bite!

PPS – Also keep an eye on the jtrigsby WordCamp Atlanta event page. I’ll be posting there more leading up to, at and after the event!

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