The History
In June 2010, Andrew Davis, Anthony Cole and myself met with the idea of reinvigorating the (then defunct) WordPress Melbourne User Group.
The discussions went well, and the following month we hosted the first meeting (which had 8 people in attendance).
1202 days later, I’m immensely proud to say that we have organised 47 WordPress Melbourne User Group meetup events (an average of 1.2 events per month), all of which have helped WordPress users learn and share their knowledge about WordPress and related topics.
The Thank You’s
I’d like to extend a sincere thank you to the following people and companies, who have all played a big part in making WPmelb a success.
The sponsors (past and present):
- Envato (generous pizza sponsors for the last 2 and a half years)
- Sennza
- Uber
- Video User Manuals
The venues (past and present):
The organisers (past, present and future):
- Dee Teal
- Aaron Rutley
- Anthony Hortin
- Peter Wilson
- Warren Denley
- Amelia Briscoe
- Anthony Cole
- Andrew Davis
- James Collins (me)
The regular volunteers (past and present):
The speakers:
- There have been in excess of 60 volunteer speakers (too many to list unfortunately).
The members and community:
- Countless people have come along to our events to expand or contribute their knowledge
- These people have also helped spread the word about the group, and encouraged their friends to join and attend.
As of today, we are lucky enough to have almost 1000 members.
Without all of you the user group would be meaningless.
Thank you.
The Future
With my impending move to Perth, tonight will be the last WPmelb event I attend for a while.
I’ve also stepped down as lead organiser, and I feel confident knowing that a talented and awesome team of volunteer organisers will be ensuring that the group grows and prospers into the future!
It’s been fantastic being a part of the WordPress Melbourne User Group over the last 3 and a half years.
I’ve met so many great people, learnt so many things, and had countless opportunities to share some of my knowledge with others.
If you live in or near Melbourne, and are interested in WordPress, I strongly recommend that you join the friendly group and come along to an event.
3 replies on “The WordPress Melbourne User Group: a 1200 day history and a look into the future”
James, as you know, the strength of the WP Melbourne meetup was one of the things that made the decision to move here, for me, a really easy one. Thanks so much for all you’ve done to make it happen and the group of incredibly enthusiastic and committed people you’ve gathered around it to make the coming years built on a really great foundation. You’re a champ! And I can’t wait to get you back to speak next year!!
Thanks so much for your kind words Dee – they mean a lot!
Will see you sometime in 2014 🙂
[…] I’ve also been really impressed by Melbourne’s tech community. In particular, being a part of the WordPress Melbourne User Group. […]