WordCamp Jinja 2022 Review
WordCamp Jinja 2022 was the first WordCamp in Africa since 2019. One that brought exciting insights about WordPress as a whole.
As a WordPress-based web agency with remote African teams, MRK WP had to be part of WordCamp Jinja 2022.
What is WordCamp?
WordCamps are community-organised events put together by WordPress users and centred around WordPress.
These events happen regularly in cities across the globe. It’s an event where WordPress fans come together to network and share skills, ideas, and the latest developments in WordPress.
Day 1 & 2 of WordCamp Jinja 2022
Day 1 kicked off at 9 am with the registration of attendees. These included teachers, students, bloggers, freelancers, digital agencies, and many more.
Day 2 commenced with the speakers and presentations of the day moving smoothly forward, despite some delays at the start.
The event was divided into 2 locations, with three speaker and presentation tracks running concurrently.
- Teachers workshop Track – Talks ranged from; WordPress for E-Learning, Web Design as a Side Gig for Teachers, and Web Design Lab Practice for Teachers and Students.
- Diverse Speakers Track – This included presentations like; How to Get and Retain Web Design Clients, Developing a Digital Marketing Strategy, SEO for Business, Making Design Easier with Block Editor, eCommerce Best Practices, Global Positions in the WordPress Space, Pricing and Professionalism in a Web Design Business, Understanding the Metaverse, etc.
- Web Design Hackathon – The Hackathon covered; Website Setup and Layout Design, Web Optimisation and User Testing, Designing a One-page Website and Converting HTML Templates to WordPress Themes.
Sponsors
The event had a decent number of sponsors and supporters, both local and international. Their support contributed significantly to the success of the event.
- WordPress
- WooCommerce
- MRK WP
- Nexcess
- Weglot
- Jetpack
- Bluehost
- Yoast
- TechRT
- Cloudways
- ICT Teachers association Uganda
- Innovation Village
- Ezone Web Services
- Nugsoft Technologies
Swag
There were different branded products from sponsors as giveaways to the attendees. These included WordPress T-shirts, stickers and pins, pens, notebooks, tote bags, etc.
After Party
The after party was held at the famous source of the river Nile, right by the river banks. The party’s highlights included photo shoots, cake cutting, and boat cruises.
More facts about the WordCamp Jinja 2022:
- The event occurred in 6 locations, between 2nd – 3rd September 2022.
- Twenty volunteers helped organise and plan the event.
- Over 200 people, including guests from the neighbouring East African nations, attended the event.
- 25+ speakers graced the event.
- The turnout of women speakers and attendees surpassed past WordCamps in Uganda.
- There were over ten sponsors that made this event possible. The MRK WP stand stood out.
- The event had a series of workshops focused on teachers and high school students.
- A web design hackathon was held during the two days of the event.
- The day climaxed with an after-party at the source of the famous River Nile.
WordCamp Jinja was not only the largest ever WordCamp in Uganda but one of the largest in the region ever.
Takeaways from WordCamp Jinja 2022
As far as WordCamps go, this one was a success. The turnout was impressive and record-breaking for Uganda WordCamps.
Considering the reasonably low cost of the event tickets, the organisers did a great job. The two-day event was held in multiple locations based on the different activities, with a decent breakfast and buffet lunch offered on both days.
The yearning to learn more about WordPress from the youths attending to industry professionals was quite inspiring.
From now on, supporting and attending more WordCamps will be our intention as a WordPress-based business.
Some more highlights of WordCamp Jinja 2022.
