We’ve been inundated with great enthusiasm for Wordcamp Ireland 2010 on Twitter, from attendees, speakers and sponsors alike. We’re delighted so many of you had such a great time, and in the face of so much enthusiasm, we’re going to go ahead and start planning WordCamp 2011 with your help and feedback.

For WordCamp 2011, we promise to:

• Use the right WordPress logo (I’m going to WordPress Hell – Sabrina)
• Block book all rooms at Langton’s so more people can stay there
• Have a smoother registration and check-in system
• Have an online list of attendees so people can find each other after camp
• Re-work the Speakers & Sponsors dinner so it’s more mingle-y
• Signpost the outside of Langton’s so it’s easier to get into!
• Sort out the Conservatory sunlight issue and blackout draping (So sorry about that…)
• Do a better job with lunches (we got slammed by the walk-in registration numbers)
• Have VGA hookup dongle thingies for both kinds of Macs for all rooms
• Have tea, coffee and water available all day every day, instead of tea and coffee service
• Open the bar in the ballroom after the last talk both days so we have our own bar
• Organise volunteer videographers for all sessions, speaker permission allowing
• Organise more volunteer opportunities now that we know what we’ll need
• Do more further in advance so we have a chance to sleep, shower and hang out more with 250 amazing, amazing people

Part of the reason why, after having sworn we would never do this again, we are suddenly mad-keen to host Wordcamp 2011 is that we want want the chance to fix the things we cocked up this year. We genuinely want to know what else you’d like us to do better. Please let us have your feedback in the comments and we’ll do our very best!

SO: Tell us what you liked best, what you liked least, and what just plain didn’t work for you. We do this for the WordPress community, and we want to know what the community wants!

As previously announced, WordCamp Ireland will feature a Genius Bar, running all day both days. However, given the fact that getting 35 fabulous speakers all in the right place on the right weekend at the right times can be slightly reminiscent of herding cats, we have utterly failed to get properly organised ahead of time in terms of volunteer sign-ups.

We are now moving to Plan B: Organised Chaos. There will be a large Genius Bar schedule on the wall at registration, with space for Genius Bar volunteers to choose a convenient 45-minute slot to sit down and man the help desk, two at a time. (If you are familiar with the BarCamp format, it should work very much like that.)

There is a huge crew of people from Automattic coming to WordCamp, most of whom have generously volunteered to take a turn in the hot seat, so we are not overly worried about being able to staff the Genius Bar. Still, if you can offer technical, content or design expertise, we’d very much love to see your name on volunteer sign-up on the day, and will offer you our many, many thanks… and a special little pressie!

One question we’ve been asked a lot is “Will there be a Genius Bar?” Now that we’ve figured out what a WordPress Genius Bar is, the answer is: Yes, there will be a Genius Bar.

A WordPress Genius Bar is basically an opportunity for you to sit down with an expert WP user at a table in the main hall and get your WordPress questions answered. These can be questions like the following:

• How do I install a theme?
• Where is my RSS feed and what do I do with it?
• How do I un-mess-up my header?
• How do I add a poll or survey?
• How do I hack change this search box?
• How do I integrate Twitter with my blog?
• What are tags and how do I use them?

We’re expanding on the basic Genius Bar idea a bit and also including people who can give you quick, one-on-one tips on improving your content, being more search-engine friendly, developing your audience, and general blog voodoo.

So it’s a chance to get both general questions answered and hands-on help with your actual blog. We’ll have a schedule of Genius Bar volunteers on the wall at WordCamp, along with their general areas of usefulness so you know who you should go to; everyone will be adept at basic WP tech questions and fixes but some volunteers will be more geared towards specific areas of expertise for your individual issues. Sessions will be capped at 15 minutes each.

We’ll be recruiting volunteers in February but if there’s something you’d like to see covered at the Genius Bar, let us know in the comments!

©Chris Devers

If you’re looking for a ride to WordCamp Ireland or are able to offer a lift, this is the place to post what you can offer and what you need. Remember to say where you’re leaving from and what day you are traveling. Thanks!