WordCamp Bhopal 2023 - 10/10/23

Written by: Atharva Kulkarni

Date: 10/10/2023

So I was invited to a meet-up for WordPress which turned out to be a meeting for Organising WordCamp. To give context I had not attended a WordPress community meet-up for a long time. Always had something or the other to do post-COVID. But this time I didn’t want to say no. Not once not ever. Was my intention to be a part of it, No. Did I want to do it for Aditya bhai, Yes. And that’s how this journey began.

As I attended a few meetings I got to know the team. For every single member I have given them a title from my end as a thank you message from my end. It has been difficult not gonna lie. Managing work is itself a nightmare for me due to the responsibilities I carry plus I do a billion more things to keep myself sane. Thought of saying No came to my mind, there was a fear of Disappointing everyone who had kept faith in me.

I started with the Sponsor team, I made a DB of potential WP sponsors based on past events. Sent a cold message and waited like a moron. Nobody showed interest in our event. The fear of disappointment became even bigger. I had decided to say No this time for sure and I did. I said that Sponsor isn’t the responsibility fit for me. I failed the team who had put a lot of faith in me. Time was running out. But the team thought maybe I could be good for something else. I like Rohit Sharma was offered the Opening and was given the responsibility of Speaker.

The next chapter began. The sheet of speaker, their screening, a plan and everything was created on Day 2. All my anxiety about being an organiser vanished in a moment. I thought I wasn’t contributing anything but a solid plan was ready almost a month ago. But luck doesn’t work like this. Its job is to remove ego, making people humble and snapping back the reality that we live in. My exam clashed with the event. I told Aditya bhai with a heavy heart that my exam was clashing. He said you play your part until then, he didn’t give up on me and surprisingly nor did the team.

We had multiple meet-ups during the planning phase, some good, some bad and some ugly. But you know what the team is resilient. We never gave up on the community, our goal which was the event and not even the people we had disagreements with.

We met a lot of new people. Made friends. We learned a lot from each other. That’s the beauty of life which our team explored and none of us noticed. Our personalities and experiences have rubbed on each other and in a good way.

My mother and I got sick a week before the event. Work had to be done but others took responsibility and played a part I was supposed to. Thank you, Astha and Deepansh for being there. I somehow managed to take the first 2 of my MTech exams and continue further.

A day before the Contributor’s day I was nervous and slept early thinking about the event tomorrow. Fortunately woke up early and arrived on time. As the crowd started showing up I quickly realised that we must have surpassed the number we had imagined. Met the speakers for the first time there, and my playing 11 were there.

I was super tired already and the event had just begun. I slept a little, took a shower once again and reached Zappian again to quickly realise the number of people had surpassed once again. I as a POC from both ends had to deliver and do justice to both WordCamp and Zappian but a guy who is backed by a team doesn’t need to fear all this. The event despite the challenges went well.

I again reached home and slept like a baby. My battery had fully drained and I had no energy whatsoever. I took a shower once again, probably a record for my lifetime to do it thrice. I wore the traditional and reached the venue this time a bit late. Everyone had reached. I wasn’t feeling well tbh. In hindsight, I think people would have noticed it. But the sponsors and speakers warmed this battery-dead man to Ranveer Singh level energy levels. Then I played my part in entertaining them with my stories.

I left for home only to realise once again that I am not attending the event tomorrow. Slept like a rock once again. Woke up the other morning and finished my first exam with ease. Had my lunch and I started thinking what the team were doing. I checked the WhatsApp Group messages even during the exam, that’s the kind of FOMO I had. The second exam turned out to be bad. It depressed me to my core. But since exams were finished I quickly changed and left for the venue.

I saw them all there. Tired after a day full of events. I was tired too but for a very different reason. I wanted the reason to be the same. I wanted everything they had experienced that day, the good bad ugly everything. The folks were kind enough to send me on the stage to felicitate the speakers, kind of the only opportunity for me to go upstage and get a few clicks in the event photography. If hearts could biologically melt, mine would have. I had never been too emotional during an event in my life and there I was. On stage, looking at the camera and wishing to hug them all.

Since I reached there late I didn’t wish to leave after the event had ended but I did. I changed and reached the after-party venue after ensuring Kohli and KL made their half-centuries (Yes, I know I am a Weirdo). I met everyone, had some chit-chat with them, danced on the floor and even ate a bit. Before I left I just realised that it was over. Everything planned until that point was over, done, dusted, completed and achieved. I wished I was happy and wanted to celebrate but it felt a bit empty. I started to think why?

Wasn’t the answer obvious, I wasn’t going to meet my team the next day. A part of my life, my other team, my 2hrs of bandwidth was over but the feeling of missing the team has stayed. I do not plan to organise any event at the moment but I think whenever I do I will urge my team to gather again like the Avengers and let’s break some legs then. Now after this entire Ramayana of WordCamp Bhopal 2023, I will share my titles for my team.

Here I go:

1. Astha: Queen of Show

2. Deepansh: Wizard of Website

3. Hrishish: Chief Rev

4. Kripesh: The Influencer

5. Pooja: Melodious Vibes

6. Priya: Crafty & Classy

7. Shivam: Last man standing

8. Sumit: Elegance Represent

9. Yashwardhan: The Guide

10. Arpit: The Magician

11. Mansi: Sincere sage

12. Ishita: The Rockstar

13. Parv: Mysterio

14. Pranjal: Live Wire

15. Rishika: Miss Obedient

16. Sanskriti: Miss Simple

17. Shashank: Party Animal

18. Utkarsh: Mr Reliable

19. Vansh: The Buzz Man

20. Peehu: The Key Player

21. Juhi: The Artist

22. Rehan: Life Saver

23. Sumit: The Director

24. Aditya bhai: The Don of Events!

Let Love, Peace and Respect Prevail.

AK signing out from WordCamp Bhopal 2023!