C. Murray Consulting - Web Development and Strategy Experts located in Providence, Rhode Island

Last Saturday the C. Murray Consulting team spent the day at the first ever, sold-out and not to mention “Best Ever!”, WordCamp Boston. This event was held at the very high-tech and very cool Microsoft N.E.R.D. Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

First, a huge thanks to all of the organizers and volunteers behind this awesome event. They did a great job of keeping the whole event running smoothly.  The location was perfect, the swag was cool and the people were great!

The C. Murray Consulting team represented levels of WordPress expertise from across the spectrum. The conference rose to the challenge, providing sessions that catered to the beginner all the way up to the expert. Being a beginner myself, I loved the WordPress 101 session presented so well by Amanda Blum. In fact, the whole day was one invaluable lesson for me.

As for my more experienced colleagues – they too learned a thing or two. Here are a few highlights from their experiences.

• The session on BuddyPress, presented by Boone Gorges, was very informative and well presented.
• The insights from , , and on their paid themes, plugins, and services around the WordPress ecosystem were interesting, as we provide a number of free plug-ins for the WordPress community.
• A big “thank you” goes to Joby Blume from m62 visualcommunications for stopping in to be a part of the WordPress Powers My Startup panel!
• Keynote speakers Doc Searls and David Weinberger gave a great talk about the past, present and future of technology and the Internet.
• The “chowdah” at lunch was a nice touch, thanks to Legal SeaFoods!

Our very own presented for two of the tracks and was a blue-hoodie organizer. We will be posting video of his presentations – Themes 101 and WordPress Powers My Startup – as soon as they become available. Jake’s favorite moments, from an insider perspective, included:

• My favorite moments are always about the people. Jonathan Davis and I chatted commercial plug-in models and architecture. Doc Searls and I gabbed for nearly an hour at the speaker reception, debating the Apple tablet, and telecom challenges in the US. No one challenges my thinking and critiques like Jane Wells.
• The scope of it. I met gracious people from across the street and across the globe. I caught up with a client from the UK who I’d never met face to face, amazing developers from across the country (including one of the guys behind “AddThis”), and even a fellow Providence Open Coffee entrepreneur.
• I love presenting, and good or bad, I love feedback. Packing the Themes 101 room (that “officially” held 120) was humbling. Up against SEO sessions, the Startup audience was intimate, but the discussion was great, and the feedback from a volunteer who loved the session was heart warming (the fact that she was a Rhodes Scholar preparing for Oxford in September didn’t hurt).

In the meantime, if you would like to check out other sessions that were held at , keep an eye on the website and stay tuned at Wordpress.tv. And stay tuned for upcoming WordCamps around the world by checking out the official WordCamp website.

All in all, it was a great way to spend a cold but sunny Saturday in January! Can’t wait for next year!