(General meeting begins at 9 am, speaker presentation is at 11 am, after Q&A, networking time, introductions & announcements), followed by our informal lunch gathering from 12:15 pm-3 pm. Scroll down for details and to register.

(Click here for the schedule for the day)

Current BAIPA members must log in first to get a free ticket to the morning session and a discounted ticket for the afternoon workshop. Then come back to this page.

MORNING PRESENTATION:

WordPress expert, Jeffrey Samorano, discusses the in’s and out’s of finding the right theme and the dangers of choosing the wrong one

Learn what to look for, how to vet the duds, and what to avoid. Jeffrey will demonstrate what sets great themes apart and how the wrong theme can cost you thousands later down the road.

Jeffrey is working to pioneer a new way to think about websites.  Gone are the days of high price tags and endless meetings. There is a better way.

With today’s technology you can let data and feedback drive design. Your website is constantly evolving. There’s no such thing as a “finished website.”

With the right theme, the right host, and good management plan, your website’s evolution can be intuitive and painless.

• Find out what makes a WordPress theme great and how (and where) to find them.
• Learn the key components of a theme that can make a “template” unique.
• Learn how to avoid “dangerous” themes and how to spot the bad apples.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT AT THIS EVENT

The 2019 Winner and Runner-up of the BAIPA Book Awards for Fiction will be announced at the Feb 9 meeting.

The Book Award process has been organized and managed by a small committee of BAIPA members: Bev Scott, Chair; Craig Smith; Margot Genger and Paul Samuelson. Authors eligible for the award must be BAIPA members and had published their books between Jan 1, 2017 -June 30, 2018.  The books have been evaluated and rated by independent judges  in the book business who are not members of BAIPA.

NO AFTERNOON WORKSHOP

Instead, everyone attending the morning session is welcome to bring a bag lunch and stay for a casual gathering with discussions around the tables. We’ll provide some conversation starters at each table in case they’re helpful, but you probably won’t need them. This is a chance to hang out informally with your BAIPA friends and colleagues. Discuss the morning presentation, what you’re each working on, or pick the brains of your community around some problem or challenge or opportunity. There will be no formal afternoon workshop, but there will be a reason to stick around for a bit, relax and socialize.

About our Morning Speaker

Over the past 15 years Jeffrey Samorano has been designing, building, and marketing professional WordPress websites for locals in Marin. He’s worked closely with mom-and-pop shops, entrepreneurs, and established companies selling both digital products as well as physical goods.

Most recently, he’s been helping small business owners in Chico navigate the murky waters of online marketing technology and tactics at the Chico Small Business Development Center (SBDC). Though some of them even have an understanding of traditional marketing, the digital space is proving to be a steeper learning curve.

“I often find that those who desire to market their business do not yet have the foundation on which to begin marketing. I believe my background in design and web development give me a unique perspective of the full marketing tapestry. It’s not enough to know just the threads, it’s how they weave together that creates the magic.”