An Interview with Yam Bahadur Chhetri – WCASIA2020 Organizer

An Interview with yam Bahadur Chhetri

Today, we are interviewing one of the most active community members in Nepal, Mr. Yam Bahadur Chhetri. He is one of the WCASIA2020 organizers and he will be looking forward to representing Nepal at WordCamp Asia 2020. We will be asking him questions related to the grand WordCamp Asia and how things are going so far.

The first regional WordCamp in Asia – WordCamp Asia 2020 is taking place next year and we are very excited about it. WCASIA2020 is happening on February 21-23, 2020 at TRUE ICON HALL @ ICONSIAM. WordCamp Asia 2020 is Asia’s first flagship WordCamp, and overall third flagship WordCamp, after WordCamp Europe and WordCamp US.

Organizers are a crucial part of any WordCamp. And having a mentor from Nepal in an international WordCamp is a proud moment for all Nepali WordPressers. Therefore, we would like to thank Mr. Yam for taking the initiative and we would also like to congratulate him on being one of the organizers at the first-ever WordCamp Asia 2020. We feel absolutely jubilant to be interviewing someone who is making us all Nepalis proud. So, without any further ado, let’s get started with the interview.

Yam Bahadur Chhetri
Mr. Yam Bahadur Chhetri

You’re a part of the organizing team for the first-ever WordCamp Asia 2020? How does it feel? Do you feel pressurized? Nervous? Excited, maybe?

Despite being nervous and excited, I feel that it has instilled more responsibility. It’s because, rather than showing personal excitement, I took it as a golden opportunity to represent WordPress Community of Nepal to the world. And I thought it would be enormous to set an example to other communities by dedicating my whole effort. One seldom gets this type of opportunity, so I thought of utilizing this chance to prove as a community representing Nepal rather than as an individual.

What are the responsibilities of being in the Volunteers organizing team?

The main responsibility of being in the Volunteers organizing team is to define the task and role of volunteers understanding their capabilities and to make them realize their responsibilities in the event. The goal of all organizers should be making an event successful.

How is the preparation for the big event going so far?

The preparation is going strong so far. We have already selected the required number of volunteers and emailed them as well. Currently, I’m working on defining their roles and responsibilities for the event. Discussing with the volunteering team, the responsibilities will be finalized and handed over to them.

You’re from Nepal. So, how are you planning to represent your country at WCASIA?

It’s definitely a great time to represent Nepal, so I will give my best at WordCamp Asia so that in the near future, Nepal can also host WordCamp Asia. I will also show that the WordPress Community in Nepal is strong and look forward to welcoming community members to Nepal on the occasion of Visit Nepal 2020.

What are your expectations from this first WCASIA? How successful do you think it would be?

Different peoples from different communities of Asia are working together at the very first regional WordCamp of Asia. These different communities can bring a new combination and I’m sure that it will be a successful event. Other regional WordCamps are taking place for quite a time now and have conducted successful events. Though WordCamp Asia is being organized a little later compared to other regional WordCamps, I’ve expected this to show that there are also capable teams/communities in Asia who can conduct a successful regional WordCamp collaboratively.

WordCamp Asia is the first of its kind with different communities coming together as one. Likewise, the organizers are from different countries as well. So, how does the whole organizing thing work? How do you manage?

Though the organizers/volunteers are from different countries, we have been in sync most of the time. We are having weekly meetings in the Slack group for planning and receive updates on every task. Everybody in the team is helpful and helps to cover the difficult tasks and plan ahead. Whenever a resource from the team is unavailable, we immediately fulfill his/her space and complete the task at the scheduled time.

How do organizers organize local meetups or your timetable for the big event?

For the local meetups, the organizing teams can meet and plan immediately. The hassle is very less. However, for the big events, everybody should be up to date with every task and should work with the set routine. We have to set a proper plan and be well prepared for any unforeseen events. The roles and responsibilities of every organizing member should be well defined and executed accordingly.

You’ve been the lead organizer of WCKTM twice, so, how is that experience helping you in your WCASIA journey? Is it helping you understand WordCamp Asia a little better?

Experience matters for every work in every field you name. Being a Lead Organizer of WordCamp Kathmandu, I’ve learned so many things and collected many experiences. After the Lead Organizer, I immediately applied for a Mentor. While being a Lead Organizer, I also used to work with the rest of the team and learned to organize the tasks. With these experiences, I’m now able to give advice to the WordCamp organizing teams. These experiences obviously helped me in my journey to WordCamp Asia.

When are you planning to take off for Thailand?

I’m planning to head to Thailand at least a week before the main event so that I can see the venue of the event, meet the organizing/volunteering team, and discuss & plan with them to execute all the scheduled tasks on time.

Any messages or suggestions to WordPressers around the world?

No events are small and cannot be conducted with ease. This needs a proper set of plans and preparations. Also, for any event, everyone should be passionate about the event and know the main purpose of the event. I would like to tell that the WordPress community is not small, it’s huge and is conducting international level conferences worldwide.

Do you want to suggest anything to WordPress enthusiasts in Nepal? Maybe about participation in international WordCamps?

No one should take the WordPress community just for personal benefits. Until one helps in growing the WordPress community, they won’t be able to represent them professionally to other communities. So before participating in international WordCamps, I think it will be helpful if one actively participates in local WordCamps first.

What do you think about organizing WordCamp Asia in Nepal? Did it ever cross your mind?

There are various WordCamp being organized in Nepal, if we are able to make them successful and grow our WordPress communities in Nepal, I think we will be able to organize WordCamp Asia in Nepal. Being an organizer, I’m trying my best to perform my role so that I can create a favorable environment to become a good organizer and host in Nepal.

Have you tried or thought of proposing Nepal to be the venue country for WCASIA to the whole organizing team of WordCamp Asia?

I haven’t tried to propose yet, but I will definitely do it in the near future. Firstly, the community here should be strong enough to be able to host WordCamp Asia. I think the right time to propose will be when we have a good infrastructure in the country with the right leaders in the community.

What are your plans after WordCamp Asia 2020?

My main plan is to make WordCamp Asia a successful event. After the event, every aspect of the event will be analyzed and then only the next plan can be set.

Will you be implementing your WCASIA experience and takeaways here in Nepal?

Definitely, the experiences of WordCamp Asia will help in Nepal. But, the WordCamps in Nepal are at a certain phase and have not reached the level of WordCamp Asia at this time. However, we can upgrade the WordCamp format in Nepal so that we can meet international standards.

DevotePress would like to thank Mr. Yam Bahadur Chhetri for sharing his thoughts and opinions. We wish him best wishes for his journey at WordCamp Asia 2020.

Find Yam Bahadur Chhetri on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yambiography
Twitter: https://twitter.com/yambiography

 

 

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