What is WordCamp?

If you’re new to the WordPress world, you’ll probably hear about WordCamps at some point. But what exactly are these events, how did they come about, and how can you get involved? Over the course of this article, we’re going to figure it out together.

Introducing WordCamps

If we had to sum up WordCamps in a few words, we could say they’re conferences related to WordPress. But that definition, while technically correct, feels a bit too simple when you think about the history and scope of these events.

It’s reasonable to start with something. WordCamps are free, informal events that have popped up all over the place over time. There are currently WordCamps in 399 cities and 65 countries.

These events are all about communication, interaction, and discussion. Anyone can get involved in putting together the different events. You can just come along and watch, or you can even give a talk if you’ve got something to share with the community.

And when we say “anyone,” we really mean anyone. The WordPress community is all about inclusivity. We welcome people from all backgrounds, including ethnicity, creed, gender, and experience. Everyone’s invited to WordCamps, from blogging newbies who use WordPress for their personal sites to CEOs of successful eCommerce businesses, from programmers working directly on WordPress code to folks who are just getting started in this space.

History and Evolution of WordCamps

The tradition we all know and love got its start in 2006, just three years after WordPress was founded. Matt Mullenweg actually put together the first WordCamp in San Francisco, which lasted a day and had hundreds of people in attendance.

Since then, WordCamps have cropped up all over the globe, following his lead, as well as numerous Meetups and other gatherings organized by the WordPress community.

The Structure of a WordCamp

Normally, a WordCamp is split into two parts: the Contributor Day and the Conference Days. Let’s take a look at them together.

What is Contributor Day? Contributor Day is a day at WordCamp where people come together to develop WordPress code and related tools. It’s a chance for developers, other WordPress users, and enthusiasts to work towards a common goal: making the tool that brought them together even better.

This is an informal day where we’ll be touching on a wide variety of topics, from the code itself to support, documentation, translations, and design. The goal is to collaborate and learn together.

Conference Days: The second part of WordCamp is the Conference Days. This is when volunteer speakers give talks, workshops, and presentations on a lot of different topics. They share their experiences with WordPress, technical topics, and motivational speeches at these locally organized conferences. These days are really important for the community, and users, developers, and sponsors all bring different perspectives and networking opportunities.

Who is the WordCamp designed for?

Inclusivity is one of the core values of WordPress, and WordCamps are all about that. That’s why these events are open to everyone. WordCamps attract a diverse crowd, including professional WordPress developers, designers, bloggers, content creators, agencies, freelancers, entrepreneurs, educators, and more.

The same goes for how you experience the tool: beginners are just as welcome at WCs as experts, so even if you just discovered WordPress today, you may well attend these events.

Benefits of Participating in a WordCamp

There are lots of great reasons to get involved with one or more WordCamps. Here are just a few:

Networking: There’ll be plenty of chances to meet other WordPress pros and enthusiasts. This can help you find clients and colleagues with whom to collaborate on projects and share ideas.

Learning: Growing professionally and personally by sharing knowledge. It’s true that we can only grow so much on our own: we’re social animals, and comparing ourselves to others can help us improve our work and passions.

Community Building: The global WordPress community is made up of hundreds of smaller communities, too. If you improve your local community, you’ll get results faster and engage with people who are closer to you, both physically and in terms of your way of thinking. They may have the same needs and goals as you, so it’s a great way to connect.

And there are plenty of other advantages in attending a WordCamp, since what works for one person might not work for another.

How to Participate in a WordCamp

Have you thought about attending WordCamps for the first time but are not sure how to do it? No problem! We’ll walk you through it.

How to register and participate: The first step is definitely to see what upcoming WordCamps are in your area. Just go to WordCamp Central, which is the main hub for all these events.

Here you can find a list of upcoming WordCamps, as well as a search function based on your location. Once you find the WordCamp that’s right for you, just click on it to access the dedicated site. You can check if there are still tickets available (a WordCamp ticket should cost a maximum of $25) and purchase them there.

Volunteering opportunities: You’ll also find a volunteer section on the WordCamp site you’re interested in since these events are created and run by the community, for the community. If you’re interested in helping out, you can register and submit your application. If you’re selected, we’ll provide training on the tasks you’ll need to complete.

Being a speaker: Similarly, you can apply to be a speaker by proposing a talk and passing a selection process.

If you want to come along as an observer, you can usually get in, as long as there are still tickets left. But if you want to volunteer or speak, we suggest you get in touch well in advance.

Organizing a WordCamp

Organizing a WordCamp can seem like a big challenge, and it does require the help of a lot of people. But every one of the hundreds of events that have been held over the years started with just one person.

So, if you’re looking to get the ball rolling on your own WordCamp, here are a few tips to get you started:

Start by promoting the event and recruiting volunteers. A WordCamp doesn’t need one person to start it, but one person can start it. Once you have enough participants, you can apply on WordCamp Central.

You’ll also need to find a venue that can fit all the different parts of the event and set a budget for the costs that will come up. Then get together the content and speakers. Remember that the WordCamp team is there before, during and after the event.

One of the most useful resources to help you get started is the WordCamp Organizer Handbook.

What do we talk about at WordCamps?

As we saw earlier, WordCamps cover a lot of different topics. These include:

• Code and site development, including the core WordPress code, its plugins, the Gutenberg block editor, and the direction WordPress is taking in the future.
• Graphical site development, including themes that are consistently released for WordPress and focused on UX.
• The world of eCommerce, especially thanks to the integration with WooCommerce and all the world that revolves around this extension, such as plugins and themes dedicated to sales.
• Content creation, blogging, marketing, SEO evolution and more.
• Personal and collective stories of how WordPress has helped us overcome challenges and changed our lives.

And so much more.

Differences between a local WordCamp and a WordCamp Europe event

Each WordCamp is different from the other, but you can divide them into two categories: the local ones and the ones that span multiple countries. For example, WordCamp Turin will definitely be different than WordCamp Europe.

To what extent? While all WordCamps have the same basic structure and nature, local ones are more intimate events with fewer participants and often focus on the local WordPress experience.

On the other hand, WordCamp Europe has a very diverse lineup of speakers and offers a much larger networking opportunity than a local event. At these events, you can catch talks by some big names in the industry, along with other speakers.

One event doesn’t exclude the other, but it’s often recommended to take it one step at a time. Try a local WordCamp first, then move on to a European one because it’ll cost less, and it’ll be easier to manage logistically. Plus, the European events are huge, with tons of people in attendance. You can even switch them up if you want, since local WordCamps are very important for the community closest to you.

Official Channels & Slack

If you’re looking to talk with other community members, there are a few ways you can do that:

WordPress Community on Slack: Slack has been a popular choice for the WordPress community for a while now as it fits in well with the philosophy of this CMS. You can use it on lots of different platforms, including computers, iOS and Android, which makes it more accessible than other similar tools. If you want to subscribe to the WordPress Slack channel, just head over to the Make WordPress page and log in to your WordPress account.

Official communication channels: You can follow official communication channels such as WordPress.org, Make WordPress and WordPress.tv.

How to get ready for the first WordCamp

We know it can be a bit overwhelming to attend an event like this for the first time, so we’ve put together a few tips to help you make the most of it and feel at ease.

• Registration – Register for the event, check where it will be held, what days and times.
• Preparation – You don’t need to have a portfolio or a great website to attend, but if you’re looking to network and compare yourself with other people, it’s a good idea to be prepared. Business cards can also be useful, as there are sometimes job boards at most WordCamps where you can put yourself forward for certain roles.
• Take notes – The talks at WordCamps are really informative and you might pick up some useful tips for your own projects. So, if you bring a notebook and pen (or a digital solution if that’s your thing), you’ll get the most out of the experience.
• Create a base – If you’re new to WordPress, you might want to refresh your memory on the basics of this CMS. That way, you’ll have a better understanding of what’s being discussed.

And in general, don’t let fear or dread stop you from getting involved. Go to as many talks as you find interesting and chat with as many people as you can!

Conclusion

We tried to give you the lowdown on what a WordCamp is in a few words, but we really think you should experience it for yourself. It’s a great way to connect with the community and see how much it can benefit you as an individual user.

That’s why we suggest you check out the WordCamp in your area. If there isn’t one, you can always be the one to start a new one in your city!