Core Days 2024 – The Perfect Chance to Dive into the Heart of WordPress  

A few weeks ago, we were proud to sponsor Core Days, an event attended by our beloved members, Francesco Grasso and Francesco Licandro. Held in Rome, the Italian capital, the event was primarily conducted in English, making it more accessible to international speakers and contributors.     

Like all events, this was a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with the community and meet others who are passionate about learning more or diving deeper into the Core of WordPress. The ‘Next Gen’ format this year turned out to be quite innovative, giving us the chance to attend several key sessions on topics like accessibility, themes, Gutenberg blocks, performance, and much more.  

Day 1: Talks, Speed Challenges and Lots of Brainstorming!  

The event kicked off on November 8th, the same day as Giuseppe Mazzapica’s session, during which he gave a hands-on demonstration on automating code quality checks. He covered tools such as UNIT TEST, WPCS/PHPCS, Psalm, and PHPStan, and showed how to use GitHub Actions to create an automated workflow that ensures code quality and consistent adherence to programming standards.   

We also attended a networking session called Speed Networking, which involved brief timed conversations between participants. It was a great way to connect and quickly expand our professional networks.   

To wrap up the day, and keeping with the theme of “speed,” our developer Francesco Grasso took part in the Speed Challenge—a timed competition where participants had to recreate a popular website using only the WordPress block editor, all within 30 minutes. Competing against Francesco in this test of speed, skill, and creativity was none other than Jessica Lyshcik, the lead developer of the Twenty Twenty Four theme. The result? Their impressive mastery of the editor led to a well-deserved tie!  

Francesco Grasso

Attending Core Days was something I’d been really looking forward to, and I’m so grateful to have had the chance to represent YITH at the event. It was an amazing opportunity to connect with some of the best professionals, get involved in the community, and share my skills on an international stage.

Second and Final Day: Conversations on Themes, Accessibility, and More 

The second (and final) day of the event began with an introductory workshop by André Maneiro and Riad Benguella on DataViews, the new UI component designed to display data in various layouts while enabling interaction.  

Another highlight of the event was the panel discussions—interactive sessions where experts and volunteers moderated open debates on various topics. Among the discussions were Gutenberg development, an overview of WordPress themes by Tammie Lister, and a session on accessibility by Stefano Minoia. In one of the panels, Francesco Grasso joined an engaging discussion about block themes, classic themes, and hybrid solutions. This topic is particularly close to Francesco’s heart, especially since he is the creator of our Wonder block theme! 😉  

Francesco Licandro

Attending Core Days was an amazing experience. It was an event full of learning opportunities, networking, and great conversations with friends from the WordPress community. Just like every WordCamp I’ve been to, this one was a fantastic opportunity for both professional and personal growth.

As F. Licandro mentioned earlier, events like these are indeed a valuable opportunity for both professional and personal growth. On the one hand, they give participants the chance to connect with other industry experts and stay up to date with the latest technologies. On the other hand, they help create meaningful human connections, bringing people together and building a strong sense of community. These are significant moments for strengthening relationships, meeting clients and colleagues, and making new friends.  

We can’t thank enough the organizers, volunteers, and sponsors who, once again, made this unforgettable Roman experience a reality. A special shoutout to all the participants who welcomed us with open arms and played a key role in making the event such a success. Until next time 😊