What is Wordcamp?

Not only has WordPress powered 43% of all internet websites, but it has also become a worldwide community of professionals who aim to make the most out of this popular platform. Users worldwide contribute to workshops and events to share ideas, boost innovation and support one another.

So, if you’re looking to build relationships, have some fun, and learn about WordPress, you need to find out more about WordCamp.

What is a WordCamp?

WordCamps are informal, community-organized events put together by WordPress users like you. Everyone takes part, discusses ideas, and gets to know one another, from casual users to core developers.

Even though there are hundreds of different approaches to learning about WordPress, if you’re looking for hands-on experience, WordCamps are the ultimate solution.

Intrigued? Great! You can always find several WordCamps being organized worldwide, and as a WordPress enthusiast, it’s truly worth a shot! In addition, you can spend a few days with hundreds of other WordPress users who share your passion and want to do more with this platform.

The number of WordCamps held worldwide is gradually increasing as WordPress users shoots up. So naturally, they all aim for the same thing. However, not all are the same. Depending on the location and number of attendees, they vary from the largest WordCamp events in Europe and the US to the more local events held everywhere else.

Elementor’s Global Community Manager Verdi Heinz has spoken highly of WordCamp, adding that the event is “all about connecting.” He continues by saying there is never a shortage of interesting moments and conversations.

So, it’s safe to say that no matter how often you’ve been to one of these events before, you’ll still learn something new each time.

This year, several WordCamps are being held in France, Spain, the Czech Republic, Nepal, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Italy, and India, and many more are being planned.

If it seems like the kind of thing you’re interested in, you’ll enjoy the rest of this article.

Who Can Join WordCamp?

WordCamp is a general event for every WordPress user. Most importantly, they are an inclusive environment for everyone regardless of race or ethnicity, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, ability status, socioeconomic status, or background. There are thousands of opportunities available for both beginners and professionals, and anyone can attend any workshop they like and work their way up.

So, bloggers, developers, marketers, SEO specialists, photographers, local businesses, and all other WordPress users are welcome to attend the events!

Also, thanks to the sponsors and the sheer volume of volunteer work, WordCamps are extremely cost-friendly and are easily affordable by an average person. All these lead to the ideal meeting point for new collaborators, employees, and employers to share their experiences and usher in new relationships and opportunities.

Find Your Local WordCamp

You can learn everything about the next WordCamps, the latest news, events schedule, volunteer opportunities, and different ways you can buy tickets on WordCamp Central.

“WordCamp is a conference that focuses on everything WordPress.”

For example, you can click on the “Find a Wordcamp” button and navigate through the Schedule page to find the planned events of the year. Each one links to a page where you may learn every detail about the event you’re interested in, such as schedules, locations, lecturers, volunteers, and so much more.

WordCamp Archive

The whole point of WordCamp is to communicate with others in your line of work and build solid relationships with them. However, if for some reason you missed a WordCamp or just wanted to catch up with what’s been going on in the previous ones, you can always pay a visit to WordPress.tv.

You can find more than a decade of information on every WordCamp that was held around the world, including all of the presentations, highlights, and behind-the-scenes.

In addition, you can easily navigate through a vast library that’s been optimized so you can find anything from the past ten years of holding WordCamps around the world.

However, remember that some of the videos and presentations are obviously outdated and therefore represent almost no educational value. This is due to the many changes and updates that have been applied to WordPress over time.

On top of that, all the educational information available on WordPress.tv is free, making it an excellent opportunity for everyone to gain more knowledge without having to attend or pay for anything.

WordCamps on the Inside

WordCamps generally last one to three days. You’ll have to purchase tickets to attend them and can volunteer to help grow the event and contribute to the cause even further. You can select from the numerous available events and attend the ones that interest you the most.

Organizers always post the event schedule beforehand so you can plan your days accordingly. While they usually consist of talks and presentations, there are also workshops to encourage more practical approaches and social events to help build better relationships.

WordCamps also fully contribute to making the events as safe as possible, so make sure to run by the “Safety Measures” of the specific WordCamp you’re planning to attend.

Talks and Presentations

While WordCamp events are pretty diverse, the most common ones are talks and presentations. These events include short “lightning” presentations as well as 60-minute long lectures. All of these can be found on the schedule page of the WordCamp you’re going to attend.

Workshops

Workshops are another popular format for WordCamp events. In most WordCamps, the schedule is almost divided between talks and workshops, and attendees can choose between the two.

Workshops are a bit longer than presentations, ranging from 60–90 minutes. However, as the name implies, they are interactive and usually have the attendees perform several tasks and learn about new topics.

Panel Discussions and Interviews

Another common format for WordCamp events is panel discussions and interviews, which gather several speakers and a moderator to debate a common theme or topic. You can check out WordPress.tv to get more familiar with these forms of discussions.

Common Discussion Topics

While dozens of topics are covered in every WordCamp, a few usually build the main pillars of the conference; WordPress Essentials, Updates and Developments, Security and Privacy, Digital Marketing, and Storytelling. 

WordPress Essentials

In order to target beginners, there are always some lectures discussing WordPress fundamentals in general. This information can help new users understand the rest of the events more fluently. Topics in this area usually consist of web hosting, domains, themes, plugins, and page builders.

Updates and Developments

Recent changes, updates, and developments are one of the most important subjects covered in these events. WordPress releases new updates now and then, so it’s important to stay up-to-date with the new features and improvements.

Security and Privacy

Security and data privacy are never-ending discussions. Learning about the latest ways to keep all the information on your website as safe as possible is crucial because you can never be “Too Safe.”

Digital Marketing and Business

Marketers can easily take advantage of the many features WordPress has to offer to enhance their marketing approaches. Therefore, there are events designated to SEO, content creation, link-building, and social marketing.

Storytelling

Another important part of WordCamp is influencers and entrepreneurs discussing how WordPress enabled them to turn many lives around.

Job Boards

There is usually a job board at every WordCamp, so companies and employers can post job openings, exchange business cards, or discuss several other opportunities.

As a result, many people have stated that not only does attending a WordCamp help broaden your range of knowledge, but it’s also a great chance for WordPress users seeking a new career to find one another. 

Agnes Bury, a Client Advocate at WPML has stated several times that after his first event, he got a new job. And he continued, saying that he always gained something from these events that he hadn’t expected.

Get Ready for Your First WordCamp

Although showing up for an event is as easy as it seems, it doesn’t hurt to be fully prepared for it. The following list can help you get the most out of the events:

Stick to a Schedule

While the complete schedule of the events is available online, creating your own customized agenda is highly recommended to avoid missing out on any of the events you want to attend. This way, you know exactly what you will be doing for the next few days and can make the best out of your limited time there.

Prepare Questions

You can’t get the most out of an educational event if you don’t ask questions. So you have a personalized plan, you can come up with a list of questions depending on the events and workshops you will be attending.

Bring a Laptop

Laptops make it super convenient to document all the events. It can also be used to connect with new people, interact with others on various social media platforms, and share your experience online.

Grab a notebook and a Pen

It’s always nice to be ready for anything! In case of WiFi issues, limited electrical outlets, or other issues, you’ll always have a notebook and a pen to save the day.

Advertise your attendance

Advertise your attendance at the meeting on your social media channels, contact friends or colleagues who also share your interests, and invite them to join you. This opens up a brilliant opportunity for many others to meet you in person and build even more connections.

Also, it might help raise awareness of the event itself. Although WordCamps are popular worldwide, many WordPress beginners do not know these events exist.

Stay Healthy

Always bring your bottle of water, hand sanitizer, a pack of face masks, and personal hygiene essentials. You can’t learn anything if you’re not feeling too well, can you?

Support the Organization

It’s important to know that all the money collected throughout the event and all the funds raised in the name of the tickets are exclusively spent on planning, organizing, and carrying the event. Any additional funds that may remain are also spent on other ongoing WordPress meet-ups, upcoming WordCamp events, or to sponsor local developers to contribute work to wordpress.org.

In addition, most WordCamps are followed by an after-party at a nearby location. Again, this emphasizes that the whole idea was to help like-minded people meet and have fun in a cost-friendly manner.

Organize Your Own WordCamp

Even though WordCamps are held all over the world, some locations may have been overlooked. If you feel like no events are coming to your area, you can always plan your very own WordCamp.

Organizing a WordCamp is no more complex than planning any other type of large-scale event. However, if you’re passionate and have enough experience running such events, take a closer look at the basic requirements and guidelines on Central WordCamp and fill in your organizer application.

Don’t miss it!

WordCamps are the ideal events for having hands-on experience with WordPress as well as making solid relationships with other users and professionals. The workshops are perfectly designed to maximize innovation and guarantee a fun approach to education.

Make sure to check out Central WordCamp and start planning your events right away!