What is a WordCamp

Hello WordPress lovers. In the vast world of web design and development, that word, WordPress, resonates very strongly. And it’s not just the king CMS, but also one of the most lively communities on the internet.

Within it, there is a type of event that brings together developers, designers, bloggers, marketers, and entrepreneurs from all over the world: the WordCamp.

If you’ve ever wondered exactly what it is, how you can benefit, or why you should consider attending one, you are in the right place. We have already attended more than 8 WordCamps and our experience could not be better.

Join us and we’ll tell you!

What is the history of WordCamps?

You may wonder how and when these special meetings started, which today bring together hundreds or thousands of people in cities around the world. To find out, let’s start at the beginning.

The birth of WordPress

Before WordCamps, WordPress had to be born. The CMS was launched on May 27, 2003 by Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little.
What started as a simple blogging platform quickly evolved to become the most used CMS in the world.

The first WordCamp

The birth of WordCamps took place three years after the launch of WordPress. The first WordCamp was held in San Francisco in 2006, and was organized by Matt Mullenweg, one of the founders of WordPress.
It was a fairly informal event, although with hundreds of attendees, that laid the groundwork for future WordCamps.

Global expansion of WordCamps

After the success of the first WordCamp, other WordPress enthusiasts in different parts of the world began to organize their own local WordCamps. They began to appear in cities in North America, Europe, Asia, and eventually spread to all continents.

Diversification of topics at WordCamps

While the first WordCamps focused mainly on blogging and development, over time, the topics covered at these events diversified to include design, business, SEO, security, plugin and theme development, among others.

Creation of the WordPress Foundation

To help regulate and facilitate the organization of WordCamps, the WordPress Foundation was created in 2010. This non-profit organization helps ensure that events maintain certain standards of quality and accessibility.

Today’s WordCamps

Today, WordCamps are held in numerous cities around the world, with thousands of attendees at the largest events. In addition to local WordCamps, there are also regional and continental WordCamps in Europe, Asia, and the United States (yes, we know this is not a continent), which are larger-scale events.

What happens at a WordCamp?

A WordCamp is much more than just an event: it is a meeting of professionals and enthusiasts in the WordPress sector. Don’t know what happens at them? We’ll tell you!

Talks and workshops

The main core of any WordCamp are the educational sessions. These can be talks, round tables, or practical workshops on a wide variety of topics:

• Development: from creating plugins and themes to best practices and advanced techniques.
• Design: focusing on user experience (UX), user interface (UI), and web design in general.
• Marketing and SEO: how to optimize your WordPress site for search engines and digital marketing strategies.
• Business: tips for freelancers, agencies, and entrepreneurs using WordPress.
• Community and blogging: tips on writing, content management, and building communities.
• Security and performance: how to keep your site secure and running at top speed.

Networking

One of the main benefits of attending a WordCamp is the opportunity to connect with other WordPress professionals and enthusiasts. You can make new friends, find potential collaborators, or even potential clients or employees.
For that, there are always coffee breaks, meals, and even common after parties, where all attendees come together to put the final touch to the day.

Sponsor area

WordCamps usually have an area where sponsoring companies have stands. It is an excellent opportunity to discover new products, services, and tools related to WordPress.

Contributor Day

The vast majority of WordCamps also have a “Contributor Day”, a day dedicated to contributing to the WordPress project. It doesn’t matter if you are a developer, a designer, a translator, or just someone willing to help; there are many ways to contribute.

How to find a WordCamp in a nearby city?

Finding a WordCamp in a nearby city or anywhere in the world is quite simple thanks to the resources provided by the WordPress community.
Here are some options:

Official WordCamp Central website

The most direct and reliable way is to visit the official WordCamp Central website. There you will find upcoming WordCamps, past ones, and also an interactive map showing where they are held.
You can search for a specific city, country or even continent and find the nearest WordCamp.

Local WordPress Meetup Groups

WordPress meetup groups often organize or promote WordCamps. You can join a local WordPress meetup group through Meetup.com, where you will find information on upcoming events, including WordCamps.

What are the advantages of attending a WordCamp?

Attending a WordCamp has multiple advantages, not just in terms of technical knowledge, but also in professional development and business growth. Below, we detail some of the main reasons why attending a WordCamp can be beneficial:

Learning

WordCamps usually feature a variety of talks and workshops led by experts from different areas of WordPress. This allows you to acquire up-to-date technical knowledge, learn about the latest trends, and discover new tools and techniques.

Meeting People from the Industry

It is an exceptional opportunity to connect with professionals, companies, and WordPress enthusiasts. You can establish contacts that could turn into future collaborations, employment opportunities, or even business partnerships.
Additionally, WordCamps bring together some of the most outstanding experts from the WordPress community. You will have the opportunity to ask questions, get feedback, and resolve doubts directly with them.

Contributing to the Community

Many WordCamps include a “Contributor Day” where attendees can collaborate in the development of WordPress. It is an opportunity to give back to the community and contribute to the growth and improvement of the CMS.

Discovering New Tools and Services

Thanks to the sponsors and exhibitors present at WordCamps, you can discover new tools, plugins, themes, and services that can help you in your projects.

Inspiring Environment

Being surrounded by passionate people with similar ideas can be incredibly inspiring. Success stories, experience, and innovations can motivate you to undertake new projects or improve existing ones.

Opportunity to Travel

If you decide to attend a WordCamp outside your city or country, it is an excellent excuse to travel, discover new places and cultures, and combine tourism with learning.

Lots of Fun

WordCamps are not just about work and learning! There are also moments of relaxation, games, after-parties, and other social activities that allow you to enjoy and unwind.

Bonus: We tell you about some of our experiences at WordCamps in Spain

For a year and a half, we have dedicated a large part of our time to prepare for all the WordCamps we attend, since we are sponsors at many of them. It is a way to make our product known, support the WordPress community, and establish new synergies.
In fact, at one of the WordCamps, we met the people from Sirvelia, with whom we created our web maintenance plans calculator.

We really had an incredible time every time we go to one of them, but we want to show you which ones we have attended.

WordCamp Valencia 2022

It was our first WordCamp, also as sponsors. Here we introduced the WordPress Psychologist and it was when people, for better or worse (we messed up a bit 😜), started to get to know us.

WordCamp Zaragoza 2023

We were so cold, oh my. Here people already stopped us to ask if we were the WordPress Psychologists. Little by little we opened up in the community and made friends.
Here with Pablo Moratinos, one of the Modular users.

WordCamp Chiclana 2023

What a change in temperature. One week in Zaragoza and two later in Chiclana. No wonder we get sick every now and then. Just kidding, we couldn’t go to this one but we still sent our sponsorship. It is important to support the community even if we can’t attend.

WordCamp Pontevedra 2023

This WordCamp was a turning point for us. Here we left the shyness and spoke for the first time at a WordCamp. We had an amazing experience, with loads of nerves, but really, a very nice experience that we hope to repeat.

Conclusion

Attending a WordCamp is undoubtedly an enriching experience on a professional and personal level. If you have never attended one, we encourage you to do so, as it will open doors to a world of knowledge, contacts, and opportunities.
Are you coming to the next WordCamp? We hope to see you there!