After a 15-hour journey by plane, we found ourselves in National Harbor for one of the biggest flagship events of the global WordPress community – WordCamp US 2023!
In 3 days, we soaked up the local culture, including trying delicacies such as blue crabs and Smith Island cake, visiting US staples like the White House, Lincoln Memorial, and Vietnam War Memorial with our friendly local guide whom we met at WordCamp Europe in Athens earlier this year; and hopping in and out of West Virginia, Maryland, and Washington DC in just a 10-minute Uber drive.
At the centre of it all was the massive convention centre at which we had the chance to mingle with 2,000+ WordPress enthusiasts, sponsors, and event organizers.
What went on during WCUS this year? Catch up with the highlights that made it unforgettable.
Quick WordCamp US 2023 Overview
Even though we are regulars at WordPress events in Europe, this was our first WordCamp in the US, and it stood out in more ways than one.
From deep discussions to light-hearted parties, this year's event was nothing short of exceptional:
- Duration: 3 days
- Participants: 2,000+
- Presentations: 40+
- Workshops: 6
- Organizers: 42
- Sponsors: 64
Numbers alone, however, are not enough to experience WordCamp US 2023 through the screen.
Contributor Day and Community Summit
Contribution is at the heart of WordPress, and without its continuous open-source model, the platform that powers over 43% of the web won’t be possible.
The first day of WordCamp events is always dedicated to gathering seasoned and new contributors all in one place. Our Head of Marketing, Elena Kostova, and Partnerships Manager, Svilena Peneva, had a great time lending their expertise in the realms of events and marketing while other contributors weighed in on community challenges, projects, and the future of WordPress.
Needless to say, Contributor Day in WCUS this year was impeccably organized, serving as a follow-up to the first Community Summit since 2019.
The Community Summit is an exclusive, in-person event that brings together contributors from different areas of the WordPress open-source initiative. This meeting provides a platform for collaborations and discussions across various projects, all aimed at advancing and improving the WordPress project as a whole.
1:1 Time with Our Customers
An invaluable benefit of WCUS is the privilege of building face-to-face connections with our US-based customers.
There’s nothing quite like seeing the faces behind the account names and shaking hands with the people who help us grow as a service and a company. Hearing firsthand the stories and feedback about the NitroPack product deepened our sense of purpose and commitment, reaffirming that every line of code, every update, truly matters.
Strengthening Community Ties
Beyond our customers, the opportunity to network with peers like Elementor, WP Engine, and the fellow Bulgarian powerhouse, SiteGround, was enlightening.
Furthermore, we forged new connections with Antarim, WP Stellar, Cloudways, and Hostinger. These interactions allowed us to exchange experiences, discuss common challenges with product owners, and explore collaborations with agencies, further solidifying how inclusive the WordPress community has always been.
Co-founder and project director Matt Mullenweg made the time to meet and greet all partners at the expo personally, leaving the crowd with a special memory from WCUS 2023.
Diverse Talks and Learning Opportunities
WordCamp US 2023 brought forth a range of intriguing talks with a keen emphasis on diversity, accessibility, and design. Catch the replay of 9-hours worth of presentations below:
For performance aficionados like us, Henri Helvetica’s discourse on Core Web Vitals resonated deeply, especially given its alignment with our recent webinar in collaboration with Google.
In his talk, he addressed the evolving nature and significance of Google’s Core Web Vitals and presented data surrounding them through the lens of WordPress practitioners. Watch Henri’s talk here:
A Night to Remember: Keynotes, Parties and The Smithsonian Experience
As always at WordCamp events, the days are followed by an abundance of evening parties that make you want to master instant teleportation.
Our team split to explore different events, from air golfing with WP Engine friends to standing in solidarity with the LGBTQIA community, thanks to Codeable, Liquid Web, Nexcess, and Stellar WP.
An exciting twist this year was concluding the conference earlier than usual with the inspiring keynotes by Josepha Haden Chomphosy and Matt Mullenweg, allowing attendees to soak in their insights without distractions.
Executive Director Josepha Haden Chomphosy posed important questions about the future of WordPress, highlighted the continuous efforts to evolve the software's efficiency, and stressed the importance of maintaining a welcoming community that educates and helps new users.
Matt Mullenweg highlighted the advantages of working within the open-source ecosystem, celebrated the release of 6.3, and teased about what to expect in 6.4 in November, mentioning:
- A new theme that focuses on bloggers and content creators
- Font management that allows you to download straight from Google
- An Image Lightbox feature that allows users to zoom in and out from a front-end perspective
Mullenweg closed the ceremony by asking the WordPress community to picture how WordPress can continue to revolutionize the internet way beyond 2023.
But the cherry on top was the social! Swapping conventional party venues for the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History was a stroke of genius. Networking amidst ancient artefacts and the dazzling Hope diamond made the experience surreal.
Awaiting WordCamp US 2024
As we reflect on our time at WCUS, we are genuinely filled with gratitude. The dedication and effort of the organizers and the community crafted an experience that reminds us of the incredible WordPress community we're part of.
While the location for WCUS 2024 is still under wraps, we remain at the edge of our seats and count the days until we get to meet again.
