My First WordCamp Experience
This was my very first WordCamp, and honestly, my first real step into the Open Web world beyond the DreamHost office walls. I arrived in Portland curious and a bit unsure, expecting a typical tech conference heavy on jargon. Instead, I found a city alive with creativity, beautiful bridges, lush greenery, and a convention full of generosity and inclusivity.
Between casual convos near the Voodoo Doughnut truck in the Oregon Convention Center exhibit hall and spontaneous hallway chats, it quickly became clear—WordCamp US 2025 was about much more than code or cool swag. It was a welcoming space energized by curiosity, collaboration, and a shared commitment to open source possibilities.
A Community That Feels Like a Reunion
For all the brilliant sessions and technical dives, the soul of WordCamp was the people.
“The talks change every year, but the people are more than colleagues and, in many cases, friends that you’ll do almost anything you can for,” said consultant Marc Gratch.
That rang true in every hallway conversation, lunch-table discussion, coffee-line introduction, and sponsor-room demo. Whether you were brand new (like me) or a longtime contributor, the openness was unmistakable. WordCamp didn’t just feel like a conference; it felt like a reunion of people from every corner of the world, all working on the same purpose: making the Open Web better.
Real Impact, Real Numbers
According to WordPress.org, over 300 contributors gathered for Contributor Day, including 120 first-timers, collaborating across 19 teams. The Polyglots team translated 12,000+ strings, while teams like Core, Documentation, Training, and Community made measurable contributions to the WordPress project.
Showcase Day, the newest addition, exceeded expectations with 800+ attendees. Keynotes and sessions dove into AI, accessibility, ethics, and equitable tech—featuring speakers like Amy Sample Ward and Joeleen Kennedy, whose insights stuck with many of us long after the sessions ended. WordCamp didn’t just talk about impact, it showed it.
Fresh Perspectives From Final Day
Systems Thinking in a Tech-Heavy World
Jonathan Wold, co-founder of Guildenberg, left a session by Tammie Lister with a new outlook.
“We humans operate in systems anyway, especially in a world with all this new technology, with AI,” Wold said. “How can I make sure that I’m confident in the foundations, the strength of the systems that I have in place?”
It was one of the most valuable takeaways of the entire event. WordPress isn’t just about tools. As Wold noted, AI will amplify whatever we feed it. So it’s up to us to make sure those systems are strong, ethical, and intentional.
Inspiration From Unexpected Places
For Cat O’Grady of Automattic, the surprise highlight came from a keynote on AI and medicine.
“They talked a lot about using video games to help neural development and treatment, and I thought that was so cool,” O’Grady said. “I’m going to go update my personal site right now and make it look so much cooler, just revive everything.”
These cross-discipline moments—where WordPress meets health, gaming, or design—don’t just spark ideas. They remind us that open source thrives on diversity of thoughts and experiences.
The Energy of Enthusiasm
When asked to describe the 4-day event vibe in one word, Gratch didn’t hesitate: “Enthusiastic. Very enthusiastic.”And he was right. From sponsor booths to casual chats, people were eager to share what they were building, offer advice, learn from each other, and spark new partnerships. It’s rare to attend a professional event where generosity is the default setting.
Quick Hits
- Favorite swag: Wapuu
- Favorite words I heard to describe WordCamp: Enlightening and Hospitable
- Favorite booth moment: Watching Jax Ko paint the WordCamp mural in the lounge area
- Best snack moment: Grabbing delicious donuts from the Voodoo Donut truck parked inside the Sponsor Hall
- Favorite item at registration: The TriMet Hop Fastpass for free rides around Portland
The Subtle Power of In-Person Connection
So much of our industry happens online—Slack threads, GitHub pull requests, Zoom calls. WordCamp reminded me that digital connection isn’t always a stand-in for face-to-face interaction.
On the final day, I grabbed a seat at a picnic table in the lounge area with a hot coffee in hand. Inside the Sponsor Hall, the Voodoo Donut truck was parked and doing its thing—serving local, decadent donuts—while steps away folks were kicked back, swapping notes about AI plugins and site ideas, stickers, and playing competitive foosball matches.
There weren’t formal meetups or scheduled sessions. They were those unscripted, low-key WordCamp moments that stick with you.
“It’s not about gaming algorithms, it’s about writing for people,” Google’s Danny Sullivan, on internet search (but honestly, it could apply to the entire WordCamp vibe).
Open Source as a Mindset
One idea kept echoing through the halls: open source is not just a licensing model—it’s a mindset. It’s about collaboration, transparency, and shared responsibility.
“The future of the Open Web is the future, honestly,” Gratch said. “What separates open systems from closed is the community involvement of making our software, our services, the things out there better.”
This mindset is exactly why events like WordCamp matter. WordPress isn’t just a CMS. It’s living proof of what communities can build when they commit to openness.
Hosting in the WordPress Ecosystem
Before attending, I mostly visualized hosting as infrastructure. WordCamp helped me better understand that hosting companies are more than the foundations; they’re co-creators in the ecosystem. At DreamHost, we’ve always said we attend WordCamp not just for the swag or networking, but because we believe in a community-powered, open web worth protecting.
As we wrote earlier this year when sponsoring WordPress London, “One of the things we admire most… is their commitment to diversity in topics, formats, and perspectives…”
Leaving With More Questions—and More Excitement
I arrived with questions about WordPress, AI, and hosting’s role in the ecosystem, and still left with even more questions. But also with new inspiration and a sense of belonging. Like O’Grady, I wanted to go home and update my website. Not because I had to, but because I wanted to.
WordCamp Always Matters
If you’ve never been—or if you’re new to the industry—WordCamp US is worth the trip. It’s affordable, accessible, and welcoming. It’s not just about collecting swag (though Wapuu was the MVP of the week); it’s about collecting ideas, conversations, and inspiration.
I hope this won’t be my first and last WordCamp. Next year in Phoenix, I plan to show up not just as an attendee, but as a more active contributor. If you see me with the blue DreamHost microphone and camera phone, don’t be shy—say hi!