Guided by the theme “Sustainable Growth – Building a Lasting WordPress Future,” WordCamp Mukono 2026 will bring together over 300 attendees including WordPress users, contributors, code wranglers, developers, designers, educators, and business owners to explore how sustainable practices can strengthen the WordPress project, local communities, and the broader open-source ecosystem.

A Focus on Sustainability and Long-Term Impact

The 2026 theme reflects a growing emphasis within the WordPress project on sustainability not only in technology, but also in people, communities, and contribution pathways. Sessions and discussions will focus on:

• Sustainable WordPress businesses and client practices
• Long-term community building and leadership development
• Performance, security, and maintainable WordPress solutions
• Inclusive contribution and mentorship in open source
• Content, accessibility, and responsible digital publishing
• AI tools and practices for both individuals and businesses
• An Educational track for Students and Educators

The program is designed to support both new and experienced WordPress users, offering practical insights alongside opportunities for deeper engagement with the WordPress project.

This year includes a lot of Community building activities, programs and strategies to support and grow open source communities.

Strengthening the Local and Regional WordPress Community

WordCamp Mukono has become a key gathering point for WordPress users in Mukono, Uganda, and the wider East African region. The 2026 event continues this trajectory by prioritizing local voices, first-time speakers, and contributors who are actively growing WordPress adoption through education, translation, support, and community leadership.

By hosting the event in Mukono, the organizing team reinforces WordPress’s mission to democratize publishing and ensure that open-source opportunities are accessible beyond major urban centers.

WordCamp Mukono 2026 will be hosted at the spacious and prestigious Murs Country Resort in Kigunga, Seeta, Mukono Municipality. The venue offers a variety of amenities and services that make it a beautiful home for WordCamp Mukono.

Accommodation Options at WordCamp Mukono

WordCamp Mukono has spoken to several hotels and Accommodation options around the Host venue including the host venue itself and Accommodations have been made available for all attendees.

Details have been shared on the website. Feel free to secure your pick as you see fit.

An Official, Community-Led WordPress Event

WordCamp Mukono 2026 is an official WordPress event, organized by a dedicated team of local volunteers and run as a non-profit. Like all WordCamps, the event is built on the principles of openness, inclusivity, and collaboration.

Over two days, attendees will participate in talks, workshops, and networking opportunities designed to foster meaningful connections and long-term contributions to WordPress.

Get Involved

Calls for speakers are open to any one with a brilliant idea they would want to share, and the sponsor call is also open. An event of this magnitude can only be made possible by the many generous individuals who contribute to open source and community initiatives. The volunteer call is now closed, and the event is already taking shape.

Ticket Sales are now open for this great experience and are the main talk on the streets. Community members from Uganda, the East African region, and beyond are encouraged to take part and contribute to an event focused on building a sustainable future for WordPress. Have no excuse! Book your space now!

Community partners are also allowed to sponsor people to get this great experience by buying a ticket for them. Sponsoring them fully or partially. Contact the Team for details

More details can be found on the official WordCamp Mukono website and on WordCamp.org as they become available. Kindly also check the Blog Section for live updates on the event.

Index

• Let’s begin, this WordCamp is yours
• 1.What is a WordCamp?
• 2.Talks and speakers
• 3.Light Talks
• 4.Speed Builder Game
• 5.Contributor Day
• 6.Kids’ area
• 7.If the family gets together, we eat. Traditional Valencian cuisine
• 8.A WordCamp with tradition
• 9.Team
• 10.Sponsors
• 11.Public reception
• 12.Final

Let’s begin, this WordCamp is yours

“Good morning! Welcome to WordPress Tech Congress, WordCamp Valencia 2025!”… And that’s how I began my opening speech at this fifth edition and last WordCamp of the year in Spain, held from November 8 to 9 at the La Petxina sports and cultural complex in Valencia. It was an honor to be the team leader, and I’m truly proud of what we achieved. It was an unforgettable experience in which I had the opportunity to design the event together with a great team of passionate organizers, speakers, and volunteers. In this review, I’ll tell you the details, illustrated with numerous photographs. If you were there with us, you’ll be able to relive the memories, and if you weren’t, you’ll now see how we lived that day. Let’s begin, this WordCamp is yours!

What is a WordCamp?

WordPress is an open-source CMS used by 43% of all websites. It is distributed under the GNU General Public License v2 or later. It has a very meaningful mission: “to democratize publishing on the web”, which becomes even more relevant in a digital world where more and more platforms use opaque algorithms that decide how we consume content and exploit our data in ways that are far from ethical. WordPress supports an open and neutral web, a web that belongs to people and gives us the freedom to create and share.

One of the driving forces behind WordPress is its community. A global ecosystem made up of hundreds of people who collaborate with their dedication to develop it and help it grow. And a WordCamp is the conference organized by the community, whose organizers and speakers are all volunteers. We get together with the purpose of learning, collaborating, networking, and also growing the community. During these days, we greet old acquaintances, interact with new people, collect swag from our fabulous sponsors, and eat. These are very special events, with a different feel from commercial conferences because of their family-like, collaborative nature. Everyone is welcome.

Talks and speakers

And that spirit was exactly what we experienced at WordCamp Valencia 2025, which, during that weekend, became the epicenter of WordPress in Spain. This year, under the title “WordPress Tech Congress”, we talked about current technological topics in the WordPress ecosystem, its tools, and associated disciplines.

In total, we had 20 long talks, three of them in English, the Light Talks format, the Speed Builder Game, and Contributor Day. We had an incredible line-up of speakers, experts who shared their experience and delivered talks of truly outstanding quality. In the reviews posted later on social media, attendees spoke of the WordCamp as a “shot of inspiration” and highlighted that “the WordPress community is more alive than ever”.

The content was organized into several categories, one of the main ones being web development. The speakers dug deep into WordPress from the perspective of senior developers.

One of our major talks was given by Ivelina Dimova, titled “Prototyping Intelligent Features for WordPress”. Ivelina is a senior WordPress developer. She has a long history in the WordPress Community and is one of the three team leaders of WordCamp Europe 2026, which will be held in Krakow from June 4 to 6. With her participation, she returned to speaking at WordCamps after a break.

She began by telling us about her participation in the Buildathon competition, an AI-only hackathon/competition in San Francisco organized by DeepLearning.ai and Andrew Ng. There, she created 6 applications in five hours using artificial intelligence tools and ended up winning in the Solo category. This experience made her reflect on how application development has evolved: “Five years ago I wouldn’t have been able to be so fast and efficient”, she told us. From this starting point, her goal was to show us how we can be just as productive in the WordPress ecosystem. She showed us specific tools, how to use them, and a TDD approach adapted to the WordPress ecosystem. In short, she shared the process of how to prototype intelligent features for WordPress, updating us with methods and tools that reveal a new era in web development.

Within this category, there was also a talk with an important piece of news by Fernando Tellado, founder of AyudaWP, very well known in WordPress for his long track record of collaboration. Fernando submitted six talks to the WordCamp, but we contacted him and asked: “Can you talk about the changes in wp-admin and bring us the latest news to the stages of WCVLC25?” And Fernando accepted!

He explained the reinvention and “The future of WordPress wp-admin”, which has gone years without significant changes. To do this, he interviewed Matías Ventura, lead architect of Gutenberg, to bring us fresh information about it. In thirty-five minutes, he explained the new vision, the three pillars of the redesign, the impact for users, and the current status of the project. A big and necessary change because, as Fernando says, “…that the machinery (referring to WordPress) underneath (page builders and dashboards) adapts to our current ways of using the internet: it’s no longer a web of clicks, but a conversational one”. To conclude, he called for participation in building the project.

“It’s your time to contribute. Now is when your voice matters. These changes will affect millions of users. Share your experience, test the prototypes, and help shape the future of WordPress”.

In this category we also had: Sulema Rocha with “From zero to WordPress site in seconds: real productivity with WP-CLI”; Juanma Garrido with “Expanding core blocks with frontend interactivity: HTML API and Interactivity API”; Álvaro Gómez with “WordPress MCP + Abilities API: Talk to your Website”; Fernando Puente with “Evaluating a cache system. Intermediate-Advanced” and Andros Fenollosa with “SASS, the preprocessor that survived the CSS apocalypse”.

Another attractive blocks for the audience was SEO & AI or traffic. Nowday, access to online content no longer depends solely on search engines. Many other entry points to the web also generate traffic and visibility. That’s why SEO experts have begun to add and study the process of discovering websites and content through new Artificial Intelligence tools.

We had Natzir Turrado on the WordPress stage for the first time with his talk “From SEO to AX: prepare your website for agentic traffic”. He is a renowned international expert in SEO and data science. His talk was the result of a year’s work, during which he reverse-engineered agents and agentic browsers to understand how they work and what difficulties they have when navigating the web.

He began with illustrative data: +4,700% increase in traffic from GenAI browsers and chat services to retail sites in the USA; a 9.4% drop in human traffic because people are already interacting directly with AI interfaces; and increasing bot traffic. Natzir explained that websites are no longer only consumed by humans, but also by artificial intelligence agents that browse them, interpret them, and act on them. He told us what these agents actually need to complete tasks, what their weak points are, and how to optimize our websites so these agents can “read”, “understand”, and “use” them.

We also had Dani Leitner with “The real future of our websites: What your SEO agency doesn’t want you to know”, a relevant topic for web designers and developers. Dani is an independent SEO consultant specialized in the DACH market (Germany, Austria, Switzerland). She is passionate about WordPress and organizes the WordPress Meetup in Zürich. She was an organizer of WordCamp Europe Basel 2025.

She started her talk by showing two possible scenarios for the future of the web: the first, with a screen and a chatbot so that the user “navigates” by means of conversations, and the second, a scenario in which there are no real users visiting websites anymore. A web suitable only for agents, which is all code and has no frontend as such, no design layer, no images. “Given current trends, everything will happen in a chatbot”, — she explains. —“For example, you can already buy on Etsy from ChatGPT, and Google does it with PayPal”. In her talk, she walked us through the change in search systems, moving from keyword-based search to conversational search. She talked about new emerging concepts and acronyms, such as LLMO, AEO, and GEO, which are linked to how machines, AI, and agents interact with websites. She recommends anticipating the new purpose of a website: not only to serve human-to-human content, but also to be ready for agents, assistants, and automated workflows that “talk” to the website.

A particularly interesting talk was given by David Ayala with “How to get ChatGPT and Google’s AI to recommend you”, once again impressing the audience, who sat on the stairs of Track 2 to listen to him.

The Digital Marketing category stood out for the quality and appeal of its talks. It couldn’t be missing because many companies use WordPress to build the platforms that will later be key sales tools. Let’s see who took part in this category:

Pablo Moratinos, with “From funnel to flywheel: How to grow with WordPress”. In his day-to-day work, he leads the Data & Experimentation team at Product Hackers, is a WordPress.com brand ambassador, and co-host of Un Billete a Chattanooga. He is the author of the book “Negocios online. Data driven marketing”, published by Anaya Multimedia. He has a long history of contributions to WordPress.

In this talk, he told us how to use WordPress to implement a “flywheel”. First, he introduced the concept: an evolution of the linear acquisition-conversion (funnel) model into the flywheel approach, a continuous growth system that uses customer satisfaction to generate new sales and referrals, creating steady momentum through three phases: attract, engage, and delight. Then, from a technical perspective, he showed how WordPress is a “true growth operator” because it can implement all the phases on the same platform. He wrapped up his talk with examples. A very clear summary of WordPress’s power in digital marketing and how to save resources by having everything on a single platform.

We also had Miguel Florido and his talk: “Connect, convince, convert: The power of in-person conferences in sales”. He is the director of Escuela Marketing and Web, where he teaches specialized training in digital marketing and AI, and he is the founder and director of DSM, one of the largest Digital Marketing and AI conferences held annually in Madrid and Valencia.

It was a technical talk about how to organize a conference, which he explained through his personal and professional experience in marketing. He presented a roadmap with 7 essential points: 1. Alignment with the product, 2. Cost analysis, 3. Choice of speakers and venue, 4. Sponsorship, 5. Ticket types, 6. Event promotion phases, 7. Strategies to sell a product or service. He also showed the tools used to execute the marketing, including WordPress, and project management resources such as a Gantt chart, among others.

The most interesting thing is that, based on the resources he presented, it seems like an easy and simple process, even though it requires a lot of dedication, commitment, and understanding of the context and goals. He also pointed out the advantages of the in-person format over the digital format: spontaneous interaction, high-quality networking, and shared experiences that have a strong emotional impact. Miguel finished by emphasizing that organizing an event means designing experiences that connect emotionally, convince with the proposal, and ultimately generate business results.

Ricardo Tayar also participated in this edition of WordCamp Valencia 2025 with “5 things you must understand (and do) so that your website truly converts”. He is a renowned professional, CEO of Flat 101, a top web design agency in Spain that uses the BXOp (Business eXperience Optimization) work approach and has already been in the market for 12 years.

He began his talk with the following thesis: “if you don’t understand how we make decisions, you can’t design anything that converts”. From here he recommends understanding what the user/customer really wants and aligning it with the business objective; designing the user experience in a way that facilitates the desired action (flow, clarity, motivation); optimizing the technical and functional elements that facilitate conversion (speed, trust, relevance); measuring and analyzing the right data to understand what is working and what isn’t, and acting accordingly; and implementing changes iteratively and validated against reality, not just “because others are doing it”. He ended his talk by assuring us that at this moment, when there is so much digitalization, humanism is more important than ever: -…“touching the emotional chord, which is an art and not easy at all, is going to be the real differentiator in the coming years”.

Within this category, we also had Elena Tur with “Your store doesn’t end at the checkout: how to retain and sell more with automated email marketing from WordPress”, and Marie-Charlotte Pezé: “Earthquake-resistant content strategies” (in English), focused on content and the cultural and paradigm shift brought by Artificial Intelligence.

We also dedicated a space to Automation, as a category, where we had David Cuesta with “This is how you can use N8N on your website to automate”, an open-source tool that has revolutionized the way we work.

Another proposal with a high attendance was in Web Design. Max Camuñas, for the first time at a WordCamp, talked to us about “Designs that hook in the age of AI: tools, trends, design and strategy”. There was a lot of anticipation around this talk, and some attendees had to stand in order to attend it.

In E-commerce, we had the experienced Lidia Marbán with “Cognitive biases in ecommerce boosted with AI”.

We couldn’t fail to talk about Project Management with the experienced Daniel Primo, the mind behind the podcast Web Reactiva, with “Once you do a POC there’s no Stop: Practical AI to turn ideas into projects”.

And finally, the Showcase category, which was first used at WordCamp US 2024. The goal was to show real and successful examples of WordPress in use. For the occasion, we had Óscar Aguilera, CEO of Grupo StartGo, a digital marketing and web design agency, and Miguel Ángel Montañes, its CTO, with the talk “Beyond the CMS: advanced engineering with WordPress”.

Their presentation was divided into two parts. In the first, Óscar answers the following questions: Is WordPress a CMS or a framework? Do large companies use WordPress? Is WordPress secure? Are there projects over 50,000 euros? He gives us the key to defending a WordPress project and answering your future clients. To demonstrate the commercial reach of this CMS, he shares two real proposals, one for 20,000 euros and another for 97,000 euros. In the second part, Miguel, the CTO, walks us through a practical case: the development of a transactional portal for the administrative management of teachers at an educational center. He explains in detail the process and the different methodologies used to create a WordPress-based product that meets the client’s needs. They closed with a powerful message: “WordPress has no limits; the limits are set by us.” What’s essential is not only the software, but also the technical discipline, engineering vision, and strategy behind it.

Light Talks

A very special experimental format. Light Talks are short presentations of around 10 minutes, followed by 15 minutes for audience participation. The five participants are experts in their fields, specialized in creating quality content and skilled at sparking dialogue with their audiences. They are powerful micro-influencers you can follow on their respective channels. Let’s get to know their names:

• Yannick: presented “The WordPressero Traffic Light” and moderated the block.
• Diego Nieto de la Fuente: with “Order Returns in WooCommerce: How to solve the mess?”
• David Carrasco: with “WordPress without Borders: International SEO in the age of AI”.
• Jonathan Velez: with “How to set up your workflow system to build websites in WordPress without wasting time (or money)”.
• Lucia Rico: with “SEO for AI: what’s coming (and what your WordPress still isn’t doing)”.

Thank you so much, Yannick, Diego, David, Jonathan, and Lucía, for taking part and making it possible to implement this format. You are great communicators, and you work day in, day out, directly with your audiences. The attendees really enjoyed interacting with stars like you.

Speed Builder Game

And to close the day, we had Jamie Marsland, director of the WordPress YouTube channel, with this fun format. It was the first time it came to Spain, and we welcomed it with great excitement. The session was held in English and Spanish. We got to see his two contenders, Taisa, a web designer, and Fran Fernandez, a web developer, recreate the following website live and in 30 minutes: KOBU.co.

Jamie started out recreating popular websites on his YouTube channel as a personal experiment: “I had been recreating famous websites in 30 minutes”. From there, he had the idea of turning it into a competition: “What if two people compete to build the same website in 30 minutes?” That’s how the Speed Build format was born. The challenge has now gone to the stages of events such as WordCamp Europe, WordCamp Asia, and other WordPress conferences, turning it into a piece of live entertainment, with a visible countdown and direct audience participation.

It was an exciting session, with applause and nerves. In the end, both of them managed to recreate the website with the help of several technologies, including AI.

Thank you so much, Jamie, for bringing your format to WordCamp Valencia 2025. Your presence at our event made it more international and refreshed it with a totally new format on our stages.

Contributor Day

Contributor Day is a day on which we collaborate with WordPress teams, the ones that usually work remotely. During this day, they get together and work in person. In this edition, it was held on Sunday at La Pechina itself. The driving force behind this meetup was Luis Miguel Climent, who focused it on making it easier for new contributors to get involved.

A detailed explanation was given about the following teams:

• Plugins, represented by Francisco Torres.
• Marketing, represented by Carla Pumutxa.
• Development, represented by Juanma Garrido.
• Photo Directory, represented by Roberto Vázquez.
• Campus Connect, represented by Álvaro Gómez.
• Community, represented by Luis Miguel Climent.

Afterwards, they gathered at their work tables, and participants’ questions were answered. At the end, a recap of the session was done, and follow-up will be carried out with the interested people to help them complete their onboarding on WordPress.org.

Kids’ area

This year, there was a major innovation at WordCamp Valencia 2025: the kids’ area, which welcomed families. Five speakers were able to attend because they had a place to leave their children, and several attendees joined because they were also able to balance childcare with attending the conference.

It’s the first kids’ area at WordCamp Valencia. This service is becoming essential for all WordCamps. At this point, more than half of the ones held in Spain and WordCamp Europe have a space for children.

Welcome, families, welcome kids, they are our future!

If the family gets together, we eat. Traditional Valencian cuisine

At every WordCamp in Spain, they offer some local culinary delights. In this case, our theme was traditional Valencian cuisine. We offered pastries, baked goods, and sandwiches from a local bakery, traditional rosquilletas, a delicious paella prepared by master paella chefs, traditional horchata, and fartons. To finish, pizza.

A reward for all the work involved in managing the food side, was the comments from the attendees. For some, like Sofía Ruiz, linked to the Logroño Meetup and WordCamp, it was the first time tasting horchata and fartons. Some speakers referenced the food on stage, like Natzir Turrado, who was drinking horchata during his talk and referred to it as a remarkable beverage. Also, Ricardo Tayar commented that the food was great, with the typical Valencian ice cream cone to finish. We love knowing that after this WordCamp, they now know the taste of Valencia.

A WordCamp with tradition

WordCamp Valencia now has its own tradition and a unique stamp that has been built over time through the work of the teams that brought previous editions to life. A tradition that we proudly showcased. Once again, we chose La Pechina, that emblematic jewel of Valencian architecture, which has become the venue par excellence for our last three meetups. We also continued with the name “Bunyol”, a delicious Valencian treat, to identify the sponsor levels. Likewise, we kept the foundation of the corporate identity, preserving the color orange and reinterpreting the logo and posters. It has been an honor and a challenge to maintain these details that give it a unique distinction: that of WordCamp Valencia, that of each and every one of those who have contributed over the years.

Team

WordCamps all over the world are possible thanks to the volunteers behind them. We prepared this event with a lot of care and excitement, with the goal of bringing the community together, learning, attracting new WordPressers, and continuing to build open-source WordPress. For ten months, we dedicated many hours of our free time to completing the project. We learned, corrected, solved problems, innovated, and finally saw our WordCamp come to life.

Let’s meet the people behind the scenes: Lena Iñurrieta, Gustavo Galati, Luis Miguel CLiment, Clara Fayos, Cesar Labadia, Luis Francisco, Toya Seguí, Ricardo Vilar and Eric Seguí.

And alongside us, there was a very special figure: the mentor of WordCamp Valencia 2025. We were lucky to have Pablo Moratinos, who accompanied us, guided us, and solved key issues throughout the whole process. He has a long track record in the WordPress Community in Spain and is a benchmark for his experience and commitment. He has an impressive collaboration résumé: he has been team leader at four WordCamps, two at WordCamp Irún and two at WordCamp España Online, and co-organized four, the first being WordCamp Chiclana 2017. To date, he has mentored nine WordCamps, accompanying and supporting organizing teams with professionalism and a clear vision. He came as a mentor and a speaker. 

A key piece of this machinery are the volunteers, who travel from different parts of Spain to collaborate and make the WordCamp possible. Many thanks to Anabel López, Andriy Terentyev, Ariadna Santana, Carla Pumutxa, Cristina López, Daria Verdugo, Fran Trapero, Héctor Tellado, José Hilario, Lorsy Turizo, Lua Salazar, Marcin Wosinek, María Fabián, Maribel Haroon, Marlon Veásquez, Mónica Teixeira, Nilo Vélez, Rafa Villaplana, Roberto Vásquez and Ximo Tomás.

Sponsors

Sponsors are an important pillar of the event; they contribute with financial resources and their presence. WordCamps are not commercial events per se. The companies that join do so with the desire to contribute to the community and to connect more closely with their potential customers. In this sense, they bring special promotions and keep a close relationship with the attendees.

Thanks to the Bunyol de Oro and global sponsors: WordPress.com, Kinsta, Hosting.com, Bluehost, Woo, and JetPack.

Thanks to the Bunyol de Plata sponsors: WeGlot, Lucusthost, and Clouding.

Thanks to the Bunyol de Bronce sponsors: Raiola Networks and Dinahosting.

Thanks to the Bunyol de Carabassa sponsors: Grupo StartGo, Doowebs, Xufa.es, Zubbun, Tandem Marketing Digital, Datomedia, Acceseo, and GreenGeeks.

Thanks to the in-kind sponsors: Mohou, Café Silvestre, Café Ventura, Stickermule, Velarte, DooWebs, Desafío Digital, Grupo Billingham, SomDigitals, and Mon Orchata.

Thanks to the micro-sponsor: Wayrank.

Thank you for supporting WordCamp Valencia 2025 and making it possible.

Public reception

We had a great reception from the audience, with more than 300 highly engaged attendees throughout the day, creating a vibrant atmosphere full of energy and a strong desire to learn, share, and reconnect. In addition to new faces, the Valencia and Spain community gathered. It was amazing to see everyone together again.

After the event, attendees left many reviews on social media, especially on LinkedIn. Here are some of them.

FINAL

And so we reach the end of WordPress Tech Congress, WordCamp Valencia 2025. We talked about the latest in technology and WordPress. I’ve told you many details, and I still have some left, but I think you now have a good idea of what that November 8 and 9 was like. We had talks of the highest technical and strategic level, with international speakers. We also innovated with new formats such as the Light Talks, Jamie Marsland’s Speed Builder Game, the director of WordPress’s YouTube, for the first time in the Spanish community, and a Contributor Day focused on expanding collaboration with new participants. In addition, we organized a kids’ area for the first time.

I would like to give a special thanks and send a hug to Pablo Moratinos, the mentor, for his support and help, especially at key moments in the project’s management, to Miguel Florido for his marketing advice, to Enric García from DooWebs and his team, who built the website, to Kike Rodríguez for his help animating the WordCamp poster and his promotional video of the attendee wapuu, to Susana Ibañez for her help as an experienced team leader, to Jamie Marsland, Natzir, Marie-Charlotte, Ivelina Dimova, David Carrasco, Jonathan Velez, Yannick, Rafa Villaplana, Gustavo Galati, César Labadia, Luis Miguel Climent, Clara Fayos, Eric Seguí, Toya Seguí, Luis Francisco, Ricardo Vilar… To everyone, speakers, organizers, volunteers, and sponsors, thank you very much for your work. The WordPress Community has come together once again, and it has been thanks to this collective effort.

I send you a handshake and a hug. I’d like to take these lines to say loud and clear: Thank you so much for taking part in this adventure and making it possible!

This WordCamp was yours, and I hope the magic of WordPress continues.

See you at the next WordPress adventure!

More about WordPress Tech Congress, WordCamp Valencia 2025

Watch the talks

Photos by the photography team

Author: Lena Iñurrieta. Team leader WordPress Tech Congress, la WordCamp Valencia 2025

Photos: Nilo Velez, Roberto Vázquez, Carla Camutxa, Lena Iñurrieta

Because WordCamp Bhopal 2025 being a feather in our hat as a community wasn’t just another event on the calendar, it was deeply personal.

For the WordPress Bhopal community, and for me, it marked something special: 10 years of showing up, learning together, and building something real.

And what better way to celebrate a decade of community than by hosting a WordCamp that truly felt like home?

A Celebration of Culture — Shared Both Ways

At its heart, WordCamp Bhopal 2025 was about culture — built and shared in two directions.

On one side, it was about bringing the larger WordPress and tech ecosystem to the city. Giving our local audience — students, first-time attendees, and curious minds — a glimpse of where the ecosystem is headed, how far it has grown, and what’s possible for them right here.

On the other, it was about opening Bhopal up to the wider community. Welcoming people from outside and showing them the city of lakes, the warmth of its people, and the potential that quietly exists here — in ideas, in talent, and in shared spaces.

This edition was also about quality & thought.

Not scale. Not noise. But an intentional step forward — our way of upgrading how we learn, connect, and host. Because at the end of the day, human connection is the real network.

Laying the Groundwork

Behind what everyone saw on the event days was months of quiet, consistent effort. 

One of our strongest pillars was a four-month journey called the WP Build Tour — an initiative across colleges in Madhya Pradesh. Through sessions and workshops, 1,700+ students were introduced to WordPress, open source, and community-driven learning.

Read about WP Build Tour

Alongside this, staying true to the ethos of inclusivity and diversity, we hosted EmpowerWP Bhopal 2025 earlier in March — a women-oriented event that brought the community closer to home, quite literally.

Read more about EmpowerWP

To keep the momentum going in other community spaces, including DevFest Bhopal, we ran the now-iconic ‘Nano Banana Challenge’ as a fun way to spark curiosity around WordCamp Bhopal, and the entries were astonishing.

We also consciously expanded our reach beyond the WordPress bubble — welcoming marketers, content creators, influencers, and professionals from across the tech ecosystem. some combinations are just better shaken together.

So when WordCamp Bhopal 2025 finally arrived, it carried all of this into the room.

When the Curtains Finally Rose

Over 400+ attendees came together for a full-scale WordCamp experience which unfolded at Courtyard by Marriott, Bhopal— speaker sessions, hands-on workshops, sponsor booths, community collaboration, and Contributor Day.

Parallel tracks allowed people to learn in the way that suited them best. Topics ranged across design, development, WordPress, AI, SEO, mental health, remote work, education, governance, culture, and careers.

Day 1 began where WordPress always begins: with contribution.
Contributor’s Day wasn’t a formality on the schedule; it was the foundation. Around 150 people joined to contribute to the WordPress project — joining Test, Support, Polyglots, Photo, and Patterns teams. Hesitation slowly gave way to curiosity, and curiosity to confidence. 

For many attendees, this was the first time they truly experienced where the WordPress community comes from. Not just as users, but as contributors. It was a quiet, powerful introduction to the spirit of open source — hosted at the property of our Platinum Sponsor, SFA Technologies, who supported the space wholeheartedly.

An Evening That Broke the Ice (and the Rules?)

One of the most joyful experiments of the weekend was our games and sports evening. No structured networking. No awkward introductions. Just play, teamwork, and laughter. Strangers became teammates. Conversations happened without effort. Team spirit took centre stage.

Hosted at The Umbrella Academy, and lovingly brought together with the help of Vartika, the evening carried a simple idea — conferences don’t have to be boring to be meaningful. They can be fun and purposeful. Our official theme?
“404: Adulting Not Found.”
And honestly, it worked.

Beginning With the Drill- Day 2

At the entrance stood our “10 Years of WordPress Bhopal” photo wall — a visual journey through meetups, WordCamps, friendships, and moments that shaped this community.

People stopped mid-step. They searched for familiar faces. They smiled, laughed, and reminisced.

Some moments don’t need explanations — this was one of them.

Another experiment that surprised us was the WordPress Showcase. We invited community members to showcase what they had built. We wondered if we’d get enough responses. Instead, we saw four solid showcases, each carrying stories of effort, learning, and pride.

In the series of firsts- we also experimented with custom ID cards for speakers, sponsors, and organisers — a small but thoughtful detail. While extending this to all attendees wasn’t possible this time due to logistical and data-consent challenges, the response was overwhelmingly warm. 

Swag With a Story

This year, swag told a story.

Our Wappu this year carried Bhopal in its soul — a tribute to the city of lakes and the warmth of its people.
It wasn’t just a mascot, it was our way of saying: this WordCamp belongs to Bhopal, and Bhopal belongs to the community.

WAPPUNO, a WordPress-inspired card game featuring Wappus from WordCamps around the world, quietly reminded everyone that while this WordCamp was rooted in Bhopal, it belonged to something much bigger.

And when it was time to part, we had our little surprise.

Just like in 2023, sustainability stayed close to our hearts. Instead of traditional souvenirs, attendees received seed-embedded thank-you cards — something to plant, nurture, and grow. A reminder that communities don’t end with events. They continue with care, patience, and time.

Voices on Stage: Diverse, Honest, Impactful

Around 20 resource persons joined us this year, covering a wide range of topics. We were proud to have 6 women speakers, bringing valuable perspectives and diversity to the stage.

Two panel discussions stood out for sparking deep conversations:

• Education to Employment
• Artificial Intelligence

Our speakers, panelists and Showcase included:

Abhay Kulkarni, Aditya Vikram Singh, Akshat Gupta, Amit Tiwari, Damini Tripathi, Dr. Tabassum Zafar, Naman Deshmukh, Saakshi Choithani, Sakshi Mehta, Sandesh Jangam, Saurabh Matolia, Sumankant Jain, Priyanka Shah, Richa Khanna, Jinendra Khobare, Aditya Shah, Ashish Kolarkar, Siddharth Mishra, and Talib Ahmed.

Each session added depth, honesty, and perspective — reminding us why community-led learning matters.

Sponsors Who Believed in the Vision

WordCamp Bhopal 2025 wouldn’t have been possible without sponsors who didn’t just fund the event — but believed in the community.

Platinum Sponsors: Bluehost, Jetpack, Kinsta, Woo, Hosting.com, WordPress.com, SFA Technologies, Vultr, Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board.

Silver Sponsor: Pabbly Connect.

Bronze Sponsor: SEOPress.

Partners: Shommypics (Photography Partner), YouStable (Livestreaming & Swag Bag Partner), House of Raasta (After Party Sponsor).

Thank you for trusting us and standing by us.

Powered by People

Behind every smooth transition and smiling face was a team that worked relentlessly.

The OC: Kripesh, Atharva, Atishara, Shashank, Shivam, Ishita, Kapil, Amit

Volunteers: Krishika Verma, Pramanya Rajput, Jaya, Sanskriti Malviya, Taufiq, Srijan Prasad, Suhas, Chandra Prakash Ojha, Roshni Rajani, Yash Varma, Prathamesh

Special mention to our local HR for the event: Astha.

Visit our website 

From website to social media marketing to logistics and ideas and so many other things, it was their dedication that could bring all of this together so well.

Spreading the Word

Media Partners: WP Baat, WP Simplified, Aayudh, Hashtag India, Bhopal Ki Baatein

Community Partners: LinkedIn Local, Google Developer Groups SATI Vidisha, Bhopal Development Index, Tech Help 4 U

Thank you for being pillars in amplifying our voice.

Looking Ahead

WordCamp Bhopal 2025 reminded us that WordCamps are not just about WordPress,  they’re about people, stories, shared growth, and the courage to try something new.

From thoughtful sustainability choices to inclusive programming, from powerful panels to joyful moments over games and desserts — every piece mattered.

They’re about people, stories, shared growth, and belonging.

Our larger idea throughout was simple, yet ambitious — to carry tradition forward in a refined, modern setup, filled with thought, celebration, and joy. We thought we were building this mostly for the younger generation. But when we saw middle-aged and senior community members actively participating, it became clear:

This wasn’t about age, roles, or experience levels. It was about belonging. And that’s exactly what we hoped WordCamp Bhopal 2025 would feel like.

To the community that keeps believing and encouraging, thank you for believing in us.

The event will take place on 21 February 2026 at the Celebr8 Center, 35 Olu Obasanjo Road, Port Harcourt, and is fully volunteer-led, in line with the global WordCamp tradition.

Growing the WordPress Community in the Niger Delta

Port Harcourt has a fast-growing tech and creative ecosystem, and WordCamp Port Harcourt continues to play a key role in nurturing local talent, encouraging open-source contribution, and creating access to digital skills.

Since its inception, the WordCamp Port Harcourt community has focused on:

• Supporting beginners taking their first steps with WordPress
• Helping freelancers and agencies improve their workflows and businesses
• Introducing students and young professionals to open-source culture
• Connecting local creators to the global WordPress ecosystem

WordCamp Port Harcourt 2026 builds on this foundation by creating a space where people can learn, share experiences, and form meaningful connections.

What to Expect at WordCamp Port Harcourt 2026

Attendees can look forward to a full day of practical and engaging sessions covering topics such as:

• WordPress for business and entrepreneurship
• Design, performance, and user experience
• Content creation and digital publishing
• Security, hosting, and website management
• The future of work, skills development, and WordPress

The event will feature talks from a variety of speakers, panel discussions, speed build challenge, and opportunities to interact with sponsors and community partners.

As with all WordCamps, sessions are designed to be accessible to a wide range of experience levels—from complete beginners to seasoned professionals.

Community, Not Just a Conference

Beyond talks and presentations, WordCamp Port Harcourt 2026 emphasizes the importance of community. Attendees will have opportunities to:

• Network with fellow WordPress users and professionals
• Meet contributors and community organizers
• Learn how to get involved with WordPress meetups and future events
• Share ideas and experiences in a welcoming, inclusive environment

Meals, drinks, and community freebies are included with tickets, helping to create a relaxed and engaging atmosphere throughout the day.

Organized by Volunteers

WordCamp Port Harcourt 2026 is organized by a dedicated team of local volunteers who contribute their time and skills to make the event possible. The organizing team works closely with the global WordCamp community to ensure the event aligns with WordCamp guidelines and open-source values.

Support from sponsors helps keep ticket prices affordable and ensures the event remains accessible to students, freelancers, and small business owners.

Get Involved

Whether you’re a WordPress user, a business owner, a student, or someone curious about open-source technology, WordCamp Port Harcourt 2026 offers something for you.

To learn more, purchase tickets, or find out how to get involved as a volunteer or sponsor, visit:
https://portharcourt.wordcamp.org/2026/

WordCamp Port Harcourt 2026 looks forward to welcoming the WordPress community to the Garden City for a day of learning, sharing, and celebrating the power of open source.

Across all our sessions, we interacted with over 300+ students from four institutions:

• S.G.S. College, Bhatkal – 50 students
• Bhandarkar’s College, Kundapura – 120 students
• Dr. B. B. Hegde College, Kundapura – 65 students
• IMJ Institute of Science & Commerce, Moodlakatte – 70 students

Each campus had its own energy and challenges. Most students were in their final year, just months away from entering the professional world, yet many still lacked basic digital readiness. Some didn’t have LinkedIn profiles but had multiple Instagram accounts. Others were hesitant to speak on the mic, and a few genuinely didn’t know what to enter in the PIN code field while creating a WordPress.com account. Out of 300+ students, more than 250 had forgotten their Gmail passwords, so each session began with a mini Gmail recovery workshop before we even reached WordPress!

At first, it was challenging. But soon our team switched gears, we weren’t just there as WordPress community members; we became mentors. We realised this wasn’t only about teaching WordPress; it was about building digital literacy. If not us, then who would help them take their first confident step into the web world?

By the end, we witnessed real transformation, shy students asking questions, first-time creators proudly launching their sites, and a spark of curiosity lighting up across classrooms.

We’re grateful to all the colleges, their management, and faculty for the warm welcome, and to every student who showed curiosity and enthusiasm once they got started.

Organising Team

Organisers: Shashikanth Shetty, Keerthi Prabhu & V Gautham Navada
Facilitators: Omkar Udupa, Manjunath M M, Chandana G M
Social Media Designs & Reels: Ranjitha GC

Sponsors

Global Sponsors: Automattic, Bluehost, Hosting.com, Kinsta, WooCommerce
Local Sponsors: SabWeb, ForthFocus, Yuktha Digital, Koti Soft Solutions

A heartfelt thanks to WordPress.com for sponsoring free one-year website plans for students from our last two campuses, an initiative that has already helped many of them start blogging and showcasing their work online.

Student Testimonials

College Testimonial

Media Coverage

We were also featured in several local and regional media outlets that recognized the impact of the initiative. You can read the articles and see coverage highlights below:

• UdupiTimes: ವರ್ಡ್‌ಪ್ರೆಸ್ ಕ್ಯಾಂಪಸ್ ಕನೆಕ್ಟ್ ಉಡುಪಿ: ವಿದ್ಯಾರ್ಥಿಗಳಿಗೆ ಡಿಜಿಟಲ್ ಪ್ರೇರಣೆ
• Kundapraa.com: ಕುಂದಾಪುರ: ವರ್ಡ್‌ಪ್ರೆಸ್ ಕ್ಯಾಂಪಸ್ ಕನೆಕ್ಟ್: 120 ವಿದ್ಯಾರ್ಥಿಗಳಿಗೆ ಪ್ರಾಯೋಗಿಕ ತರಬೇತಿ
• NewsNext: WordPress Campus Connect Udupi Empowers 65 Students at Dr. B.B. Hegde College, Kundapura
• Tulunada Dhwani: ಮೂಡ್ಲಕಟ್ಟೆದ ಐಎಂಜೆ ಕಾಲೇಜಿಡ್ ವರ್ಡ್ ಪ್ರೆಸ್ ಕ್ಯಾಂಪ್..

For the WordPress Udupi Community, this journey was much more than a series of campus sessions. It was a reminder that true change starts with awareness and sometimes, the first step toward digital empowerment is simply helping someone log in.

To any student or job seeker reading this:
Don’t wait for the syllabus to teach you what the world already expects you to know. Curiosity is your real qualification!

WordPress Campus Connect Udupi 2025 turned out to be more than an event, it became a movement, proving that communities like ours can make a real-world impact, one campus at a time.

We love doing all of it!

And as we proudly complete our 10th year of formation (Oct. 2nd), this year in particular, we’ve been targeting ways to amplify our impact. A special highlight was EmpowerWP Bhopal (Women’s Day event), where we hosted women in different stages & walks of their lives and demonstrated how WordPress & the community can support them in achieving/expanding their potential. The response was heartwarming.

Read more about EmpowerWP Bhopal 2025

Post this event’s success, and that of last year’s do_action, where we empowered NGOs by building their websites, it felt only natural that the next chapter in our mission of empowering the social community should focus on the students. 

And honestly, why we feel more drawn towards the student community can be traced back to the fact that the genesis of the WP Bhopal community itself was by a second-year college student back in 2015. Ever since, we’ve been taking workshops in colleges of our city, but this year, it was more about formalising it and making it more impactful & grander than ever.

Being the only active chapter in the State of Madhya Pradesh—a state with 55 districts and over 400 cities—there was always a little nudge to take our initiative beyond our home, Bhopal.

I still vividly remember while pitching sponsors for WordCamp Bhopal 2023, the idea kept resurfacing: the student community must benefit from this. The lack of exposure and the gap between theory & practical skills is profusely felt. Aditya often mentions that when he started with WordPress, it was purely out of his own interest, not something taught or exposed to him in his institute. For him, building websites was uncommon among his batchmates. And the truth is, the situation hasn’t changed, and we still need revitalisation to help the youth realise their potential. This became the agenda of this initiative.

Too much foundation-building… now’s the time to reveal what I’ve so heartily been tucking in…

WE ARE SO PROUD & DELIGHTED to share that possibly the largest event of its kind, so far—the WP Build Tour 2025—has been successfully organised, impacting and empowering more than 1700 students across Madhya Pradesh in one go!

What’s in the Name? And Why This Matters.

The name came after much thought. We wanted it to reflect the core idea: Tour to capture the essence of a tour bus going around the State, empowering students (especially first-timers) to Build their very first WordPress websites, apart from expanding their technical confidence.

The mission was rooted in our identity as the only active WP chapter in Madhya Pradesh:

• Expanding our reach to more students across the State.
• Spreading WordPress awareness to inspire new local chapters
• Giving students confidence to bring their ideas online

This plan was a win-win for us personally, for the community, and for the social cause we stand for.

The Planning Phase: How Did We Pull This Off?

The initial plan was to cover colleges in major cities. Ties with GDG (Google Developer Groups) communities and college clubs helped spread the word and support with arrangements that differed from college to college.

Interests were called in from colleges. Once we had a number, like the location, student profiles, number of students, etc, we initiated the process. We designated volunteers from each college to be a bridge, because, of course, they know the best way in there. Each college had around 120-600 students in one sitting.

Thanks to their support, we were able to pull this off smoothly. Special shout-outs to: SIRT Student Body (Bhopal), Advance Studies Club- Medicaps Indore, GDG Indore & E-Cell, SATI Vidisha.

Sessions were designed for all levels, no matter the technical background. We were conscious of common hurdles & from day zero of planning, we decided to remove those barriers at first instance. In this regard, at preliminary registration itself, students were guided to apply for the GitHub Education Pack, so by the event day, they have access to free domains & developer tools. For hosting, we relied on InfinityFree and FreeHosting.com. Sometimes, a challenge was GitHub taking too long to approve the account(s), so the backup was to manage through subdomains from InfinityFree and additional free hosting setups.

The setup also included swags and refreshments to keep up with the momentum. Thought was put into keeping those as relevant as possible. Participants were provided with mini cleaning kits to take home. For refreshments, we relied on the quick & easy- Pizzas & Burgers along with beverages.

Building Website in a Day: The Possibility

Now that’s a given, building your own website (properly) takes time— planning, ideation, resources, so what’s the catch? No catch, really. Here, with a 4–5 hour workshop, we wanted students to experience the spark of: “I can actually do this.” The pressure wasn’t to build the whole of it in one day but to cover all the basics then & there. So the next time they open it, it’s only to further mould it as per their requirements.

From purchasing a domain, to pointing DNS records, to watching DNS propagation happen live—and finally installing WordPress—it was a crash course in turning abstract concepts into real, working websites.

And the output? A portfolio, a blog, a project showcase, even startup ideas. The pride was real. Social media lit up with links saying, “We built this.”

Honestly, we were a little sceptical at times—like when there weren’t many doubts, or when lunch was announced and students walked out. We wondered, “Will they even come back?” Because this wasn’t meant to be just another attendance exercise; we wanted it to be voluntary, something they chose to be part of.

But there was consensus in the team that even if just one kid shows up, we’ll keep going. And guess what? Not only did they come back, but they jumped in with full energy. Doubts, queries, ideas, thoughts—their enthusiasm blew us away. It’s hard to put into words how fascinating it was to see the effort actually paying off.

By the end, every participant had not just knowledge but something concrete: a live website, their website! Photos, reels, and hashtags like #WPBuildTourBPL amplified the energy far beyond the classrooms.

Beyond the Website

Though the primary goal was to help students build their own websites from scratch, the sessions were also designed to introduce them to the WordPress community. They covered career opportunities, ways to get involved, and the benefits the community offers. Students were given an overview of how to contribute, how chapters operate, and how they can become a part of the ecosystem. The aim was to make the experience not just hands-on but also empowering—equipping them to pave their own path, with community connection as a strong starting point. This also supports our broader goal of fostering new chapters across the state.

The Route We Took

We’re very thankful to the college administrations of each institute we took the Tour to for their trust and support throughout. This post would be failing in its agenda without giving them due credit for opening their doors and believing in the vision of the WP Build Tour.

Here’s where the Tour travelled:

• Sagar Institute of Research & Technology, Bhopal
  
• Oriental Institute of Science & Technology, Bhopal
  
• Samrat Ashok Technological Institute, Vidisha
  
• Acropolis Institute of Technology & Research, Indore
  
• Medicaps University, Indore
  
• Oriental College of Technology, Bhopal

Each stop added its own flavour and warmth. If we could’ve squeezed in more, we surely would have, but even with the stretch, it was worth it.

The social media was our backbone—announcements, posts, designs, keeping the buzz alive. Big thanks to Mansi (also our go-to content person), along with Md. Farid, Amit & Riddhima. And yep, that cool Build Tour logo you see up there? Amit designed it.

On the ground, Shashank, Kapil, and Shivam held things together—guiding students through technicalities, taking charge of arrangements, managing logistics, and even stepping in as resource persons when needed. Shashank went the extra mile, balancing all this while also supporting social media.

Aditya, Guneet, and Kripesh led as resource persons, bringing not only their WordPress expertise but also their effortless way of connecting with students. (Classic engineers with their own fanbase, haha!)

Mayur, Anshika, Pooja, Malay, Ninay, Roshini, and Prabal each contributed in various roles, adding strength to the endeavour.

The Sponsors who made this Possible

This tour wouldn’t have been possible the way it happened without our incredible sponsors. Gold Sponsors Jetpack, Bluehost, Woo, Hosting.com, Kinsta, StellarWP, and our Bronze Sponsor, ForthFocus.

Their support helped us take the Tour across campuses in the best way possible, provide refreshments and swags, and equip students with the right resources.

And of course, a big thanks to the global WordPress community for having our back throughout!

Moments beyond: In our Hearts

Some moments will stay with us forever:

• The warmth of teamwork, swag, and refreshments turns workshops into mini-celebrations
• The collective gasp when a site went live
• Proud social media posts
• Smiles of giveaway winners walking away with specially curated kits.

Because at its heart, the WP Build Tour 2025 was never just about code or content. It was about confidence. About potential realised. About futures being built—one student, one website, one breakthrough at a time.

The WP Build Tour 2025 wasn’t the end but rather the beginning of a movement. And as we now look forward to WordCamp Bhopal 2025 this December, we carry with us 1,700 sparks of possibility, ready to light up the future of WordPress and beyond.

Following the incredible success of WordCamp Kolhapur 2025 (January 11–12), our passionate local WordPress community launched a dedicated nine‑event Online Contribution Series to help new and aspiring contributors explore different ways to contribute to the WordPress project.

As the Lead Organizer of WordCamp Kolhapur 2025, I felt inspired to conceptualize and lead this initiative, supported by my fellow community members. After several thoughtful discussions and planning sessions, the series was finalized and officially kicked off on March 14, 2025. The complete nine‑event series was organized through the WordCamp Kolhapur Meetup group, with Abhay Kulkarni organizing and volunteering for every meetup to ensure smooth coordination. I served as the speaker and mentor for each session, guiding both new and experienced contributors through various areas of the WordPress project.

Why We Started the Contribution Series

I was a mentee in the WordPress Contributor Mentorship: 2024 Q4 Cohort and successfully graduated from the program in November 2024. During this journey, I not only learned how to contribute effectively to WordPress Core, but I was also recognized as an All-Star Mentee and earned a place in the program’s Hall of Fame!

Additionally, I received a Diversity Scholarship to attend WordCamp Asia 2025. These scholarships are designed to support individuals who are passionate about contributing to the WordPress ecosystem but may face financial or logistical challenges.

Inspired by my cohort experience and the opportunities I received, I wanted to give back to the community. What better way than by becoming a mentor myself, guiding and inspiring others to start their own contribution journey?

And that’s the core reason we started the WordPress Contribution Series.

Event Recap

After the planning and preparation, here’s how the contribution series unfolded across different meetup topics:

Kickstart Your WordPress Contribution Journey

Date: March 15, 2025

This opening session focused on getting contributors started with the basics — setting up a WordPress.org profile, joining global Slack channels, and understanding the various Make WordPress teams. The session concluded with a photo contribution activity where participants submitted original images to the WordPress Photo Directory.

• Total Contributors: 9
• First-Time Contributors: 3

Core Contributions: Testing & Release Parties

Dates: March 25, April 1, 8, 14, and 15, 2025

These sessions were designed to help participants contribute to WordPress Core by testing the Release Candidate versions of WordPress 6.8. Rather than writing code, the focus was on functional testing, identifying bugs, and joining the community for release celebrations.

• Total Contributors: 28
• First-Time Contributors: 23

Pattern Contributions

Date: March 29, 2025

This meetup introduced contributors to the WordPress Pattern Directory. Attendees learned how to design block patterns, follow accessibility guidelines, and submit reusable layout designs to enrich the editor experience for users worldwide.

• Total Contributors: 12
• First-Time Contributors: 11

Polyglots / Translation Contributions

Date: April 5, 2025

This session focused on language accessibility. Contributors worked on translating WordPress core, plugins, and themes into regional languages. Guidance was provided on using translation tools and maintaining quality across localized strings.

• Total Contributors: 8
• First-Time Contributors: 7

WordPress TV: Talks, Videos & Guest Participation

Date: April 12, 2025

In this session, contributors explored how to contribute to WordPress TV through video uploads, captioning, and translating community talks. We also hosted guest speaker Prathamesh Palave, who shared insights on creating impactful presentation content.

• Total Attendees: 13
• Guest Speaker: Mr. Prathamesh Palave

Contributors from the Series

We’re proud to recognise all the individuals who actively participated in the series: Rajesh Rathod, Suraj Sutar, Prashant Patil, Shubham Patil, Pritam Sonone, Vaibhav Singh, Ketan Niruke, Digvijay Zite, Rajendra Ghorpade, Prathamesh Bhagat, Shreyas Desai, Sunita Khattar, Nilesh Shiragave, Amit Bhosale, V Gautam Navada, Snehal Kashid, Rupesh Patil, Akshay Dhere, Aditya Bansode, Suhas Sutar, Vaibhav Nawale, Dheeraj Bhosale, Rajendra Patil, Prathamesh Palave, Soham Joshi, Mrunal Kulkarni, Harshada Patil, Abhay Kulkarni & Makarand Mane

Additional Online Meetup: Contributing to the Test Team

Two months later, we hosted an online meetup dedicated to contributing to the WordPress Test Team.

• Date: June 15, 2025 (update if needed)
• Guest Speaker: Mrs. Krupa Nanda

Krupa explained how the Test Team helps ensure the quality of WordPress releases by performing functional and regression testing. She also guided attendees on:

• Reporting and triaging bugs
• Using testing tools effectively
• Participating in release testing initiatives on Make WordPress Test

The session provided a clear roadmap for contributors to get started with testing activities.

Recording: Watch Here

Closing Thoughts

The WordPress Kolhapur Contribution Series proved that WordPress thrives when we lift each other up. New contributors gained confidence, mentors found joy in guiding, and our community grew stronger and more inclusive.

The Kolhapur WordPress community continues to host regular contribution‑focused events and welcomes contributors from around the world to join us.

If you feel inspired to begin your own contributor journey—or to help others start theirs—connect with the Make WordPress Community Team.

Together, we can build a better WordPress for everyone.

Pictured: The WordPress CDO and Iloilo teams, speakers, and the PHINMA-COC students who attended the event. 

The event was held at PHINMA-Cagayan de Oro College. Over 100 students and school staff warmly welcomed the Philippines WordPress chapters that organized the event.

The WordPress CDO chapter, with help from its sister organizations in WordPress Iloilo and WordPress Iligan, conceptualized this initiative as a bridge between traditional, controlled classroom learning and real-world practices and insights practiced by full-time WordPress practitioners. The event is also in line with the group’s commitment to upholding WordPress’s original mission of being a platform for “everyone”.

Most of the day’s presentations were centered around possible career paths that the student attendees might consider exploring after graduation. 

After the opening address by Mr. RJ Cainglet, SBO Adviser of College of Information Technology, Mr. John Tañedo, a 15-year web designer and brand strategist, started the presentations with a talk that was simply entitled “Careers in WordPress”. His talk was straight-laced in its assessment of the current realities facing job seekers in the real world, particularly in freelancing and working as a part of a small-business operation.

While Mr. Tañedo was effusive in WordPress’s capabilities of giving just about anyone a leg up in starting careers in the digital space, he emphasized the need for students to be aware of the responsibilities that are actually needed for their careers, particularly if they are aiming to be either developers, designers, or marketers.

Mr. Kim Isaiah Valencia, a full-time WordPress developer and a core member of WordPress Iloilo, continued the afternoon by holding a quick workshop on WordPress installation, themes, plugins, and hosting. 

Mr. Valencia and Mr. Hao guiding the student participants in installing WordPress on their laptops.

In a room packed with students starting on their WordPress journeys, Mr. Valencia took the time to track each row’s progress on installing WordPress on the devices they have with them.

Mr. Kyne Hao, a UI/UX designer and advocate, continued the pace with his talk on Design Thinking. He argued for the need for human-centered design, as design itself is observable in everyday things like appliances and furniture, as opposed to being just applied digitally. 

Mr. Hao laid out how students can practice simple design thinking frameworks by focusing on the tenets of Empathizing, Defining, Ideating, Prototyping, and Testing. Even in settings where a QA Tester is present, he emphasized the need for getting into the mind of the “target user”.

The final talk of the afternoon was on Career Growth, Challenges, and Insights. Mr. Glenn Palacio, a creative with a remarkable 13-year career in Photography, tempered the anxieties of everyone in the room who might be thinking of how new technologies like Generative AI might affect their careers in the near future.

Mr. Palacio laid out that even with the disruption and ethical challenges brought about by Gen-AI, the need for one’s creativity, adaptability, and critical thinking should always be at the forefront. He proceeded to illustrate real-world examples of businesses using AI to enhance their processes and business services. 

Ms. Harcy Joy Dela Cruz, WordPress CDO lead organizer, gifting a WordCamp-branded swag to a lucky student. 

Despite the afternoon heat, the event was lively all throughout, with the students’ enthusiasm rubbing off even on the presenters and organizers. 

With the event ending on a high note, the likelihood is very high that other WordPress Campus Connects will spread to other neighboring cities in the region. 

From L-R: Mr. Ian Malhin, PHINMA-CDO Engagement Associate of the Employer Engagement office; Mr. Kim Isaiah Valencia; Mr. Kyne Hao; Mr. John Tañedo; Mr. Glenn Palacio; and Mr. Riel Jun Estologa Cainglet, SBO Adviser.

For those who want to be a part of our next events in the Philippines, you can follow us at either of the pages below if you’re near these cities: 

• WordPress Cagayan de Oro
• WordPress Iloilo
• WordPress Iligan

The WordPress Campus Connect in CDO would not have been possible without the support of the following sponsors:

• Automattic
• Bluehost
• Hosting.com
• Kinsta
• WooCommerce

Special thanks to Pooja Derashri and Anand Upadhyay, two incredibly passionate individuals who have been instrumental in bringing WordPress Campus Connect to life.

Pooja, your mentorship kept us grounded, and Anand, thank you for continuously pushing and inspiring us to take this initiative forward. Your support means a lot to our growing community in the Philippines.

From May 24th to 25th, 2025, we had the fourth annual WordCamp Jinja at the largest educational institution in the region Jinja Senior Secondary School. This year’s event was our biggest and most impactful yet both in numbers and key demographics, having over 250 attendees and participants that primarily included students as well as developers, designers, bloggers, educators, and entrepreneurs from across Uganda and East Africa.

With the theme “Create, Impact, and Explore with WordPress!”, the event was a celebration of open-source innovation, practical skills, and community spirit, all set against the stunning backdrop of the Nile.

A WordCamp Designed for Student WordPressers, Developers and Creatives Alike

Students were at the heart of WordCamp Jinja 2025, reflecting their role as a key and growing demographic in both the WordPress Jinja community and the wider Ugandan community. This year’s venue Jinja Senior Secondary School—was purposefully chosen to bring the WordPress experience closer to students, ensuring greater accessibility, relevance, and impact.

We welcomed enthusiastic participation from students of Jinja SS, Makerere University, Macedonian Vocational School, Ezone School of Computing, and others. For most, it was their first exposure to open-source tools, and the excitement was palpable. At Jinja SS, the event left a lasting impression—inspiring students to launch their very own ICT Club to continue learning and collaborating long after the event, thus we left a standing souvenir at the school.

As a community, we are intentional about balancing engagement between our student and creative/developer communities. We do this by alternating venues each year to better suit both these key groups and demographics, whether it’s schools, colleges or innovation hubs. We are excited to continue our outreach programs and student-focused initiatives at both Jinja Senior Secondary School and Macedonian Vocational School among other schools, nurturing future WordPress contributors, creators, and tech leaders as well as having creative and developer oriented meetups and next-gen events.

Diverse Speaker Sessions

Attendees enjoyed powerful sessions across two tracks led by speakers from Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, USA, and beyond. Talks covered everything from advanced contributions, development and accessibility to blogging, diversity, SEO, and AI tools for content creators—sparking learning, inspiration, and engagement throughout the event.

Contributor Day sessions and Website Hackathon Track

Teams collaborated in a WordPress Website Hackathon, that we have been holding each year, building websites for NGOs, community initiatives, and personal projects—all powered by WordPress. It was an energetic, purpose-driven space where learning met real-world impact.

Throughout the event during the hackathon track and culminating on May 25th, participants joined the global open-source movement through the Contributor Day and sessions. From learning how to translate and reviewing content to contributing to the WordPress Photos and Polyglots teams, attendees learned how to give back and make an impact in the WordPress ecosystem.

After-Party on the Nile

The event concluded with an unforgettable after-party at the Source of the Nile, where participants networked, shared stories, and reflected on two days of community connection and creative exploration. The boat ride to the source of the Nile closed off such an eventful experience.

Thank You!

We are deeply grateful to:

• Our over 250+ attendees and participants especially all the students for bringing their energy and enthusiasm for learning
  
• Our amazing speakers and workshop facilitators
  
• Our sponsors and partners for their generous support
  
• Our volunteers who made everything run smoothly
  

Your commitment and passion made this year’s WordCamp Jinja the biggest and most impactful yet!

What Next

Don’t forget to follow @WordPressJinja for continued updates.

Uganda is one of the places with the highest turnover of WordPress events and a vibrant, supportive, and passionate WordPress community with over 8 WordPress events a year. Including Next Gens and Do Actions. Next inline is the Uganda Websites Projects Competition on 20th June 2025 and WordCamp Masaka on 18th and 19th July 2025 with more to follow in the coming months.

Remember to join our WordPress Jinja Meetup community for timely updates as well. We can’t wait to welcome you to all WordPress Jinja meetups, creative and developer centric next-gen events and WordCamp Jinja 2026 — which shall be even bigger and more impactful, let’s continue to create, impact, and explore together with WordPress!

A Vision Turned Reality

As part of the global WordPress initiative, WP Bhopal organised EmpowerWP on March 9th to commemorate International Women’s Day 2025. What began as an ambitious goal turned into a milestone moment, proving the power of representation, inclusion, and collective support.

I was introduced to the idea of #WomenInWordPress at WordCamp Bhopal 2023. But the purpose became clear only when the low ratio of women attendees in the monthly meetups became a constant. This event was important for several reasons, one of the major reasons globally was to bring in as many women in the radar as possible, to get them involved and change the already deteriorating state of women participation in the community & STEM in general.

Challenging Norms and Expanding Inclusion

For the first time in our chapter’s decade-long journey, we hosted a meetup with a female-majority audience. Going with the idea that empowerment doesn’t happen in isolation, we made this a woman-majority event. The point is that if we want women to upskill themselves, help & empower their own kind, it is also for men to support in whatever capacity they can and make space. It is also about them showing and reflecting that they are there, and therefore, the event attendees were divided into two categories: women and allies. It’s about uplifting society and making it empowered in the truest sense. To give the credit and appreciation wherever due. And we’re so thankful we stuck with that.

Secondly, these events are largely limited to targeting students & professionals. But when we envisioned EmpowerWP Bhopal, we knew it had to be inclusive—not just for the conventional attendees but also for the very women who have shaped our lives. We wanted to utilize this opportunity to actually make a difference, not just for women already involved in WordPress or Tech but for those somewhat left behind from the active workforce due to family responsibilities, societal pressure, or other reasons. Our goal was to (re)introduce them to digital opportunities, help them upskill, and connect them to a supportive network.

So we decided to target homemakers with untapped potential, women on career breaks looking to upskill, small business owners who had yet to digitalise, apart from students & professionals. The idea was to bring the digital revolution home.

Execution: Bridging the Gap

Targeting this group required a different approach. Many of these women needed reassurance and encouragement. We had to instill in them the idea that it’s not difficult; it’s just different. Our team curated learning videos and motivational messages from tech professionals (special thanks to Michelle & Krupa) as part of a dedicated social media campaign. We reached out via WhatsApp and Facebook, where these women were more active.

Even then, we were uncertain if we could achieve our ambitious goals. But the response exceeded our expectations—106 registrations and 70+ attendees on event day. The diversity in the room was incredible: students, entrepreneurs, journalists, homemakers, designers, freelancers, and social activists. Our youngest attendee? A 5th-grade schoolgirl! That’s when we knew a difference had been made.

EmpowerWP in Action

The event was designed as a full day of learning, inspiration, and contribution. We started with a fun ice-breaking activity where all the attendees were asked to define ’empowerment’, and it was nice to gather all perspectives before we began.

We had four technical sessions covering marketing, AI, WordPress, and design, by Nikita Varma, Purva Kushwah, Poonam Namdev, & Saloni Rathore, respectively.

This was followed by a Contributor Hour, where attendees were guided to make contributions to Make WordPress—mostly as first-time contributors to the Photos and Translation teams. As sources tell us, more than 15 first-time contributions were made that day.

We also hosted a panel discussion titled Learners to Leaders, featuring Parul Shrivastava, CEO of a tech-marketing company, Arshi Khan, a startup founder leveraging social media for her business, and Manisha Lakhwani, a freelancer. They shared personal experiences, career journeys, and practical guidance on the howabouts.

Before ending, we did a community talk, because, at the end of the day, awareness is what matters— What they can do for the community & what the community can do for them. The attendees were informed about the current schemes available and how they can benefit from them by becoming an active member of the WP Community.

Additionally, every attendee’s ID card contained a link to a curated resources page, ensuring, at whatever stage of their journey they are at, they could continue learning even after the event.

To ensure accessibility, the event was conducted primarily in Hindi, our local language, along with English.

Challenges and Triumphs

Gathering speakers was no easy task. As one of our panelists, Parul, rightly said, “We need to be comfortable in our own skin. We need to believe that what we do is worth sharing.” Thanks to the WP Bhopal community’s encouragement & outreach, we were able to host an all-women speaker lineup!

It was inspiring to witness women from diverse domains, backgrounds, and experiences come together under one roof with a shared intent—to support, uplift, and empower each other.

Know more about our speakers here.

The event ended on a perfect note—with a networking dinner at Raasta Cafe, as India played the Finals for Champions Trophy 2025. India won, and so did we (in our little way)!

Gratitude and Acknowledgments

None of this would have been possible without the incredible people who believed in us. To our speakers, sponsors, and attendees—thank you for making this event meaningful. Every role mattered, and this success belongs to each one of you.

A huge shoutout to our sponsors—Jetpack, A2 Hosting, WooCommerce, Bluehost, Hostinger, Kinsta, SEOPress, and CreedAlly— for standing with us and making this dream a reality. Bluehost & Jetpack’s swags were a hit among attendees and organizers alike!

Know more about our sponsors

This note would be incomplete without acknowledging my incredible team. Pooja, my indispensable support for all the right reasons; Amit, an all-rounder & primarily the one behind our website; Antra, Anukriti, and Shashank from our social media team; Ishita and Mansi, from our content team; Aditya, who guided us from behind the scenes as our local mentor & Anshika who supported us on the final day of the event.

Having led numerous teams and been part of even more, I know how rare it is to find a team that not only shares your vision but also takes ownership of it. Each one of them was diligent in their roles, but what stood out was how seamlessly they managed everything on the event day, without needing my intervention. This may seem simple, but it’s anything but. People often stick to what they are asked to do, rarely taking initiative on their own. Yet, this team did just that, going above and beyond in ways I hadn’t even anticipated. I’m incredibly grateful to have worked alongside such an amazing bunch of people.

Know more about our team

A special thanks to Pooja Derashri for taking the lead on a global level, Juan for preliminary checks, and Yogesh, our mentor.

To the global community, especially the #WomenInWordPress—you inspire us. You embody the spirit of lifting each other up and making this space better, one step at a time.

Special thanks to our local sister community GDG Cloud Bhopal and a heartfelt token of appreciation to community members Atharva Kulkarni, Kripesh Adwani, and Deepansh Gupta, for extending their support wherever we required a hand. With the support of the WP Bhopal community, we were able to create a space where diversity thrived and new voices found confidence.

To every woman out there contemplating her first step, this is your sign. Tech is for your empowerment, and you don’t need a degree to be a part of it. The digital revolution is yours to embrace. Women’s Day isn’t just about celebrating ourselves, it’s about empowering each other in small yet meaningful ways. 

Hopefully, we will witness a different picture at our next meetup.

For now, just grateful!

KAMPALA — After a groundbreaking debut in 2024 that earned a proud mention at the prestigious State of the Word address, the Uganda Website Projects Competition is set to return for its second edition on Friday, 20th June 2025, at the National ICT Innovation Hub, UICT Nakawa, Kampala.

Organized under the stirring theme, “Problem Solving with WordPress,” the 2025 competition promises to double its impact—expanding from last year’s 10 student projects to an ambitious 20 innovative website showcases.

“In Uganda, the National ICT Innovation Hub hosted a competition where students from elementary to university level built and pitched WordPress projects…. showing how the platform can solve community needs and equip young people with valuable skills, confidence and experience.,”  – Mary Hubbard, Executive Director – WordPress.org, noted during her State of the Word Speech on Dec 16, 2024.

What’s New in 2025?

Building on last year’s success, organizers are introducing a third competition category aimed at nurturing even younger digital talent.

• Junior Category: Primary school students
• Rising Stars: Secondary school students
• Explorers: Post-secondary students from vocational schools, technical institutes, universities, and colleges

By widening the competition’s reach to include a dedicated category for primary schools, the organizers aim to plant seeds of digital literacy and problem-solving even earlier in students’ academic journeys.

Moreover, the number of project submissions is set to double. Up to 20 teams will be selected to present their WordPress-powered innovations before a panel of expert adjudicators, competing for in-kind and cash prizes.

A Full Day of Learning, Networking, and Celebration

The event is designed not just as a competition but as a holistic learning and networking opportunity. The tentative schedule includes:

• Hands-on Beginners Workshops
• Expert Panel Discussions and Q&A sessions
• Project Pitch Presentations across all three categories
• An Awards Ceremony celebrating innovation and ingenuity

Attendees will enjoy a highly subsidized experience, with ticket options as low as $5 (UGX 20,000) — thanks to the generosity of sponsors — and VIP / micro-sponsor tickets available for $26 (UGX 100,000).

Students who submit projects and are selected to present will attend free of charge.

Call for Participation and Sponsorship

Institutions are encouraged to register their ICT Club students and teachers before the project submission deadline on June 6th, 2025 via the official event website.

Organizers are also calling on the WordPress community and corporate partners to support the event through sponsorships. Sponsorship packages range from Platinum ($2500), Gold ($1300), Silver ($800), and Bronze ($260), to Community Sponsorship ($130) — each offering various visibility opportunities for businesses looking to support and invest in Africa’s growing digital talent.

For ticket registration, visit events.wordpress.org/uganda/2025/competition/tickets.
For sponsorship opportunities or further inquiries, email [email protected] or call +256 708 685 472.

Join us in shaping Africa’s digital future — one brilliant idea at a time!
#WebsiteCompetitionUG #WordPress #EdTechInnovation #ProblemSolvingWithWordPress

On March 8, 2025, the Ajmer WordPress community hosted a remarkable Women in Tech event at The Fern Residency, Vaishali Nagar, Ajmer. This event was part of a larger global initiative supported by WordPress, aimed at creating a welcoming space for women in tech to connect, learn, and grow.

The Inspiration Behind the Event

This event was part of a global initiative led by the Make WordPress Community Team to celebrate and empower women in tech. The idea was to create a space where women could connect, learn, and grow by organizing events exclusively led by women — from organizers and speakers to volunteers. This initiative aimed to encourage more women to take active roles in WordPress events, fostering inclusivity and representation. You can learn more about this inspiring movement at Hosting WordPress Events for Women on International Women’s Day. As part of this incredible initiative, 25+ Women’s Day celebration events took place in different cities across the globe, showcasing the collective effort to empower and uplift women in WordPress and technology.

The Planning Phase

When I decided to be part of this initiative and organize a women-centric event in our city, I discussed the idea with Priyanshi. Together, we brainstormed the event format — outlining key details such as the required budget, the structure of the event day, and forming a dedicated team of volunteers. We also explored potential speakers and actively reached out to women working in various IT sectors. Our vision included a mix of inspiring sessions, engaging speakers, fun activities, and meaningful interactions. This initial plan laid the foundation for what turned out to be a memorable and impactful event. This picture is from our first planning meeting, where we began shaping the ideas that brought this event to life.

Overcoming Challenges: A Journey of Determination in Ajmer

Organizing the Women in Tech – Ajmer event was an incredible journey, but it wasn’t without its challenges. One major hurdle we faced was reaching our target audience. Bringing together 50-60 women from the tech industry in Ajmer seemed daunting at first, especially considering the limited number of local IT companies and the unfamiliarity of WordPress events in the region.

To overcome this, our team took proactive steps — we personally reached out to IT companies, educational institutions, and other local tech communities. Through consistent social media promotions and word-of-mouth efforts, we gradually built interest and engagement. The result? Over 50 attendees on event day — a remarkable turnout that exceeded our expectations.

What made this even more special was that some attendees traveled from nearby cities like Beawar and Jodhpur, spending over four hours on the journey just to be part of this celebration. Their commitment was truly inspiring and a heartwarming reminder of the growing enthusiasm for WordPress and tech opportunities in our region.

Another unexpected challenge occurred just one day before the event when a citywide curfew was announced, restricting movement until 5 PM on the event day. Despite this uncertainty, our team remained calm, kept communication open with attendees, and ensured everything was ready to proceed smoothly once the curfew was lifted. Thanks to the dedication of our volunteers and the patience of our attendees, the event went ahead successfully.

These challenges only strengthened our resolve, and the end result — seeing women connect, learn, and celebrate together — made every effort worthwhile. This experience reinforced the power of persistence, teamwork, and community support in turning challenges into triumphs.

Memorable Sessions and Activities

We were privileged to host inspiring speakers who graciously dedicated their time to share their expertise and motivate our attendees:

• Divya Vyas shared her journey and spoke on “Empower and Elevate”, discussing her 16+ years in tech and valuable career insights.
• Payal Loungani addressed the crucial topic of mental health, emphasizing self-care and balance in professional life.
• Meenakshi Dholpuriya presented “From Dreamer to Doer: The Power of Taking Risks”, sharing her inspiring story of taking bold steps that led to her success.

We are incredibly grateful to these speakers for making the event impactful and memorable.

The evening began with warm opening remarks from my fellow organizer, Priyanshi, followed by incredible support from our dedicated volunteers: Rashi Gupta, Stuti Goyal, Chitra Chauhan, Divya Khatri, Palak Gandhi, Dolvi Tak, Manvi Singh, and Harshita Mathur. A warm thanks to Mahima Golani, who stepped up at the last minute to handle photography and video reels beautifully.

The event included:

• High tea and snacks at the start.
• Inspiring sessions, networking opportunities, and connecting with industry experts.
• Quizzes, fun games, and a cake-cutting ceremony.
• Distribution of cool swags and engaging selfie props.
• The evening concluded with a delightful dinner, encouraging further networking and bonding.

Special Thanks to Our Sponsors

A heartfelt thank you to our amazing sponsors for their incredible support. This event would not have been possible without your generosity. Your contributions played a crucial role in creating a memorable experience for all attendees, and we are deeply grateful for your commitment to this cause.

Our heartfelt gratitude to:

• A2 Hosting, Bluehost, Hostinger, Elementor, Jetpack, Woo, and WPVibes as our Community Sponsors.
• Yoast as our Dinner Sponsor.
• CB Video Vision for their invaluable in-kind support, helping us set up the LED screen and stage setup.

The Impact

This event created a meaningful and lasting impact on our community. Women felt genuinely welcomed and valued, fostering a strong sense of belonging within the WordPress ecosystem. The initiative empowered them to speak openly, share ideas without hesitation, and feel confident about exploring more opportunities. Their joy, excitement, and connection with like-minded women were truly heartwarming.

Many attendees expressed feeling special and appreciated, which encouraged them to engage in future WordPress events. The supportive and comfortable environment allowed women to share their thoughts without hesitation.

This initiative has not only inspired women to take part in WordPress but also paved the way for greater female representation in tech leadership roles, empowering them to contribute, lead, and thrive in the industry.

Some of the attendees shared their feedback:

Event Highlights

The Women in Tech – Ajmer event was a powerful step toward increasing female representation in WordPress leadership roles, and I’m incredibly proud of what we achieved together. The dedication of the volunteers, the passion of the speakers, and the unwavering support from our sponsors made this initiative a resounding success.

This incredible journey wouldn’t have been possible without the WordPress community’s collaborative spirit. Here’s to breaking barriers and empowering more women to shine in tech!

Uganda, known as the Pearl of Africa, is a land of breathtaking landscapes, diverse cultures, and warm hospitality. Within this vibrant country lies Mukono, a fast-growing town known for its dynamic community, top-tier educational institutions, and entrepreneurial spirit. Mukono is not just a town—it is a hub of ideas, innovation, and collaboration.

This Year, Mukono will host one of the most anticipated WordPress events in East Africa: WordCamp Mukono 2025. This gathering of WordPress enthusiasts, developers, designers, marketers, and content creators will take place on March 8, 2025, at the Synod Hall Mukono, near Bishop’s Senior School.

The Venue has been specifically selected to accommodate everyone. This is the easiest venue to get to Ever. It is in the CBD and in a serene and quiet environment. You will not be suffering from Noise Pollution. Whether you’re a seasoned WordPress professional, an aspiring entrepreneur, a curious beginner, or someone passionate about technology and community building, this event is designed for you.

A Theme That Matters: WP HERoes – Women Powering the WordPress Universe

For WordCamp Mukono 2025, we are embracing a powerful and transformative theme: “WP HERoes: Women Powering the WordPress Universe”. This year’s event is dedicated to celebrating, empowering, and amplifying the voices of women in the WordPress community. Women have played a pivotal role in shaping WordPress, from coding and design to content creation and community leadership. However, their contributions often go unnoticed.

At WordCamp Mukono 2025, we will shine a spotlight on these incredible women—the HERoes—who are making WordPress a more inclusive, innovative, and vibrant ecosystem. Just as Mukono is a center for education and opportunity, this event aims to foster growth, learning, and collaboration among WordPress users of all backgrounds. We believe that when diverse voices are heard and empowered, the entire community thrives.

Why Attend WordCamp Mukono 2025?

This is more than just another tech conference. WordCamp Mukono 2025 is a place where ideas spark, collaborations begin, and knowledge is shared. Here’s what you can expect:

World-Class Speakers and Engaging Sessions

Prepare to be inspired! We are bringing together an incredible lineup of local and international speakers who will share their expertise on various aspects of WordPress. Whether you’re new to WordPress or an advanced user, there’s something for everyone:

Design & User Experience (UX) – Master the art of crafting visually stunning and user-friendly websites.
Business & Digital Marketing – Explore strategies for freelancers, bloggers, and entrepreneurs looking to monetize their WordPress skills.
Women in Tech – Hear firsthand stories of empowerment, success, and resilience from female leaders in the WordPress community.

Unmatched Networking Opportunities

WordCamp Mukono 2025 is not just an event—it’s an experience. It’s a rare opportunity to meet like-minded individuals, expand your professional network, and forge lasting collaborations. Whether you’re looking for a mentor, business partner, or simply want to connect with fellow WordPress enthusiasts, this is the place to be.

Hands-On Learning & Workshops

Our workshops are designed to be interactive and practical, giving you hands-on experience with WordPress tools and technologies. Learn from seasoned experts and walk away with real-world skills you can apply immediately.

Showcasing Mukono: A City of Growth and Culture

Mukono is a blend of urban convenience and natural beauty. From its bustling markets to its serene landscapes, Mukono offers a unique experience for visitors. If you’re traveling from outside the town, you’ll find comfortable accommodations ranging from budget-friendly guesthouses to upscale hotels.
We encourage attendees to arrive early and explore Mukono—its culture, food, and hospitality will make your visit even more memorable!

Event Details: When and Where?

Location: Synod Hall Mukono, near Bishop’s Senior School
Date: March 8, 2025
Capacity: Over 400 attendees
Tickets: Buy Tickets Here (Limited slots available—get yours now!)

Our venue, Synod Hall Mukono, is a spacious and well-equipped location with excellent lighting, ventilation, and accessibility. Its proximity to Mukono’s central business district makes it the perfect setting for an event of this magnitude.

Be a Part of Something Bigger: Sponsorship Opportunities

WordCamp Mukono 2025 is made possible through the generosity of sponsors who believe in empowering the WordPress community. If your company or organization wants to gain exposure while supporting a great cause, we invite you to become a sponsor!

Sponsorship offers unique benefits, including:

Brand Visibility – Reach a targeted audience of WordPress professionals and enthusiasts.
Community Engagement – Connect with potential customers, partners, and talent.
Networking & Recruitment – Identify and engage with skilled WordPress developers, designers, and marketers.

Interested in sponsoring? Learn more here: https://mukono.wordcamp.org/2025/call-for-sponsors/

Accommodation & Travel Tips

Mukono offers a variety of accommodation options, from budget guesthouses to high-end hotels. If you’re traveling from outside Mukono, we recommend booking early to secure the best options near the venue. For more details, visit: Location Post

Secure Your Spot – Get Your Ticket Today!

Tickets for WordCamp Mukono 2025 are now available! We offer different ticket categories, including:
Regular Ticket – UGX 15,000. Each ticket includes access to all sessions, networking opportunities, swag, refreshments, and a truly unforgettable experience!
Actual Cost Ticket – UGX 100,000. Each ticket includes access to all sessions, networking opportunities, swag, refreshments, and a truly unforgettable experience! A ticket for people who love and Support wordPress and want to ensure that the Event moves super smoothly.
Reserve your spot today: Click Here

Join the WordCamp Mukono 2025 Movement!
WordCamp Mukono 2025 is more than just an event—it’s a movement that celebrates WordPress, women in tech, and the power of community. Whether you’re a beginner, expert, entrepreneur, or enthusiast, there is something for you.

Let’s start the conversation! Use the official hashtags:
#WCMukono25 #WordPressMukono #WPHeroes #WomenInWordPress

Contact Us: [email protected]
Official Website: https://mukono.wordcamp.org/2025/
Tickets Info: Buy Tickets Here (Limited slots available—get yours now!)
Sponsorship: https://mukono.wordcamp.org/2025/call-for-sponsors-wordcamp-mukono/
See you in Mukono for an unforgettable WordPress celebration!

The journey of WP Campus Connect has been nothing short of extraordinary for us. This first-of-its-kind initiative was born out of a desire to bridge the gap between students and the WordPress ecosystem and also to grow the local community. As an active member of the WordPress community, I often noticed the need to introduce fresh talent to the platform and create a space where students could learn, grow, and connect with the global WordPress community.

I shared this idea with our local community members, and we decided to design an event tailored specifically for students, providing them with hands-on exposure to WordPress and opening doors to potential career opportunities. Over the course of 23 days in October 2024, we conducted a WordPress workshop in four colleges in Ajmer, India, to bring this vision to life through engaging seminars and workshops.

What began as an experimental event has now set a foundation for nurturing the next generation of WordPress enthusiasts and contributors. In this blog post, we’ll discuss WP Campus Connect’s highlights, achievements, and incredible journey.

Event Format

When we decided to organize a WordPress event exclusively for students, the big question was: How do we gather interested students, and where? Instead of asking them to come to us, we chose to meet them where they are—on their campuses. That’s how the event got its name: WP Campus Connect. We also decided that unlike other WordPress events, where attendees had to purchase the ticket, we removed this barrier and kept it free for all. 

We decided to partner with four colleges, making it a multi-day event planned across four Saturdays in October. Though we had to adjust the schedule along the way (more on that later!), the concept remained the same.

Once our proposal was approved by the WordCamp Central, we started pitching the idea to colleges. The plan was to conduct 5-6 hour workshops in each college to introduce students to WordPress and career opportunities in web development. However, WordPress awareness in our region was low, and convincing colleges wasn’t easy. Out of six colleges we approached, four partnered with us after seeing the potential impact of the event.

Feedback from our partner colleges added another layer to our format. Most students had never heard of WordPress, so jumping straight into workshops might not have been effective. To address this, we introduced a pre-event seminar in each college. These 90-minute sessions aimed to familiarize students with WordPress, its global impact, career opportunities, and the upcoming workshops—ensuring they were motivated and prepared.

To maintain quality, we capped participation at 100 students per college, considering the infrastructure provided and our capacity to deliver a meaningful experience.

In the end, our final format became:
4 Colleges, 4 Seminars, 4 Workshops, and introducing WordPress to 400 students.

Event Planning & Execution

The Team

Once the event format was finalized and approved, it was time to turn the vision into reality. Organizing WP Campus Connect required meticulous planning, dedicated teamwork, and the support of our vibrant community. With a clear roadmap ahead, the next step was to form a team and assign responsibilities to ensure everything was executed smoothly.

We built a 10-member organizing team, with each member taking on a specific role based on their expertise. Here’s how we divided the tasks:

• Program Team: Crafted the workshop flow, deciding what to teach, how to teach it, and ensuring the sessions were engaging and impactful.
• College Coordinator: Liaised with our partner colleges to ensure we had the necessary infrastructure for the seminars and workshops, from projectors to seating arrangements.
• Design Team: Created promotional materials, session slides, certificates, and other visual assets that gave the event a polished and professional feel.
• Sponsorship Team: Focused on securing funds by reaching out to sponsors, ensuring we had the financial backing needed to organize the event seamlessly.
• Social Media and Content Team: Managed promotions across platforms, kept the community engaged, and shared regular updates about the event. They were also responsible for creating engaging content, such as announcements, blog posts, and updates, to amplify excitement and spread awareness.

Every aspect, from logistics to content creation and online engagement, was managed collaboratively, with frequent check-ins to track progress and address challenges. With each team member playing their part, we turned the concept of WP Campus Connect into a well-coordinated, impactful event.

This teamwork not only made the event possible but also strengthened the bonds within our community, showcasing the power of collaboration in achieving ambitious goals.

Student Selection: Ensuring the Right Participants

With participation capped at 100 students per college, the respective colleges were responsible for selecting attendees. To ensure a fair and effective process, all colleges followed a similar pattern.

Each pre-event seminar was conducted for a larger audience, introducing students to WordPress, its career potential, and the workshop objectives. Following the seminar, the college faculty invited students to express their interest in joining the workshop. This allowed students who were genuinely motivated and eager to learn to step forward.

Based on these expressions of interest, the final list of workshop attendees was prepared. This approach ensured that the workshops were filled with enthusiastic participants who were ready to make the most of the learning opportunity.

Event Days: Bringing WP Campus Connect to Life

The event days were the highlight of WP Campus Connect, with seminars and workshops conducted at all four partner colleges. Each session was tailored to inspire and engage students, introducing them to the power of WordPress and its vast career opportunities.

Seminars: Setting the Stage

The 90-minute seminars introduced WordPress, its global presence, and its potential as a career path. While engaging a large audience within this short timeframe was challenging, we managed to keep the sessions interactive and enjoyable, ensuring students left motivated and curious.

Workshops: Hands-On Learning

While the seminars only required two team members, the workshops were a full team effort. Each workshop was approximately 5-6 hours long and designed to provide students with hands-on experience building their first WordPress website.

The college infrastructure varied, adding a layer of complexity. At one college, a single large computer lab accommodated all participants, allowing one lead facilitator to guide the session while others assisted. In other colleges, the workshops were split across multiple rooms. To maintain consistency, we conducted an internal team session before the event to ensure every facilitator was aligned on the workshop structure and delivery.

We helped students build their first WordPress websites, set up WordPress, understand themes and plugins, manage pages and posts, and more. In this hands-on workshop, they built a website home page, set up a blog, and added a contact form to the site. 

Breaks and Activities

Workshops included a small break where we provided refreshments and set up fun activities like photo booths. These activities added a lively touch and allowed students to interact and capture memories of their day.

The Closing Moments

Each workshop concluded with a feedback session, during which we interacted with students, learned about their experiences, and encouraged them to join our Meetup group to continue their learning journey with the WordPress community. Participation certificates and swag were distributed to all attendees, leaving them with a token of their experience.

The events wrapped up with group photos, which captured the energy and excitement of the day—a perfect end to a successful event.

Challenges Faced

One major challenge was ensuring the required infrastructure at partner colleges. While students were encouraged to bring their own laptops, many relied on college computer labs. At some colleges, outdated systems and missing configurations made it difficult to install the necessary software.

To overcome this, we used InstaWP to spin up temporary WordPress sites, allowing students to work seamlessly without delays. This quick solution ensured the workshops ran smoothly and introduced students to an innovative way of using WordPress.

The Final Impact

Through WP Campus Connect, we introduced WordPress to over 370 students, sparking a newfound enthusiasm among many of them. The impact became evident at our next meetup, which saw a record-breaking attendance of over 50 participants—most of whom were new members. What stood out was their active involvement. They were not just attending but also contributing ideas for future meetups, showcasing their eagerness to engage further.

With the growing number of attendees, we recognized the need for a larger venue. One of our partner colleges stepped forward and is now a venue sponsor for our meetups, solidifying their support for the community.

Another exciting outcome was the suggestion to establish Student WP Clubs within colleges. These clubs can help sustain in-campus activities and introduce WordPress to students who missed the WP Campus Connect event. It can be a critical step toward ensuring the long-term growth and sustainability of the local WordPress community.

Looking ahead, we’re in talks with stakeholders and exploring possibilities to integrate WordPress into the college curriculum soon. This initiative has the potential to embed WordPress knowledge at an academic level, equipping students with a competitive edge by the time they graduate.

The momentum from WP Campus Connect has strengthened our local community and set a strong foundation for continued growth, innovation, and collaboration.