WordCamp Europe is the international event that brings together enthusiasts and WordPress experts for a series of conferences and workshops covering all aspects of CMS. Organized in Turin, Italy, the 2024 edition kept its promises in terms of organisation and programme.
Part of the Be API team was on site to enjoy it: back on those three days of event.
WCEU 2024: the overview‘
What really characterizes this edition is first of all the figures, impressive!
In 2024, the WordCamp Europe brought together more than 2,500 participants from 96 different countries. With a record participation, including 42% of newcomers, the event once again confirmed its popularity.
Day 1: The Contributor Day
The day before the WordCamp took place the traditional Day of Contribution, an essential event in the Open Source WordPress philosophy. 756 people worked together in 25 teams during this XXL workshop.
You could find our experts Nicolas, Yann, Clément and Paolo at Core Development tables, Coding Standards and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB).
A quality contributor day, world, effervescence, many tables: It was nice to see! Help on the core and a few tickets processed for my part, a good balance sheet.
Nicolas Juen, CTO
I loved – can we do this every week?!
Paolo Tesei, Dev theme
Days 2 & 3 : conferences
The following two days were followed by lectures and workshops offering an impressive variety of content. Short formats brought precise insights, workshops offered practical exercises and longer formats allowed for in-depth reflection. Contemporary topics such as sustainability, artificial intelligence and inclusion have generated real interest among participants.
Matt Mullenweg's closing speech
As with each edition, the co-founder of WordPress shared his vision on the future of CMS. Underlining the continuing commitment to « free the web »Matt Mullenweg highlighted current projects and answered questions from the audience at a Q&A session. A speech that is always much awaited and popularized by the community.
His analogy is very relevant:
The strength of WordPress lies in its apparent simplicity and its ability to support the most ambitious projects. It's a bit like ‘shot by iPhone' movies: from a simple and accessible tool, with the right professional set up around it, you can create high quality content.
Matt Mullenweg
The recipe for success
Once again, WordCamp Europe has been a great success. The careful organisation, spread over almost 8 months, is an essential pillar of this success. With more than 167 organizers and 250 volunteers, commitment does not weaken, which is felt at the level of participation.
A well-rounded formula that seduces
WordCamps incorporate traditional elements such as Contributor Day or Closing Speech, which always generate high expectations and become a must-see.
It is also an opportunity to bring together emblematic figures of the ecosystem, who have become very influential in the community, sharing their journeys, views and perspectives on the future – That's "the place to be"!
Workshops also play an important role: live technical workshops offer concrete advice immediately applicable.
« Technical conferences are very interesting, with a wide variety of themes – including an immersive session to set up a hacker and discover and exploit the flaws. Both dynamic and captivating. »
Nicolas Juen, CTO
Between tradition and current issues
Many conferences addressed contemporary issues, generating interest and curiosity.
Special mention for the talk opening « Sustainable Open source is the future » moderated by Joost de Valk & Juliette Reinders Folmer, exploring the Open Source model and its limits. A presentation that highlights the urgency of reinventing our approaches, calling for collective change.
Other conferences addressed topics of society, such as the importance of rehumanizing the web in the AI era, the evolution of legislation in the Open Source, or the role of women CEOs in future companies
These interventions clearly illustrate WordPress's commitment to current issues and contribute to its growing popularity.
WordCamp Europe: an event for agencies?
A legitimate question, both the approach and the lines of conferences, seems to be mainly aimed at freelancers or end users.
Yet, the interest is well there: beyond the pleasure of finding our friends in the community, as WordPress experts, it is essential for us to stay up to date with the evolutions of CMS and industry trends in order to better satisfy our customers.
We like to go there as a team, with developers and support functions (sales, communication, project management...) for a more global experience.
It's also a great networking opportunity of course, and especially during the VIP WordPress evening: the place where partner agencies can discuss business strategies and implementations.
This year again, Be API had the pleasure of being invited to the Principi Di Piemonte Palace.
To the programme:
➡️ Case presentations studies integrating VIP solution
➡️ Feedback from business experiences & insights business
➡️ Cocktail & Pasta
Special mention to Matt Mullenweg for his presence! He recalled the importance of the Source Open and shared his vision of WordPress evolution.
The VIP evening is always a highlight to meet our partners, and this year we had the pleasure of attending presentations on exciting projects.
Yann, Commercial Director
Conclusion
Once again, the success of WordCamp Europe highlights the notoriety of WordPress and the enthusiasm of its community. With increasing participation, enriching opportunities and relevant topics, the event continues to strengthen WordPress's position as a key platform for the future.
See you next year for the 2025 edition, to be held in Basel, Switzerland!
