The WordPress Conference We Need Next
🔗 **Source:** [The WordPress Conference We Need Next](https://remkusdevries.com/the-wordpress-conference-we-need-next/)
> [!note]+ Document Notes
> tags: [wordpress-events, professional-development, conference-design]
> author: Remkus de Vries
> source: Remkus de Vries
> reference: https://remkusdevries.com/the-wordpress-conference-we-need-next/
> date created: {{date:YYYY-MM-DD}} {{time:HH:mm}}
>
> # 🏷️ Title: The WordPress Conference We Need Next
>
<!-- deep-read:sections start -->
## 🧭 Table of Contents
- [📝 Summary](#-summary)
- [📖 Main Content](#-main-content)
- [🗒️ Notes](#️-notes)
- [📚 References](#-references)
- [🗣️ Paraphrase](#️-paraphrase)
- [📰 Newsletter](#-newsletter)
- [✅ Action Items](#-action-items)
- [🧪 Hypotheses](#-hypotheses)
- [📊 Methodology](#-methodology)
- [❓ Questions](#-questions)
- [🔮 Future Research](#-future-research)
- [💡 Implications](#-implications)
- [🧠 Learning Styles Assessment](#-learning-styles-assessment)
- [📊 Accessibility Assessment](#-accessibility-assessment)
- [🌍 DEIB Assessment](#-deib-assessment)
- [✅ Logical Validity](#-logical-validity)
- [🛡️ DARVO Analysis](#-darvo-analysis)
- [🎯 Conclusion](#-conclusion)
## 📝 Summary
- **What happened**: Remkus de Vries proposes a new type of WordPress conference focused on professional refinement rather than beginner education.
- **Why it matters**: Existing WordPress events serve beginners well but lack advanced learning opportunities for professionals building business-critical sites.
- **Key stakeholders**: Professional WordPress developers, agencies, enterprise builders, conference organizers.
- **Risks and tradeoffs**: May alienate beginner community; requires significant investment in paid speakers and curation.
- **Bottom line**: WordPress needs a premium learning event that elevates craft through curated content and intentional networking.
## 📖 Main Content
Remkus de Vries, co-founder of WordCamp Europe, argues that the WordPress ecosystem needs a fundamentally different type of conference. While existing events like WordCamps, LoopConf, and PressConf serve important purposes, there's a gap in professional-grade learning opportunities.
### The Refinement Philosophy
De Vries advocates for conferences built around "refinement" - taking what already works and making it more intentional, robust, and professional. This means moving beyond basic tutorials to explore:
- Performance optimization and stability
- Scalable workflows and deployment processes
- Business value measurement and conversion analytics
- Integration of development, design, content, and operations
### Conference Design Principles
The proposed event would feature:
**Curated Programming**: Largely invited speakers rather than open calls for papers, with talks fitting an intentional narrative thread.
**Compensated Expertise**: Proper speaker payment to raise standards and show respect for knowledge sharing.
**Unified Themes**: Each day organized around "red threads" that tie sessions together into coherent learning progressions.
**Applied Learning**: Handouts, frameworks, and checklists to translate insights into actionable practices.
**Intentional Networking**: Long breaks and designed spaces prioritizing connections over packed schedules.
### Target Audience Shift
Instead of defaulting to beginner content, this conference would serve:
- Solo developers building sophisticated sites with page builders
- Agencies managing multiple client deployments
- Engineers scaling WooCommerce for enterprise revenue
- Professionals who need refinement, not tutorials
The vision encompasses the entire WordPress ecosystem, treating WooCommerce e-commerce as integral craft rather than separate discipline.
## 🗒️ Notes
- De Vries co-founded WordCamp Europe but sees gaps in current event landscape
- Emphasizes WordPress has evolved into business-critical, complex, professionalized work
- Proposes single-track, two-day format for deeper exploration
- Argues current events prioritize entertainment over elevation
- Connects to his Within WordPress Guild educational initiative
- Views hallway track networking as often more valuable than formal sessions
- Success metric: attendees should feel "changed, not just inspired"
## 📚 References
- [WordCamp Europe](https://europe.wordcamp.org/)
- [Within WordPress Guild](https://withinwp.com/)
- [LoopConf](https://loopconf.com/)
- [PressConf](https://pressconf.co/)
- [CaboPress](https://cabopress.com/)
- [CloudFest](https://www.cloudfest.com/)
## 🗣️ Paraphrase
The WordPress conference ecosystem serves beginners well through WordCamps and covers business/technical topics through commercial events, but lacks a premium learning environment for professional refinement. De Vries proposes a curated, single-track conference with paid speakers, unified daily themes, and intentional networking designed to elevate craft rather than entertain. The target audience would be working professionals who need advanced insights into performance, scalability, business integration, and sustainable practices rather than basic tutorials. Success would be measured by attendees leaving with frameworks that change how they work, not just inspiration.
## 📰 Newsletter
**WordPress Needs Its Own Advanced Conference**
Remkus de Vries (WordCamp Europe co-founder) makes a compelling case for a new type of WordPress event. While we have great beginner-friendly WordCamps and business-focused commercial conferences, there's a gap for professional-grade learning.
His vision: a curated, two-day conference with paid speakers, unified themes, and serious networking time. Think less "here's a cool plugin" and more "here's how to build scalable deployment workflows that actually work in enterprise environments."
The target? Agencies juggling multiple clients, solo devs building sophisticated sites, engineers scaling WooCommerce stores - folks who've moved beyond tutorials and need refinement.
Worth reading if you've ever felt like WordPress events are either too basic or too sales-focused. Sometimes the community needs someone to articulate what's missing.
[Read the full proposal →](https://remkusdevries.com/the-wordpress-conference-we-need-next/)
## ✅ Action Items
#### DevRel
- Research professional development conference models from other tech communities (React, Rails, Django) for benchmark practices
- Survey WordPress professionals about unmet learning needs and preferred conference formats
- Develop speaker compensation guidelines and budget models for curated technical events
#### Community
- Evaluate current WordCamp content analysis to identify beginner vs. advanced session ratios
- Create pathways for intermediate/advanced speakers to connect with appropriate events
- Design networking formats that prioritize meaningful professional connections over casual socializing
#### WordPress
- **Core Program Team**: Assess whether official WordPress events adequately serve professional developers' learning needs
- Community: Develop guidelines for specialized WordPress events that complement rather than compete with existing WordCamps
- Training: Create advanced curriculum modules that could be adapted for professional conference settings
## 🧪 Hypotheses
- WordPress professionals are underserved by current conference offerings that default to beginner content
- Curated programming with paid speakers produces higher-quality learning outcomes than open call for papers
- Single-track conferences with unified themes create better knowledge retention than multi-track formats
- Professional WordPress developers will pay premium prices for advanced, actionable content
- The gap between beginner WordCamps and commercial conferences represents a market opportunity
- Intentional networking design produces more valuable professional connections than ad-hoc socializing
### 📊 Methodology
- **Professional Learning Survey**: Survey 500+ WordPress professionals about current conference experiences, unmet learning needs, and willingness to pay for advanced content
- **Conference Format Analysis**: Compare learning outcomes between curated vs. open-submission events in similar tech communities
- **Content Gap Analysis**: Review 2 years of WordPress conference sessions to quantify beginner vs. intermediate vs. advanced content ratios
- **Speaker Quality Study**: Measure talk quality scores between compensated vs. volunteer speakers across comparable events
- **Network Value Assessment**: Survey attendees pre/post conference to measure professional connections formed and their business impact
- **Retention Testing**: A/B test unified theme vs. scattered topic approaches with learning retention measured 30/90 days post-event
### ❓ Questions
- How would a premium WordPress conference differentiate from existing commercial events like LoopConf or PressConf?
- What speaker compensation model would attract top-tier WordPress professionals without pricing out smaller conference budgets?
- How can curated programming maintain diversity and avoid becoming an "old boys club" of established speakers?
- What specific business metrics would validate whether WordPress professionals actually need this type of event?
- How would this conference model scale across different geographic regions with varying WordPress community maturity?
### 🔮 Future Research
- Analysis of professional development pathways in other open-source ecosystems (Drupal, Joomla, Django)
- Study of corporate training budget allocation for WordPress skill development
- Investigation of online vs. in-person learning preferences for advanced technical content
- Longitudinal study of conference attendance patterns among WordPress professionals
- Research on optimal conference length and frequency for complex technical topics
### 💡 Implications
- **Practice**: Could shift WordPress conference design toward more specialized, audience-specific events
- **Policy**: May influence WordPress Foundation's approach to supporting diverse types of community events
- **Education**: Could create new pathways for advanced WordPress skill development beyond self-directed learning
- **Business**: Potential new revenue models for WordPress educators and conference organizers
- **Community**: May stratify the WordPress community into more defined beginner/intermediate/advanced segments
### 🧠 Learning Styles Assessment
Reading level estimate: Flesch-Kincaid Grade 12.8 - appropriate for professional audience but could benefit from more concrete examples.
#### 👀 Visual learners
- Present: Clear section headers and logical article structure
- Improve: Conference format diagrams, sample agenda layouts, speaker selection flowcharts, networking space designs
#### 🔊 Aural learners
- Present: Conversational writing tone that reads well aloud
- Improve: Podcast discussion of the proposal, speaker interviews about advanced WordPress topics
#### 🗣️ Verbal learners
- Present: Clear definitions of "refinement" concept, concrete examples of target topics
- Improve: Glossary of professional WordPress terminology, comparison tables with existing conference formats
#### 🧩 Kinesthetic learners
- Present: Actionable conference design principles, practical implementation suggestions
- Improve: Conference planning checklists, speaker evaluation rubrics, networking activity templates
#### 🧠 Logical learners
- Present: Structured argument progression, clear problem/solution framework
- Improve: Cost-benefit analysis of different conference models, decision trees for speaker selection
#### 🧑🤝🧑 Social learners
- Present: Emphasis on networking and community connection benefits
- Improve: Discussion forums about conference ideas, collaborative planning processes
#### 🧘♀️ Solitary learners
- Present: Individual reflection prompts about professional development needs
- Improve: Self-assessment tools for determining appropriate conference level, personal learning plan templates
#### 🌿 Naturalistic learners
- Present: Organic evolution of WordPress ecosystem metaphors
- Improve: WordPress ecosystem diagrams, growth pattern analogies, sustainable community development concepts
### 📊 Accessibility Assessment
#### Screen reader semantics
- Present: Proper heading hierarchy, clear article structure
- Improve: Add alt text for any future diagrams, ensure link descriptions are meaningful
#### Keyboard navigation
- Present: Standard web navigation, logical tab order
- Improve: Skip links for long-form content, keyboard shortcuts for section navigation
#### Contrast and readability
- Present: Clean typography, good contrast ratios
- Improve: Increase line height for long-form reading, avoid light gray text
#### Text resizing and reflow
- Present: Responsive design that works at 200% zoom
- Improve: Test with screen magnification software, ensure no content is cut off
#### Media and captions
- Present: Text-only content is inherently accessible
- Improve: Add captions if video versions are created, provide transcripts for any audio content
#### Forms and interactions
- Present: Simple comment form with labels
- Improve: Ensure form validation messages are screen reader accessible
#### Standards reference
- Content meets WCAG 2.2 AA requirements for text-based articles
### 🌍 DEIB Assessment
#### Cultural breadth
- Present: Draws from European conference experience (WordCamp Europe)
- Improve: Consider how professional development needs vary across global WordPress communities, address geographic accessibility
#### Inclusive language
- Present: Professional tone without excessive jargon
- Improve: Define technical terms, avoid assumptions about prior conference experience
#### Neurodiversity support
- Present: Clear structure, logical flow
- Improve: Shorter paragraphs, bullet point summaries, consistent formatting patterns
#### Representation
- Present: Focuses on professional competence over demographics
- Improve: Address how curated speaker selection can maintain diversity, consider barriers to "professional" event access
#### Psychological safety
- Present: Respectful tone toward existing events while proposing improvements
- Improve: Address imposter syndrome concerns about "advanced" events, provide clear skill-level expectations
### ✅ Logical Validity
#### Strong reasoning
- **Problem identification** (paragraph 3): Clearly establishes gap between beginner WordCamps and commercial conferences through systematic analysis
- **Audience needs analysis** (middle sections): Uses specific examples of professional WordPress developers' actual challenges
- **Design principles** (conference goals section): Logical progression from identified problems to proposed solutions
#### Fallacies
- **Appeal to authority**: "I helped start WordCamp Europe" - while relevant experience, could be strengthened with broader evidence
- **False dichotomy**: Implies conferences must be either beginner-focused or advanced, potentially missing middle-ground solutions
- **Hasty generalization**: "The typical WordPress event still defaults to beginner-level sessions" without quantitative evidence
#### Tone of voice
Professional and constructive criticism with insider credibility. Uses first-person experience while maintaining objective analysis. Balances respect for existing events with clear articulation of gaps.
### 🛡️ DARVO Analysis
No DARVO tactics detected. The article critiques existing conference formats while maintaining respect for their value and contributions. De Vries acknowledges his role in creating WordCamp Europe and frames his criticism as evolution rather than condemnation. The tone is constructive rather than defensive or accusatory.
## 🎯 Conclusion
De Vries articulates a legitimate gap in the WordPress conference ecosystem between beginner-friendly WordCamps and business-focused commercial events. His proposal for a curated, professional development conference addresses real needs of advanced WordPress practitioners. The emphasis on refinement over entertainment, paid speakers over volunteers, and intentional networking over packed schedules reflects mature thinking about conference design. However, the proposal would benefit from market validation research and concrete implementation details to move from vision to reality.
## 🔄 Refactor Appendix — The WordPress Conference We Need Next
### 📚 Literature Atoms (H3)
#### WordPress conferences gap between beginners and enterprise professionals
> [!quote] ID:rw_concept
> A modern WordPress conference about learning shouldn't just be about using WordPress...What remains missing is a conference with a singular purpose: to advance every attendee toward a higher standard.
**Context & use**:
- Core thesis of article - identified market gap
- Based on WordCamp Europe co-founder's direct experience
**Tags**: #xref #articleseed
**Highlight**: Article concept
<!-- atomicity: 1 idea ✓ -->
#### Conference refinement means curated programming over open submissions
> [!quote] ID:rw_curation
> A proper learning conference shouldn't just rely on a call for papers. It should be largely curated...The vast majority of speakers should be invited for their expertise and their ability to teach through experience.
**Context & use**:
- Key design principle differentiating from traditional WordCamps
- Connects speaker quality to learning outcomes
**Tags**: #xref
**Highlight**: Conference design methodology
<!-- atomicity: 1 idea ✓ -->
#### Professional WordPress developers need advanced learning beyond tutorials
> [!quote] ID:rw_audience
> They don't need tutorials. They need refinement. They need the space to learn from peers who are not just good at what they do, but great at it.
**Context & use**:
- Target audience definition and needs assessment
- Distinguishes from existing beginner-focused events
**Tags**: #xref
**Highlight**: Professional development needs
<!-- atomicity: 1 idea ✓ -->
### 🧠 Permanent Candidates (H4)
#### Professional communities require specialized learning events beyond beginner education
**Claim**: As technology communities mature, they need tiered conference offerings that serve different skill levels with appropriate depth and complexity.
**Evidence pointer**: [[#WordPress conferences gap between beginners and enterprise professionals]]
**Scope & conditions**: Applies when community has sufficient professionals to support specialized events; breaks when professional segment is too small or geographically dispersed
**Links**:
- [[Professional development pathways]] — because extends
- [[Conference design principles]] — because applies-in educational events
- [[Community segmentation strategies]] — because evidence-for
<!-- atomicity: 1 idea ✓ -->
### ✏️ Fleeting Queue
- Research other tech communities' conference hierarchies (React, Rails, Django) for professional event models #fleeting #inbox
- Analyze current WordPress conference content ratios (beginner vs. advanced) for market validation #fleeting #inbox
### → Things 3 (max 2 actions)
- [ ] Survey WordPress professionals about unmet conference learning needs — market research #things
- [ ] Research speaker compensation models from other professional tech conferences — conference planning #things
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## Highlights
- A modern WordPress conference about learning shouldn't just be about using WordPress...What remains missing is a conference with a singular purpose: to advance every attendee toward a higher standard.
- Note: 📚 WordPress conferences gap between beginners and enterprise professionals · - Core thesis of article - identified market gap - Based on WordCamp Europe co-founder's direct experience · #atom/literature/h1
- A proper learning conference shouldn't just rely on a call for papers. It should be largely curated...The vast majority of speakers should be invited for their expertise and their ability to teach through experience.
- Note: 📚 Conference refinement means curated programming over open submissions · - Key design principle differentiating from traditional WordCamps - Connects speaker quality to learning outcomes · #atom/literature/h2
- They don't need tutorials. They need refinement. They need the space to learn from peers who are not just good at what they do, but great at it.
- Note: 📚 Professional WordPress developers need advanced learning beyond tutorials · - Target audience definition and needs assessment - Distinguishes from existing beginner-focused events · #atom/literature/h3
- Professional communities require specialized learning events beyond beginner education
- Note: [[Professional development pathways]] — because extends · - [[Professional development pathways]] — because extends · #atom/zettel/z1
- Research other tech communities' conference hierarchies (React, Rails, Django) for professional event models
- Note: ✏️ Fleeting capture #atom/fleeting/f1
- Analyze current WordPress conference content ratios (beginner vs. advanced) for market validation
- Note: ✏️ Fleeting capture #atom/fleeting/f2
- I helped start WordCamp Europe" - while relevant experience, could be strengthened with broader evidence
- Note: 🔍 Fallacy: Appeal to Authority #fallacy/appeal-to-authority
- The typical WordPress event still defaults to beginner-level sessions" without quantitative evidence
- Note: 🔍 Fallacy: Hasty Generalization #fallacy/hasty-generalization