Updates to the Regional WordCamps Handbook Page

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Today I published a new version of the Regional WordCamps page in the WordCamps handbook. It’s assembled from the conversations that we as a group had starting the middle of last year. If you have any issues or find any problems with it, you can comment below or directly on the Google Doc.

The goal is to clarify expectations and provide WordCampWordCamp WordCamps are casual, locally-organized conferences covering everything related to WordPress. They're one of the places where the WordPress community comes together to teach one another what they’ve learned throughout the year and share the joy. Learn more. organizers an easy-to-follow guide for hosting their own regional WordCamp.

#update

Patricia BT 11:57 pm on February 3, 2023

Hello
I know this topic is controversial and I thank you to mention that we can comment here 🙂

In the linked page, it’s mentioned:

I live in a small country, why do you suggest we have multiple WordCamps?

Travel can be difficult for many different people. For some, having a WordCampWordCamp WordCamps are casual, locally-organized conferences covering everything related to WordPress. They're one of the places where the WordPress community comes together to teach one another what they’ve learned throughout the year and share the joy. Learn more. that’s even an hour away can prevent them from attending. Local WordCamps, no matter the size of the country they’re in, allow more opportunities for a wider range of community members to participate.

We are currently organising WordCamp Switzerland and are grateful that we can do it again (last ones were in 2014 and 2015, as after that we had to do it under the city-name).
Of course, there must be guidelines and regulations and it cannot be the same situation everywhere, but to be honest I think that between 2016 and 2019, with the city-name, it was more and more difficult to motivate people. That’s why the statement “Local WordCamps allow more opportunities” sounds strange here, as it was quite the opposite in my opinion, it broke the unity, diluted the efforts and resulted in half-empty WordCamps and discouraged organisers.

We try to reactivate and remotivate people this year as we will be “together again”. Especially since our tiny country has different languages, it was so great in 2014 and 2015 (and hopefully it will be the same this year) to see us all coming together. Local WordCamps in Zurich (2019) or Bern (2017) may have almost filled up, but Geneva (2016, 2022) and Lausanne (2018) didn’t attract enough people. I find it a waste of energy when you have 120 attendees, but among that = 10 organisers, 10 volunteers, 20 speakers and 30 sponsors = more than half of the attendance. And it’s a pity when speakers talk in front of half-empty rooms.

As said once in a similar discussion, Switzerland is like the Atlanta (Georgia, USA) metropolitan area (about 8 million people and 10 meetupMeetup Meetup groups are locally-organized groups that get together for face-to-face events on a regular basis (commonly once a month). Learn more about Meetups in our Meetup Organizer Handbook. groups), you would never ask Atlanta to host different WordCamps in those 10 different parts of the city right?

I know that there must be countries where the situation is the same, and I hope they can also host a regional (well, country-name) WordCamp.

And we understand that for some people in remote areas, 1 hour travel can be difficult as you mention in the linked page, so if they can make local WordCamps (city-name) then it’s great, but the rules should be more like the local organisers think it suits the best instead of having rules that apply everywhere.

At least, compared to previous years, and as said above, we are grateful to be able to have a Swiss WordCamp this year. Not sure about the future in cities…

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