WordPress Developer Day

Organizing a WordPress Developer Day

A WordPress Developer Day is a local WordPress community event focused on people who build with WordPress. It brings together developers, engineers, technical site builders, pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party. and theme authors, agency developers, freelancers, contributors, and others who want to deepen their technical knowledge of WordPress.

Developer Days usually focus on practical development knowledge, modern WordPress workflows, real-world technical challenges, and peer learning. They can include technical talks, workshops, demos, contributor activities, code labs, networking, and discussion.

A Developer Day can be organized as a half-day event, a full-day event, or a side event connected to a larger 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. or local WordPress event.

Overview

WordPress Developer Days give local communities a dedicated space for technical learning and connection. While many WordPress events include developer sessions, a Developer Day focuses the whole program on development topics and technical practice.

These events can help attendees:

Learn modern WordPress development techniques.
Explore tools and workflows used by other developers.
Understand changes in WordPress CoreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress., the blockBlock Block is the abstract term used to describe units of markup that, composed together, form the content or layout of a webpage using the WordPress editor. The idea combines concepts of what in the past may have achieved with shortcodes, custom HTML, and embed discovery into a single consistent API and user experience. editor, themes, plugins, APIs, performance, security, and developer tooling.
Connect with other developers in the local and regional WordPress ecosystem.
Discover contribution opportunities in WordPress Core and related Make WordPress teams.
Share real-world lessons from client work, agency work, product development, open-source contribution, and production WordPress projects.

A Developer Day should remain community-focused and educational. It should not be a commercial product conference, a vendor showcase, or a recruitment event. Sponsors may support the event, but the program should be selected for educational value and relevance to the WordPress open-source project.

Goals of this event

The goals of a WordPress Developer Day may include:

Helping developers improve their WordPress technical skills.
Sharing current best practices for building with WordPress.
Introducing developers to new and evolving WordPress APIs and tools.
Creating space for practical, code-focused learning.
Encouraging developers to contribute to WordPress.
Strengthening the local and regional developer community.
Connecting experienced developers with newer developers.
Supporting peer learning across agencies, freelancers, product teams, hosts, and contributors.
Helping attendees understand where to find reliable WordPress developer resources.

Who this event is for

A WordPress Developer Day can serve several technical audiences, including:

WordPress developers.
Plugin developers.
Theme developers.
Block developers.
Front-end developers.
Back-end developers.
Full-stack developers.
Web programmers and software engineers.
Agency developers.
Freelancers.
Technical site builders.
WooCommerce developers.
WordPress Core contributorsCore Contributors Core contributors are those who have worked on a release of WordPress, by creating the functions or finding and patching bugs. These contributions are done through Trac. https://core.trac.wordpress.org.
Developers who are new to WordPress but experienced with other platforms.
Students or early-career developers who already have some coding experience.

The event does not need to be only for advanced developers. However, organizers should be clear about the expected skill level of each session so attendees can choose the content that fits them.

If possible, include a mix of beginner-friendly, intermediate, and advanced technical sessions.

Recommended format

A WordPress Developer Day can work well as a half-day, full-day, or multi-format event.

Half-day format

A half-day format is a good option for communities organizing a Developer Day for the first time or for smaller local communities.

A typical half-day event may include:

2-4 technical talks.
A short demo or lightning talk section.
A coffee break.
Networking time.
Optional open discussion or Q&A.

This format works well for 40-100 attendees.

Full-day format

A full-day format gives more room for deeper technical content and community connection.

A full-day event may include:

Opening session.
Technical talks.
Hands-on workshops.
Live demos.
Lightning talks.
Panel discussion.
Contributor session or code sprint.
Networking.

This format works well for 100-250 attendees, depending on venue size and organizing capacity.

Multi-track format

For larger events, consider multiple tracks. Possible tracks include:

WordPress development fundamentals

This track can support newer developers or developers moving into WordPress from another platform.

Possible topics:

How WordPress loads.
Theme and plugin basics.
HooksHooks In WordPress theme and development, hooks are functions that can be applied to an action or a Filter in WordPress. Actions are functions performed when a certain event occurs in WordPress. Filters allow you to modify certain functions. Arguments used to hook both filters and actions look the same., filters, actions, and common APIs.
Working with local development environments.
Debugging WordPress.
Introduction to block development.
Introduction to WP-CLIWP-CLI WP-CLI is the Command Line Interface for WordPress, used to do administrative and development tasks in a programmatic way. The project page is http://wp-cli.org/ https://make.wordpress.org/cli/.
Introduction to contributing to WordPress.

Modern WordPress development

This track can focus on current tools and workflows.

Possible topics:

Block development.
Block themes.
Interactivity APIAPI An API or Application Programming Interface is a software intermediary that allows programs to interact with each other and share data in limited, clearly defined ways..
REST APIREST API The REST API is an acronym for the RESTful Application Program Interface (API) that uses HTTP requests to GET, PUT, POST and DELETE data. It is how the front end of an application (think “phone app” or “website”) can communicate with the data store (think “database” or “file system”) https://developer.wordpress.org/rest-api/.
Data layer and editor development.
Modern PHPPHP PHP (recursive acronym for PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor) is a widely-used open source general-purpose scripting language that is especially suited for web development and can be embedded into HTML. https://www.php.net/manual/en/index.php in WordPress.
JavaScriptJavaScript JavaScript or JS is an object-oriented computer programming language commonly used to create interactive effects within web browsers. WordPress makes extensive use of JS for a better user experience. While PHP is executed on the server, JS executes within a user’s browser. https://www.javascript.com in WordPress.
Testing.
Build tooling.
Deployment workflows.
Performance and caching.
AccessibilityAccessibility Accessibility (commonly shortened to a11y) refers to the design of products, devices, services, or environments for people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design ensures both “direct access” (i.e. unassisted) and “indirect access” meaning compatibility with a person’s assistive technology (for example, computer screen readers). (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accessibility) for developers.

Advanced and specialist topics

This track can support experienced developers.

Possible topics:

WordPress Core internals.
Performance at scale.
Security.
MultisiteMultisite Multisite is a WordPress feature which allows users to create a network of sites on a single WordPress installation. Available since WordPress version 3.0, Multisite is a continuation of WPMU or WordPress Multiuser project. WordPress MultiUser project was discontinued and its features were included into WordPress core. Advanced Administration Handbook -> Create A Network..
Enterprise WordPress.
WooCommerce development.
Advanced plugin architecture.
Developer tooling.
CI/CD.
Observability and debugging.
AI-assisted development workflows.
Headless WordPress.
Contribution to Core, GutenbergGutenberg The Gutenberg project is the new Editor Interface for WordPress. The editor improves the process and experience of creating new content, making writing rich content much simpler. It uses ‘blocks’ to add richness rather than shortcodes, custom HTML etc. https://wordpress.org/gutenberg/, WP-CLI, MetaMeta Meta is a term that refers to the inside workings of a group. For us, this is the team that works on internal WordPress sites like WordCamp Central and Make WordPress., Performance, Accessibility, or other teams.

Example schedules

Example half-day schedule

09:00 – Registration and welcome

09:15 – Opening remarks and Code of ConductCode of Conduct “A code of conduct is a set of rules outlining the norms, rules, and responsibilities or proper practices of an individual party.” – Wikipedia reminder

09:30 – Talk 1: Modern WordPress development workflows

10:15 – Talk 2: Building with blocks, themes, or plugins

11:00 – Coffee break and networking

11:30 – Talk 3: Performance, debugging, or developer tooling

12:15 – Lightning talks or live demos

12:45 – Open Q&A and community discussion

13:15 – Closing and next steps

13:30 – Event ends

Example full-day schedule

09:00 – Registration and networking

09:30 – Welcome and Code of Conduct reminder

09:45 – Opening session: The state of WordPress development

10:30 – Break

10:45 – Technical talk: Modern WordPress APIs and tools

11:30 – Technical talk: Real-world plugin, theme, or block development

12:15 – Lunch

13:15 – Workshop: Hands-on WordPress development lab

14:30 – Break

14:45 – Panel: Building WordPress projects in production

15:30 – Lightning talks or project demos

16:15 – Contributor session, code sprint, or open discussion

17:15 – Community announcements and next steps

17:30 – Networking

18:00 – Event ends

Example two-track full-day schedule

09:00 – Registration and welcome

09:30 – Opening remarks

09:45 – Keynote or opening talk

10:30 – Break

10:45 – Track A: WordPress development fundamentals

10:45 – Track B: Advanced WordPress development

11:45 – Track A: Building your first plugin, theme, or block

11:45 – Track B: Performance, APIs, or Core internals

12:45 – Lunch

13:45 – Track A: Debugging and local development

13:45 – Track B: Testing, CI/CD, or deployment workflows

14:45 – Break

15:00 – Shared workshop, panel, or contributor session

16:30 – Demos, lightning talks, or community discussion

17:30 – Closing

18:00 – Event ends

Organizer team

A WordPress Developer Day should have an organizing team with both event experience and technical understanding.

Suggested roles include:

Lead organizer: Coordinates the event and keeps planning on track.
Program lead: Defines the event theme, reviews speaker applications, and builds the schedule.
Technical reviewer: Helps evaluate whether proposed sessions are accurate, relevant, and appropriate for the audience.
Speaker wranglerWrangler Someone, usually a person part of event organizing team, who looks after certain things like budget or sponsors.: Communicates with speakers and helps them prepare.
Workshop lead: Coordinates hands-on sessions, setup instructions, and facilitator needs.
Sponsor lead: Coordinates sponsorships according to WordPress event guidelines.
Venue and logistics lead: Manages venue, food, accessibility, Wi-Fi, signage, and day-of logistics.
Communications lead: Handles website updates, attendee emails, social media, and local promotion.
Volunteer coordinator: Recruits and supports volunteers.
Accessibility lead: Reviews venue, communication, and event accessibility needs.
Contributor lead: If the event includes contribution activities, prepares tasks and helps attendees get started.

If the event includes workshops or contributor sessions, make sure there are enough facilitators to support attendees. Developer-focused events can become frustrating if participants spend the whole session blocked by setup problems.

Planning timeline

12-16 weeks before the event

Confirm the event purpose, audience, and format.
Form the organizing team.
Choose whether the event will be half-day, full-day, or multi-track.
Identify possible venues.
Draft a budget.
Decide whether workshops or contributor sessions will be included.
Contact the Community Team if approval or support is needed.
Begin outreach to potential speakers, facilitators, sponsors, and technical reviewers.

8-12 weeks before the event

Confirm venue and date.
Launch the event website or event listing.
Publish the call for speakers, if applicable.
Publish the call for sponsors, if applicable.
Begin promotion through local WordPress and developer channels.
Draft the schedule structure.
Identify accessibility needs and venue requirements.
Plan any workshops, demos, or contributor activities.
Decide what attendees need to bring or install before the event.

4-8 weeks before the event

Confirm speakers and sessions.
Review sessions for technical accuracy, audience fit, and community alignment.
Confirm sponsors.
Open attendee registration.
Publish the schedule, or at least a preliminary schedule with confirmed speakers and sessions. (Publishing the schedule as early as possible can help generate excitement and encourage registrations).
Recruit volunteers and workshop facilitators.
Prepare signage, badges, and attendee communication.
Review technical requirements with speakers.
Create a backup plan for internet, demo, or local environment issues.
Prepare attendee setup instructions for workshops.

1-4 weeks before the event

Send speaker and attendee information.
Confirm food, coffee, accessibility, and venue arrangements.
Test AV and internet access.
Confirm volunteer assignments.
Prepare Code of Conduct reminders.
Prepare feedback forms.
Prepare links to WordPress developer resources and contribution opportunities.
Send workshop setup instructions to attendees.
Encourage attendees to install required tools before arriving.

After the event

Thank attendees, speakers, volunteers, sponsors, and the venue.
Share slides, recordings, code examples, repositories, and resources if available.
Send a feedback survey.
Publish a recap.
Submit recordings to WordPress.tv if applicable.
Invite attendees to join the local WordPress 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. and Make WordPress SlackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/.
Review what worked and what should improve next time.

Venue and logistics

A Developer Day may involve talks, live coding, workshops, and contribution activities. Choose a venue that supports technical learning.

Consider:

Reliable Wi-Fi.
Strong AV setup for code demos.
Large, readable screens or projectors.
Microphones for speakers and audience questions.
Enough power outlets.
Tables for workshops, if needed.
Accessible entrance, seating, restrooms, and stage area.
Space for registration.
Space for coffee breaks and networking.
Quiet areas for troubleshooting or mentoring.
Livestreaming or recording needs.
Clear signage.
Food and beverage options.
Public transport and parking.

For developer-focused events, Wi-Fi and power are especially important. If attendees are expected to follow along with workshops, the venue should support many laptops connected at the same time.

If the event includes hands-on development, consider asking speakers and workshop facilitators to prepare:

A setup guide.
A test repository.
A fallback demo.
Screenshots or recordings.
A local development option.
A no-install option where possible, such as WordPress Playground.

Content and speaker guidance

A WordPress Developer Day should focus on practical, technical, and educational topics connected to WordPress.

Good session topics include:

Plugin development.
Theme development.
Block development.
Block themes.
WordPress Core APIs.
REST API.
WP-CLI.
Interactivity API.
Performance.
Security.
Accessibility for developers.
Testing and debugging.
Local development environments.
Deployment workflows.
CI/CD.
Developer tooling.
WooCommerce development.
Multisite.
Headless WordPress.
AI-assisted development workflows.
Contributing to WordPress Core or other Make WordPress teams.
Lessons learned from real-world WordPress projects.

Avoid sessions that:

Are primarily sales pitches.
Promote one commercial product without broader educational value.
Are not clearly connected to WordPress development.
Assume all attendees have the same experience level.
Include unsafe coding practices without explanation.
Encourage insecure handling of credentials, production data, or client information.
Depend entirely on live demos with no backup plan.
Require attendees to purchase paid tools to participate.

Speakers should be encouraged to explain:

What problem their session helps developers solve.
What level of experience is expected.
What WordPress APIs, tools, or workflows are involved.
What attendees should know before the session.
Whether attendees need a laptop.
Whether attendees need to install anything in advance.
Where attendees can find code examples or resources afterward.
Any risks, limitations, or tradeoffs in the approach being demonstrated.

Workshops and hands-on sessions

Hands-on sessions can be especially valuable at a Developer Day, but they require additional planning.

For each workshop, organizers should confirm:

Skill level.
Prerequisites.
Required software.
Required accounts or credentials.
Whether the workshop can be completed using free tools.
Whether attendees need a local WordPress environment.
Whether WordPress Playground can be used.
Whether sample files or repositories are available.
How many facilitators are needed.
What attendees should do if they get stuck.

Send setup instructions before the event. If possible, encourage attendees to install tools at home before arriving, where internet access may be more reliable.

For beginner-friendly workshops, consider offering a “setup help” table before the session starts.

Contributor activities

A Developer Day may include a contributor session, code sprint, or contribution onboarding activity. This is optional, but it can help attendees connect their development skills with the WordPress open-source project.

Possible contributor activities include:

Introduction to contributing to WordPress Core.
Testing patches or pull requests.
Reviewing documentation for developer resources.
Working on Good First Issues.
Contributing to Gutenberg.
Contributing to WP-CLI.
Contributing to Performance, Accessibility, Themes, Plugins, Meta, or Docs.
Bug scrubs or triage sessions.
Localized developer documentation or translation support.

If contributor activities are included:

Prepare tasks before the event.
Choose tasks that can make progress in a short time.
Provide clear onboarding links.
Have experienced contributors available to help.
Avoid spending the whole session on environment setup.
Consider using tools that reduce setup friction, such as WordPress Playground or the WordPress Core Dev Environment Toolkit.
Make it clear that learning how to contribute is a valuable outcome, even if no patch or pull request is completed during the event.

Budget considerations

Budgets will vary depending on the event format, location, attendee count, venue costs, food, AV needs, and other factors. Organizers are encouraged to keep the event as lean and practical as possible, since each additional budget item may require more planning, fundraising, and administration.

Common costs may include:

Venue rental.
Audio visual equipment or support.
Video recording or livestreaming, if applicable.
Signage, banners, and printing.
Badges and lanyards.
Coffee, water, snacks, lunch, or other refreshments.
Accessibility services.
Workshop, contributor, or hands-on session materials.
T-shirts, stickers, or other swag, if appropriate.
Speaker or attendee gifts, if appropriate.
Welcome dinner, afterparty, or social event, if applicable and supported by the budget.

A half-day Developer Day may be easier to organize with a smaller budget, especially if the venue is donated and only coffee or light refreshments are provided.

A full-day event with workshops, multiple tracks, and recordings may require a larger budget for venue, food, AV, and volunteer support.

Inclusion, safety, and accessibility

All WordPress community events must follow the WordPress event Code of Conduct.

Organizers should:

Link to the Code of Conduct on the event website.
Mention the Code of Conduct during opening remarks.
Identify who attendees can contact if they need help.
Choose an accessible venue.
Ask attendees about accessibility needs during registration.
Provide clear directions and venue information.
Avoid unnecessary jargon where possible.
Label sessions by skill level.
Include beginner-friendly explanations where appropriate.
Make space for developers from different backgrounds and career stages.
Encourage respectful technical discussion.
Avoid gatekeeping or dismissive language.
Make it clear that there are many valid ways to be a WordPress developer.

Developer communities can sometimes unintentionally favor experienced speakers, advanced topics, or dominant technical opinions. A good Developer Day should encourage learning, curiosity, and respectful exchange across skill levels.

Promotion

Promotion should clearly explain who the event is for and what attendees will learn.

Possible promotional channels include:

Local WordPress meetup group.
Local WordPress community website.
WordCamp or WordPress Events site.
Make WordPress Slack.
Local developer communities.
Universities and coding schools.
Open-source communities.
Agency and freelancer networks.
Sponsor and speaker networks.
Social media.
Local tech newsletters.

Promotional copy should emphasize:

WordPress development focus.
Practical technical learning.
Skill levels covered.
Whether the event includes talks, workshops, demos, or contributor activities.
Whether attendees need to bring a laptop.
Whether attendees need to install tools in advance.
Networking with other WordPress developers.
Community and open-source values.

If the event is suitable for newer developers, say so clearly. If it is aimed at experienced developers, make that clear too.

Day-of checklist

Before attendees arrive

Confirm venue access.
Test Wi-Fi and AV.
Check microphones, projector, and recording setup.
Confirm that code is readable on screen.
Prepare registration area.
Display signage.
Brief volunteers.
Confirm speaker arrival times.
Confirm food and coffee timing.
Prepare Code of Conduct contact information.
Prepare backup demos or offline materials.
Prepare workshop setup help, if needed.

During the event

Welcome attendees.
Mention the Code of Conduct.
Explain the event schedule.
Thank sponsors, volunteers, speakers, and the venue.
Remind speakers of time limits.
Encourage questions and discussion.
Make announcements about local WordPress community activities.
Share links to WordPress developer resources.
Share contribution opportunities.
Collect feedback.

After the event

Thank everyone involved.
Share resources, slides, recordings, and code examples.
Send a feedback form.
Publish a recap.
Invite attendees to future local WordPress events.
Invite interested attendees to join Make WordPress Slack and relevant contributor channels.

After the event

Post-event follow-up helps turn a one-day event into lasting developer community activity.

Consider sharing:

Slides.
Recordings.
Photos.
Code repositories.
Demo links.
Resource lists.
Speaker contact links.
Contributor links.
A recap post.
Feedback survey results or key takeaways.

If sessions were recorded, submit suitable recordings to WordPress.tv.

Invite attendees to continue the conversation through:

The local WordPress meetup.
Future developer-focused meetupsMeetup 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..
Make WordPress Slack.
WordPress Developer Resources.
The WordPress Developer Blog.
Learn WordPress.
Relevant GitHubGitHub GitHub is a website that offers online implementation of git repositories that can easily be shared, copied and modified by other developers. Public repositories are free to host, private repositories require a paid subscription. GitHub introduced the concept of the ‘pull request’ where code changes done in branches by contributors can be reviewed and discussed before being merged by the repository owner. https://github.com/ repositories and contribution channels.