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Want to organize a WordPress meetupMeetupMeetup 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. group in your community? Contact the WordPress Global Community TeamGlobal Community TeamA group of community organizers and contributors who collaborate on local events about WordPress — monthly WordPress meetups and/or annual conferences called WordCamps. at support@wordcamp.org or in #community-events on Making WordPress Slack.
Welcome to the May 2024 edition of the WordPress Meetup Organizer Newsletter!
We have a wealth of exciting updates and resources to share with you this month. From the launch of the Learning Pathway for Beginner WordPress Users, to actionable tips for attracting first-time attendees, we’re here to support you in growing and nurturing your local WordPress communities. Plus, read valuable advice about hosting engaging hybrid events (with some attendees in-person, and some attendees online), discover how you can harness WordCampWordCampWordCamps 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. Europe 2024 sessions for your Meetup group, and join us in welcoming our newest WordPress Meetup groups from around the globe.
We hope that within this newsletter you will find inspiration and practical tools to make your meetupsMeetupMeetup 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. even more impactful. Thank you for your continued dedication to the WordPress community. Let’s keep learning and growing together!
Learning Pathway for Beginner WordPress Users Now Available on Learn.WordPress.orgWordPress.orgThe community site where WordPress code is created and shared by the users. This is where you can download the source code for WordPress core, plugins and themes as well as the central location for community conversations and organization. https://wordpress.org/
We’re excited to announce that the Learning Pathway for Beginner WordPress Users is now live on Learn.WordPress.org! This comprehensive learning pathway will help Meetup organizers support community members who are new to WordPress. Leveraging our events to attract and nurture new WordPress users aligns perfectly with the WordPress project’s Big Picture Goals for 2024.
To get started, all you need is a WordPress.org account. If you don’t have one yet, you’ll be prompted to create it. We welcome your feedback — simply click the “Let us know” button in the right column, or even better, create a Learn GitHubGitHubGitHub 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 be the repository owner. https://github.com/ issue using the Feedback template.
The Make WordPress Training Team is dedicated to creating learning pathways for all skill levels, from beginner through expert, and for users, developers, and designers alike. You can learn more about this initiative in this post.
Reaching First-Time Attendees to Grow the WordPress Community
As WordPress Meetup organizers, one of our key goals is to attract and engage first-time attendees. Reaching new users is crucial for the growth and sustainability of the WordPress project, aligning with the Big Picture Goals for 2024.
To effectively attract first-time attendees, consider implementing the following strategies. First, share engaging content during outreach that highlights the benefits of attending meetups, such as learning opportunities, networking, and community support. Additionally, collaborate with local tech groups, universities, and co-working spaces to reach potential new users who may not yet be familiar with WordPress. Offering beginner-level content can also help newcomers feel more comfortable and engaged (refer to the article above for helpful resources!).
Finally, ensure that your events are welcoming and inclusive to all attendees, so that they are excited to return. Create a friendly atmosphere by having dedicated greeters, clear signage, and detailed event descriptions that help attendees understand what to expect. Encourage existing members to bring friends and colleagues, and consider hosting special “Introduction to WordPress” sessions for beginners. By focusing on these actionable tips, you can effectively attract and retain new attendees, helping to grow the WordPress community and ensuring its continued success.
As WordPress Meetup organizers, many of us are navigating the complexities of hybrid events. How can we ensure that both in-person and virtual attendees feel equally engaged? In Priya Parker’s article “The Future of Work is Creating Psychological Togetherness,” discover actionable strategies to bridge the gap between physical and virtual spaces. Learn how to treat Zoom participants as honored guests, ask “magical questions” to create shared context, and build feedback loops that connect everyone. These insights will help you elevate your next hybrid meetup event.
Harness WordCamp Europe 2024 Sessions for Your Meetup Group
Explore the WordCamp Europe 2024 schedule and speaker lineup to find sessions that may interest your meetup members. All WordCamp Europe talks will be live-streamed and recorded, allowing you to bring your Meetup group together to watch and discuss the sessions, whether live or at a later date. It’s the next best thing to being there and allows your group to come together to learn about the very latest in WordPress!
Happy 21st Birthday, WordPress!
WordPress celebrated its 21st birthday on May 27, and many meetup groups hosted festivities. We invite you to share your photos of the celebrations using the hashtag #WP21.
WordPress Fatehpur organizers sharing cakeWordPress Hisar community planting 21 trees to celebrate #WP21
Introducing our newest WordPress Meetup groups
Let’s welcome the new Meetup groups recently added to our chapter! Do support them in organizing both local (in-person) and global (online) meetup events, and let’s learn from their experiences and experiments along the way.
This month, we celebrate the WordPress Meetup groups of Bhopal (India), Baguio (Philippines), and Fatehpur (India) WordPress meetup.
Bhopal, India WordPress MeetupThe first Baguio WordPress meetup event in five years!Fatehpur, Uttar Pradesh, India WordPress Meetup
Meetup Organizers, we want to feature you!
We’d love to publish pictures from Meetups all around the world in each newsletter. Do you want your Meetup to be featured? Share 1 picture with the Community team! Rename your picture as “Meetup-name_event-date” and upload it to this folder. The formats supported are jpg and png. Please remember, always ask for permission from your group members before taking the picture and sharing it with us!
If you have any questions, Community Team deputiesProgram SupporterCommunity Program Supporters (formerly Deputies) are a team of people worldwide who review WordCamp and Meetup applications, interview lead organizers, and keep things moving at WordCamp Central. Find more about program supporters in our Program Supporter Handbook. are here to help. Please email us at support@wordcamp.org or join the #community-eventsSlack channel. Thanks for everything you do to grow and support the WordPress community—let’s keep sharing knowledge and inspiring each other with our contributions!
