WordCamp Barcelona 2023: A Wonderful Triplet

On May 5-6, 2023, WordCamp Barcelona was held. We had been eagerly awaiting this event, five years since the previous one. The event took place at Cotxeres de Sants on the 5th, which was the contributor’s day, and at UPF on the 6th, the day of the Speeches.

In this article, we would like to share our “triplet” experience and highlight our favorite aspects. While there are numerous summaries available about WordCamp, we aim to convey our unique perspective and personal encounter with the event.

The Power of WordCamp: Connecting Passions in the Barcelona WordPress Community

WordCamp is a global event that brings together the WordPress community, including developers, designers, users, and more, to share knowledge, network, and promote collaboration around WordPress.

Independently organized in various cities worldwide, these events provide an opportunity to learn from WordPress experts, discover new trends, and explore innovative approaches.

WordCamps aim to build a strong community and advance WordPress as a powerful tool for website development.

The Power of WordCamp: Connecting Passions in the Barcelona WordPress Community
An Event We’ve Been Waiting For 5 Years
What’s new at WordCamp Barcelona 2023
The Commitment Assumed by Wetopi at WordCamp Barcelona 2023
WordCamp 2023 Lead Team
Facts &Figures of the WordCamp Barcelona 2023
Conclusion

An Event We’ve Been Waiting For 5 Years

It had been a long five years since the last WordCamp was held in Barcelona. The pandemic forced a pause, and resuming the organization has been quite a challenge for a new team led by Ana Gavilán.

Barcelona is a benchmark in many aspects, and it was no different with WordCamps. The significant attendance indicates that the WordPress Community was truly eager to come to Barcelona.

What’s new at WordCamp Barcelona 2023

In this year’s WordCamp Barcelona, the organizers have put in special efforts to make it an extraordinary event. Here are some of the notable events that we want to highlight:

The first TeensCamp

For the first time, a WordCamp for Teens was held, aiming to introduce boys and girls between the ages of 13 and 16 to the WordPress environment, showcasing its potential and the opportunities it offers. Approximately 80 participants attended this free event at Cotxeres de Sants.

There were 3 Talks:

🆘Cybersecurity and online reputation
💻What is WordPress
🌍How to create a website

The purpose of this event was to demonstrate to young people that there is more to the digital world than just social media platforms.

As volunteers at the WordCamp dedicated to this event during the Contributor Day, we had the opportunity to witness how attendees interacted with the speakers. We noticed several surprised expressions as the speakers unveiled the true face behind the carefully curated profiles on social media platforms, revealing an image that doesn’t truly exist.

Moreover, the attendees were prompted to reflect on fundamental aspects, such as the concept of having “followers” and the implications of the content they post.

Regarding WordPress and its potential benefits, we emphasized the Open Source philosophy of this CMS, which provides the opportunity to have ownership over their own content and image, rather than being confined to a platform where they have no control.

It is worth noting that owning their own website is not a priority for most young people, as many of them do not even consider it as a personal option.

In our opinion, it is highly valuable to provide spaces for reflection and present alternatives to the paths dictated by large oligopolies. WordPress is not just one option among many; the fact that it is Open Source makes it THE option.

We sincerely hope that similar spaces will be offered in future WordCamps!

The First Table on Diversity

Marta Torre. Foto @Nilo Vélez

As a testament to her commitment to inclusion, Marta Torre organized the first diversity table at a local WordCamp.

Participants engaged in discussions about the significance of diversity and how we can collectively contribute to fostering a more diverse community and creating inclusive events.

During the Keynote Day, Marta shared her personal experience of diversity as an active #Diversity volunteer on the global WordPress team. You can watch her talk titled ‘Why do I have to fight for diversity in WordPress?‘ on wordpress.tv.

The First Table on Sustainability

Nahuai Badiola at WordCamp Barcelona 223

Nahuai Badiola. Foto @Nilo Vélez

Nahuai Badiola led this table as an active member of the W3C #Sustainability team and collaborates with The Green Web Foundation on sustainability for WordPress events.

The discussion touched upon a complex topic, including the goal of making WordPress events more sustainable, which involves reevaluating sponsor merchandising.

In our case, we view this as an opportunity to distinguish ourselves and embrace a new concept that encourages creativity and explores new possibilities. At Wetopi, we have already begun the process of reimagining the SWAG concept.”

A Do-Action For An Animal Shelter

A do_action event is a social hackathon that utilizes WordPress to support local communities. In other words, it is an initiative in which several WordPress professionals come together to build and launch a website for an association or group dedicated to a solidarity cause. These organizations may lack the resources or time to create a website on their own, and the do_action event aims to complete the task in a single working day.

Moreover, each hackathon also provides training to non-profit organizations on effectively using WordPress, enabling them to easily manage their website.

This time, the event focused on a dog shelter in Girona, Spain.

Honestly, where else do you find such initiatives? It’s yet another reason to choose WordPress

The Commitment Assumed by Wetopi at WordCamp Barcelona 2023

As a company and as a team, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to be a part of this event. We were not only sponsors, which made us particularly excited, but also volunteers and speakers.

Through these actions, we aimed to live up to our own proclamation: sharing knowledge, providing WordPress users with an opportunity to connect, and assisting the organization with the challenges they faced.

As Speakers

Foto @Nilo Vélez

As with other WordCamps, and as part of our commitment, we wanted to provide attendees with a unique opportunity to hear directly from Wetopi founder Joan Vega about thoroughly understanding the phases involved in visualizing a web page. This understanding helps identify and effectively address any related issues.

We were fortunate to be selected among 134+ paper proposals, an honor for which we express our gratitude to the organization.

You can watch Joan Vega’s talk titled “Understand and Improve the Speed of Your WordPress Website” on wordpress.tv.

His talk was part of Track 2, dedicated to the Novice level, making it easily understandable for individuals who are just beginning to explore the WordPress environment. Starting by gaining insights from an expert about these phases is highly recommended.

As Sponsors

Merchandising Wetopi WordCamp Barcelona 2023

When we undertake something, we strive to do it well, and how could we not collaborate with our local WordCamp!

It’s not just about gaining visibility; it’s about feeling proud that our city is hosting such an event and wanting to contribute to its success.

We take this responsibility very seriously. We recognized the opportunity to make a remarkable impression, to create that sought-after “wow” effect. It’s similar to what we aim to convey through our platform.

We are dedicated to providing quality, environmentally friendly, sustainable, long-lasting, unique, and versatile merchandise that reflects our company’s values.

For this reason, we selected an organic cotton toiletry bag and attached a label that mimicked washing instructions. However, we modified the text to highlight Wetopi’s strengths in a way that would truly make an impact.

We help you throughout the process

It doesn’t matter if you have one WordPress site or 100, our team is ready to carefully migrate your websites for free.

When migrating a website, we manually monitor it and verify its security.

Volunteering

Foto @Nilo Vélez

This was, without a doubt, the best part of it all.

We had meetings with Francesc Barbero prior to the event, who provided us with detailed explanations of our roles and helped us establish connections and feel like integral members of the team.

On Thursday, the 4th, before the event even began, we started assembling the SWAG bags. For those unfamiliar, SWAG stands for “Stuff We All Get,” referring to the merchandise from various sponsors.

The organizers were already feeling the pressure as their moment approached, especially Francesc, who found himself managing no less than 32 volunteers. He had a significant responsibility to ensure that we, as volunteers, understood our tasks, and this responsibility fell on his shoulders and reputation:

We needed to know our whereabouts at all times. Check!✅
Our assigned tasks had to be clear to us. Check!✅
The Contributor Day and Presentation Day were distinct events held in different locations! This meant double the organizational work for Francesc. Check!✅
He had to provide us with support and clear instructions, as unexpected situations always arise. Check!✅
An effective communication channel had to be established. Check!✅

If you are considering volunteering, it’s important to understand what is expected of you:

Prepare welcome bags.
Manage attendee and speaker accreditations upon arrival.
Set up and dismantle the rooms or venues where the event takes place.
Arrange the space for sponsors.
Assist with catering setup.
Provide assistance during presentations, including recording and audio support.
Assist speakers and attendees as needed.
Pay attention to the organization’s instructions regarding timing during presentations and communicate with the speaker accordingly.
Maintain a positive attitude, showing dedication to work from the early hours of the morning until everything is packed up.
Actively participate in the event.
Support fellow volunteers.
Enjoy your time 😉

WordCamp 2023 Lead Team

From here we want to congratulate the organization of this WordCamp Barcelona 2023 for having led something so complex, with a change of scenery from one day to the next, managed catering, communication and volunteers.

An almost novel team, made up of :

Ana Gavilan : Lead organizer
Núria Ramoneda: Organization assistant
Isotta Peira: Responsible for contributor day and do_action
Núria Nadal i Rovira: Head of Communication
Gisela Bravo: Head of Sponsors
Albert Calzada: Web Manager
Pau Camps Castilla: Responsible for design and printing
Aleix Martí Carmona: Responsible for the after-party
Francesc Barbero: Head of volunteers and audiovisuals
Esther Serra: Catering Manager
Joan Serra: Member of the speaking team.
Violeta Bru: Responsible for the speakers’ dinner
Jordi Sala: Responsible for TeensCamps
Jose Conti: Responsible for Swag and TeensCamp

Facts &Figures of the WordCamp Barcelona 2023

For those who love statistics, here are some figures:

😍 297 attendees. More than 94% of tickets sold.
💙 24 backers.
😀 29 speakers. 15 women and 14 men.
😛 18 presentations in Catalan.
💪 32 volunteers and 2 mentors.
😇 14 organizers.
🤩 The hashtag #WCBCN was TT.

Conclusion

One of the highlights in the realm of WordCamps in Spain, it was a long-awaited reunion for many. Having the opportunity to experience it firsthand as a volunteer is a highly recommended experience for anyone seeking to join the WordPress Community. It allows you to: