Innovating or reinventing oneself is only within reach for the brave.
WordCamp Granada 2024 dared to take a step forward, betting on a fresh and bold format. By combining technology and tourism, it created an experience with great added value, resulting in a highly attractive formula.
Table of Contents
- A Themed WordCamp: Bold Move or Visionary Future?
- Discovering New Community Members
- AI Already Shaping the Present
- Is This the Start of a Change in WordCamp Format?
- Speaking of Stars…
- Amadeu: A Great Travel Companion
- Conclusion
A Themed WordCamp: Bold Move or Visionary Future?
The success of combining WordPress and tourism was a breath of fresh air regarding the selected talks. Everything was in perfect balance between technology and tourism, becoming the first WordPress event dedicated to tourism marketing.
Creating a WordCamp based on a single theme isn’t new. What’s novel and effective was merging two of the strongest business sectors in our country, demonstrating that technology and tourism can be a perfect mix.
Discovering New Community Members
The event brought together over 200 people, which is already an achievement. However, the most notable thing is that 40% of the attendees experienced their first WordCamp.
This is a significant and highly valued figure by the WordPress community team.
The average of new attendees at a WordCamp usually hovers around 15% of the total attendees. This figure had remained stable, indicating a certain stagnation in the number of people attending a WordPress community-organized event for the first time.
WordCamp Granada has exceeded those figures, raising them to 40%. What has been achieved is that half of the attendees were able to meet nearly half of the other attendees for the first time, creating new networking opportunities and, in a sense, expanding the WordPress base with new potential collaborators.
This was also evident on Contributor Day. During the event, new faces and regular attendees mingled to enjoy the best day of a WordCamp, gathering once again to contribute for the benefit of all WordPress users.
AI Already Shaping the Present
One of the most highlighted topics was the use of WordPress and artificial intelligence (AI) in the tourism sector. Today, AI is a tangible reality rather than a future trend, and tourism is no exception.
It was shown that WordPress can be an excellent ally for creating optimized and profitable websites or projects in this industry.
A notable example was Gustavo Galati’s talk, where he demonstrated how to use WordPress to manage smart tourism destinations. Pablo Cirre’s presentation also stood out, as he introduced AI as an ideal tool for generating optimized content, such as travel guides or destination descriptions.
Is This the Start of a Change in WordCamp Format?
It seems that a change in WordCamp format is drawing closer.
The primary goal of a WordCamp (or any WordPress-related event) is to connect with the audience, especially those who are not yet familiar with WordPress, the sponsors of these events, and the community that makes up this ecosystem.
Without the community, which maintains and grows WordPress as we know it, none of what this open-source software represents would exist. It is the community that spreads its benefits and organizes events like WordCamp. Additionally, we must not forget the volunteers, whose work is essential for every edition.
Yes, many things may be changing, but it is the community that leads these changes, for the benefit of all of us who use and collaborate with WordPress in one way or another.
Speaking of Stars…
A special mention to Álvaro Torre, soon to be nominated for the Goya awards.
Álvaro surprised us all with a humorous portrayal of a typical beach tourist we all know well.
Thanks to his performance, we enjoyed a fun, interactive family-friendly moment, with prizes for those who showed both knowledge and quick responses. Now, the performance by Wajari and his bagpipes that we enjoyed at WordCamp Pontevedra 2024 has met a strong competitor.
Amadeu: A Great Travel Companion
Wetopi and Sirvelia joined us on the journey with Amadeu Arderiu and me, Josep Morán.
I have to say that we made a great team, combining our skills to create networking (humble aside 😉).
We also strengthened friendships, laughed, got drenched by the unexpected rain; in short, I can only say he was a great travel companion. It was an experience I will remember fondly.
And indeed, traveling is always better in good company.
Conclusion
After attending a WordCamp that exclusively linked WordPress and its ecosystem to the tourism sector, I can only say it was a highly enriching experience.
WordCamp Granada 2024 has taken a step forward, bringing together people from different sectors who can mutually benefit. Congratulations to the organizers for the idea, and, of course, to the volunteers, always attentive and full of enthusiasm, who are undoubtedly the heart of any WordPress event. We will see if WordCamp Griñón 2024 follows this path of vertical events or we return to a more classic format.
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