A week has passed since the conclusion of the WordPress Core Days, and it is time to take stock of the event.
Participation was impressive: 118 people took part, mainly from Europe, with a significant Italian presence.
The Core Days proved to be a scalable and adaptable format, capable of evolving in real time. The programme could be modified during the event to meet the needs that emerged during the previous sessions, making it flexible both in terms of content and size, depending on the spaces available and the sessions planned.
In Rome, the programme included talks, panels and innovative sessions such as BarCamps and Speed Networking, enriching the participants’ experience with a dynamic and interactive approach.
At the end of the Closing Remarks, many speakers and participants expressed their wish for the event to be repeated, a clear sign of its success and its ability to respond to the needs of the community.
Objectives achieved
Reviewing the objectives, we can say that the main aim of the event – to encourage the meeting of developers active on the WordPress project – was not only achieved, but far exceeded. We created a stimulating environment that fostered meaningful conversations and comparisons, offering facilitators and participants numerous opportunities for in-depth discussions during the sessions. This climate of interaction encouraged active participation throughout the two days.
The event featured 19 facilitators who, on a rotating basis, animated sessions in rooms that were often full, even at times and on topics that we initially expected to attract a small audience, as in the case of track 2. The level of interest demonstrated exceeded all expectations, confirming the effectiveness of the format.
New sponsors
Core Days enthusiastically welcomed the participation of two new sponsors: Elementor and Pantheon.
For Elementor, this was their first participation in a ‘local’ WordPress event and their debut with the NextGen format. Despite the lack of swag, they showed great enthusiasm, actively participating in the sessions and contributing to the success of the event. Elementor representative Miriam Schwab was also among the speakers and facilitators, adding value to the discussions.
We have to give a huge thank you to Miriam and Elementor for our After Party: when they heard that our After Party would be an event with only the 10% discount received from the space ( Mercato Centrale) where we also made the arrangements for the lunches for the two days, they didn’t think twice about helping us by sponsoring the drinks and the space where to hold the evening!
Thank you Miriam and thank you Elementor!
Pantheon, on the other hand, chose Core Days as the first ever WordPress event to attend. Right from the start, they showed a keen interest in the activities of the WordPress community, expressing curiosity and willingness to support future events, with particular attention to those of the Italian community.
Difficulties encountered
We encountered significant difficulties in spreading the communication of the event beyond national borders, especially through social networks. The use of the Italian community’s social accounts proved to be a difficult limit to overcome. Thanks to the efforts of two social team organisers, the performance on social media exceeded expectations, but the need for a broader strategy remains evident. Coordination with the international team that manages the WordPress social accounts could be a possible solution.
Another problem we encountered was that of sending emails through the site: we found that sending emails to individuals from the site tends not to be feasible so it would be good to have an internal solution that is clearer.
IDEAS FOR THE NEXT CORE DAYS
One suggestion that became clear at the conclusion of the Core Days is to reduce the number of sessions in the programme, favouring quality over quantity. Eliminating one session could allow for more time, improving the overall experience.
Talks and panels were particularly successful, with panels standing out in terms of the number of participants. The latter, in particular, could benefit from an extension of time: developers expressed a desire for more opportunities for discussion and debate, pointing out that these opportunities are not as easy during WordCamps.
One aspect to be improved concerns the involvement of new developers, which was limited. A future edition could focus more on those already working in WordPress development, avoiding onboarding activities for new participants.
A critical issue that emerged was the slowness in communication with Global Sponsors. It would be advisable to find an alternative method of contact, avoiding entrusting this task exclusively to the organizers of WordCamps or WordPress events. In some cases, in fact, the emails sent seem to have ended up in spam, causing significant delays in the handling of the Call for Sponsors.
Lastly, the month of August proved unsuitable for contacting speakers and sponsors, both in Italy and abroad, due to the difficulties in receiving replies. Avoiding this time window could optimize time and simplify organization.
