WordCamp Pontevedra '22, the Story of a Discovery

I have always been a bit of a wallflower when it comes to social media, and it was only recently that I decided to get up to speed with them — at least with what I consider the "network of networks": LinkedIn.

That's where I met Julio de la Iglesia, who recommended I attend WordCamp Pontevedra and planted the seed in my mind. Having had my first daughter three weeks before the WordCamp made me initially dismiss the idea, but my partner gave me the final push to motivate me to attend.

Impressions from my first WordCamp

The symposium took place at the Faculty of Social and Communication Sciences, a large building with a somewhat gloomy exterior. I have to admit I am not a person who enjoys large gatherings — my temple, my natural habitat, is a small cave where I try to build calluses on the keyboard — and the prospect of attending an event of such proportions had me quite nervous. So I gathered my courage and walked through the entrance.

Past the door was the reception desk with several volunteers who welcomed us with a smile and provided a backpack with various items for the conference. There I was able to recognise Jose Ramón Bernabeu, a WordPress veteran I had already had the chance to speak with through LinkedIn.

We chatted briefly and I headed upstairs, where the welcome talk would take place. In the hallway leading to the room there were the treats: a series of promotional tables offering various merchandise items such as T-shirts, badges, mugs, pens, stickers — even socks. And all free! There was also no shortage of water, coffee, or tea, along with snacks, always available to attendees.

After the opening talk everything proceeded as planned. There were two rooms where talks ran simultaneously. But the way they were arranged, at least in my case, there was always one talk that interested me far more than the other.

During the breaks between talks I was able to meet new people with very similar interests and, all things considered, I also had the chance to verify that iconic figures in the WordPress world such as Fernando Tellado are not mythological beings. I almost approached him to say hello a couple of times, but I think shyness held me back.

It must be mentioned that at the end of the day a very enjoyable gathering was set up. There was free beer and octopus, and musicians who set the mood in pure Galician style.

So what was my impression? In two words: I loved it.

Volunteering at WordCamp

Before buying my ticket I considered participating as a volunteer. But it turned out I arrived too late and all spots were taken. To join the volunteer team you normally need to fill in a form some time before each WordCamp. You can view the volunteer team for WordCamp Pontevedra 2022 on the official website.

Contributor day

The contributor day is the day for those who want to collaborate with the WordPress community. As it was my first time attending a WordCamp I have nothing to compare it to, but on this occasion a series of tables were set up to cover areas such as marketing, design, community, support, etc. There you could meet the people in charge of each section and receive an explanation of how to contribute to the community.

Why I decided to contribute to the community

I have built a large number of websites with WordPress and have been using it for many years. And honestly, it had never occurred to me that I was using a free tool that needed a team to maintain and grow it.

Seeing so many people devoting themselves to the community selflessly moved me. And not only that — knowing that many of my projects are powered by this tool makes me feel indebted to it.

I would like to thank:

• Damián Pérez for welcoming me, as well as showing me the city and its local food
• Julio de la Iglesia for encouraging me
• Jose Luís and Fernando Tellado for being who they are and doing what they do
• Jose Arcos, Fernando García Rebolledo, Mauricio Gelves, Pablo Moratinos and all the speakers who share their wisdom at every WordCamp
• Carlos Longarela, Sabela, Ana Gavilán, Berta Minguela, Rocío Valdivia, Isotta Peira, Jose Ramón Bernabeu and everyone I had the pleasure of meeting
• And of course, thanks to all the volunteers for making this possible!