15.06.26
What our first WordCamp Europe taught us about WordPress
WordPress has been at the heart of Better’s digital work since 2008. From the very beginning, it’s been the platform behind many of the websites we design, build and support.
Written by Adam GatenbyAdam Gatenby
Written by Adam Gatenby,
Digital Director
For over 15 years, we’ve continued to invest in WordPress because its open-source foundations have allowed it to evolve, while offering the flexibility and scalability our clients need.
In that time, both WordPress and the way we work with it have shifted and changed. As our experience has grown, so too has our ability to tailor the platform to each organisation, delivering everything from marketing websites to bespoke digital platforms, custom functionality and integrations.
Last month, I made the journey to Kraków with Better’s Lead Developer, Nathan, for our first WordCamp Europe, joining more than 2,500 attendees from over 80 countries. While we’d attended UK WordCamps before, the European event offered something different: the chance to spend time with the wider WordPress ecosystem, from core contributors to product teams, agencies and the people behind many of the tools we use every day.
The people behind WordPress
Contributor Day sets the tone for the rest of WordCamp. Before the conference officially began, hundreds of people came together to contribute to WordPress itself, whether through accessibility, documentation, plugins or Core.
Nathan joined the Accessibility Team, while I spent the day with the Plugins Team. More than anything, it reinforced the shared sense of ownership across the project. For a platform that powers more than 43% of the web, it’s remarkable to see just how much of its future is shaped by people simply choosing to give something back.
Our Leader Developer said: “Contributor Day was a great experience and a brilliant way to start the week.
“Being part of the Accessibility Team gave me a real insight into how many people are working behind the scenes to improve WordPress.
“It’s definitely something I’d like to get more involved in, and I’ve come away with plenty of ideas to strengthen the way we build for our clients.”
That same sense of shared ownership carried through the rest of the conference. Across two days of talks and discussions, the focus shifted from how WordPress is built today to how it continues to evolve. One of the strongest themes, particularly in the closing discussions with those helping shape the platform, was the role AI will play in WordPress’ next chapter.
How AI is shaping the next chapter of WordPress
What was particularly interesting was how AI was being discussed. The focus wasn’t on AI for its own sake, but on how it could improve the way people create, manage and publish content. Whether supporting editors, streamlining workflows or giving developers new capabilities, the emphasis was on making WordPress more useful rather than simply adding new features.
That thinking is already beginning to shape WordPress itself. Demonstrations throughout the conference focused less on individual AI features and more on how AI is becoming a natural part of the WordPress experience, both within WordPress itself and across the wider ecosystem.
Search was another recurring theme. As AI changes the way people discover information online, the discussion wasn’t about abandoning SEO, but adapting it. Clear information architecture, authoritative content and technically well-built websites remain just as important, even as AI becomes another way for people to find answers.
Perhaps that’s the biggest opportunity for WordPress. AI will undoubtedly change how people work with the platform, but it won’t change the fundamentals. Strategy, quality content, and strong technical foundations will remain at the heart of every successful website.
And ultimately, WordPress’ future will still be shaped by the people behind it. That’s been true since WordPress began, and WordCamp Europe made it even clearer.
Building stronger partnerships
Some of the most valuable conversations happened away from the conference stage, spending time with product teams from Google, Gravity Forms and Yoast, while exchanging ideas with agency leaders, developers and contributors from across the WordPress community. All of this allowed us to discuss features, share feedback from real client projects and better understand where the platform is heading.
Conversations like these don’t immediately change the websites we build, but they do influence the decisions behind them. Understanding what’s coming next, hearing directly from the people behind the tools we use every day, and sharing the challenges our clients face helps us deliver stronger digital experiences.
Why this matters
As well as an opportunity to learn more about WordPress, the conference reinforced the reasons why we’ve invested in the platform for more than a decade. And equally, why we’re keen to play a bigger part in its future.
That investment doesn’t stop when WordCamp Europe ends. We’ll continue contributing where we can, staying close to the people shaping WordPress and the technologies driving its evolution, and bringing those insights back into the digital experiences we create. We’re already looking forward to continuing that journey at future WordCamps.
Images by Atsushi Ando, Thomas Bruehl, Nilo Vélez, and Jeroen Rotty.
