Many times people tell me "How wonderful is the WordPress Pontevedra community". And so it is. Because maybe we meet in a group with Matias Ventura, the lead architect of WordPress, and Wajari asks him where he bought that nice jacket he's wearing.
And also because we brought Nacho Márquez to give a great talk on micro-communities and social impact on his birthday, having two days to prepare it. Because Jorge can leave two anthological phrases at the parties or we onboarded Noelia, whom we went to meet there.
Many times people tell me "What a wonderful WordPress Galicia community! And so it is. Because the apartment full of rules and fines that we shared with Carlos Longarela we will not forget easily. Nor the instructions of the coffee maker. Because the charrua Dani doesn't know it yet, but this WCEU has surely changed his life. As it did for us in Berlin.
And because on Contributor Day we launched the website of WordCamp Galicia to be held from October 3 to 5 in Pontevedra. Or because Julio came as an attendee and ended up editing and uploading the videos of all the WCEU content to WordPress.tv for Sunday and surprising even my dear Mirko from Production Pool (who are not Galician, but I love them just the same). Or even for the swag that everyone loved that our dear Esther was handing out at her booth.
Many times people tell me "What a wonderful WordPress community in Spain". And so it is. Because although we are very noisy (sorry for turning up the volume more than necessary at times), I don't know a more diverse group of people who make themselves loved. And hard-working. From Rocío helping me endlessly at the Contributor Day community table to Nilo, Weiko and Paco taking amazing pictures and uploading them all to WCEU's Flickr before the end of the event (never seen before).
From Celi who activates even the quietest volunteer to Nahuai who has had a rollercoaster event of sustainable emotions, through Angel Zinsel who has taken care of the speakers and the other organizers like Ohia, Lena, or those who could not come and we miss like Fernando Lopez or Fede Padilla.
There were less than 100 of us in a sea of over 1700 attendees, but we made our presence felt. Like the applause that took the plugins team contributors like Fran and David. The applause earned by super top speakers such as Hector y Maylén. Volunteers who did not stop like Delia, Gustavo or Paula. Or our Spanish-speaking family from across the pond who are wonderful to have here like Álex, Lúa, Mónica, Yordan, Ericka, Ximena or Vanessa.
Those who gave their money to sponsor and do business like the incredible people from ModularDS (with Reyes!), Sirvelia or Joinchat. And the Mowomo, and Fernando and Juanma from SiteGround, the future organizers of WordCamp Noja or my dear Ibon, the list is almost endless (sorry for forgetting).
I'm often told "What a wonderful WordPress Europe community!". And so it is. And here I can't name names because I'm going to forget half of them.
The bad thing about WordCamp Europe is that it only lasts three days. I would need four days to say hello to the people I practically only see at this event, and another four to meet new wonderful people. That's the worst thing for me! Knowing that I've left such interesting people to meet or chat with, argh!
Organizing WordCamp Europe 2025 has been a challenge of great dimensions due to a multitude of factors that I will not detail here. But a ship led by Steve, Laura and Uroš is synonymous with success. And a lot of laughs. I adore them. What a way to protect the rest of the team, to help, to guide and to make sure that everything went as planned.
I have always said, anyway, that WCEU is made by the team leaders and I still stand by that. The work of Patricia, Ivelina, Emma, Luca, Wendie, Fotis, Ohia, Lena, Pascal Casier, Nilo, Pascal Birchler, Angelos, Francesco and Enrico has been of another level. Helped, obviously, by the rest of the team of organizers. A structure that is working better and better.
Apart from that, I am lucky to have friends in all communities and to feel a little bit of each one. The Portuguese community that is sister to the Galician one. The Italian community that welcomed me so well (and so many times) last year. The Swiss community that welcomed me this year. The Greek community, the Serbian, the Dutch, the German, the French, the Polish, the Lithuanian... and, in the end, people from everywhere, from Finland to the United Kingdom.
And that what I like is to have a quick conversation about Julian Casablancas with Piermario, discuss Fantasy Premier League results with Alex Denning, tell Pascal Birchler that we are saving room for him for next season, chat with Dennis about the human and the divine or joke with Simon Kraft every time we crossed paths -which were many-. Receiving invitations to WordCamps (and lunch) in Verona, Pisa, Gdansk, Wroclaw, Athens or The Hague.
I'm often told "What a wonderful WordPress community!". And it is. In general. Because the energy that was in this event is very difficult to replicate in another. Because I keep finding posts on blogs, social media, photos, memories... from people I probably didn't even meet at the event and they fill me with joy. Connections, work, partnerships, friendships, learning, parties, very good vibes.
Sometimes we forget how important human connections are when we spend so much time behind the screen. How important it is to get out of the virtual bubbles to see that the world is still spinning and that what seems so important is probably not.
I remember my chat with Mary Hubbard, executive director of the project, where we went from Backstreet Boys to foosball without having to fix the world (at that very moment). With having met Megan, Mo and Shiva who were always with a smile on their faces. With having added a new event without crossing a word with Matt, not even by chance (if I try it on purpose, it wouldn't happen, we have parallel agendas and he doesn't dance much!)
Putting faces and names to those people I talk to via Slack or email from India, Nepal, Bangladesh, USA or Japan.
And a paragraph for one of my favorite people in the WordPress community who also helps me "manage" it in an incredible way. My partner in mentorship this year, the one and only Isotta. A thousand thanks for all you do for me, for the community and for the people. You are indispensable.
And you will say, what a recap of an event! You don't talk about the venue (very comfortable, well signposted and with many areas to rest), nor about the food (more than enough, obviously it is not Athens), nor about the talks (you have to watch them on TV), nor about the parties (what happens in them stays there, thanks Hostinger, thanks Yoast), nor about the city (although the weather was not good, very nice to walk around, good transportation and, yes, expensive for the Spanish), nor about the sponsors (who are the ones who make the event possible), nor the trips (I slept a bit). But for me WCEU is what I have already told you: the people. My people and those who still don't know that they are my people.
I would like to make a very special mention to the Weglot team: Thomas, Elodie, Margaux and Thibaud. It seems like only yesterday that I was shyly approaching Thomas in Berlin to say hello when neither of us knew quite what we were doing at that WCEU. This year I was very much reminded of that situation when I put my butt on a front row chair with a "Reserved" sign at Matt and Mary's talk. I know it's very hard to explain what I do, but what is clear is that everyone knows I couldn't do it without your daily support and encouragement. Thank you Weglot, from the bottom of my heart.
What's next? We are heading to Krakow from June 4 to 6, 2026. It's been seventeen years since I was there and I don't remember anything, so it's going to be a great opportunity to go back to Poland. And a secret: I am blown away by the trio of leaders we are going to have for that event. Francesco, Ivelina and Angelos are all organizers that I admire, that I have been able to work with, laugh with and enjoy. And, in the end, that's what counts.
I will again be mentoring WCEU26 along with Steve and I believe that, as always, they will try to raise the bar just a little bit higher. Long live WordCamp Europe!
Header photo by Nilo Vélez.
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