There are few things I enjoy more than a good technology business conference. Over the years, I have attended events such as DrupalCon, Dreamforce, and Salesforce’s Education Summit, back when I had a corporate job and someone else was picking up the bill.
I genuinely enjoy almost every part of a good tech conference. You get to learn about new technology, see what other developers and companies are building, meet people working in the same space, and usually attend a few great parties along the way.
Of course, conferences can also be expensive. A full SXSW badge can cost around $1,500 before you account for flights, hotels, food, and transportation. A single person can easily spend $5,000 on a major conference trip, while sending a small team or paying for an exhibitor booth can push the total into the $10,000-plus range.
For a small software development or web development company, though, the right conference can be far more than an excuse to get out of the office. Conferences are a chance to network, meet potential clients and partners, keep up with industry changes, and find new business opportunities.
Why WordPress Conferences Are Worth Looking At
For many years, WordPress was not always viewed as an enterprise platform in the same way as Salesforce or Drupal. Drupal, in particular, developed a reputation in some circles as the more enterprise-friendly open-source CMS.
That perception has changed. WordPress now powers websites for major brands, publishers, e-commerce companies, universities, nonprofits, government organizations, and small businesses of every kind. The platform has grown far beyond simple blogs, and the WordPress ecosystem now includes agencies, developers, hosting companies, plugin companies, e-commerce specialists, content teams, marketers, and enterprise users.
Now that I am self-employed and have a little more flexibility in my schedule, it seemed like a good time to look at the available WordPress conferences and events.
The biggest answer is WordCamp.
WordCamp US 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona
WordCamp US 2026 will be held in Phoenix, Arizona, from August 16 through August 19, 2026.
The best part is the price. Tickets are only $100, which is almost free compared with many large technology conferences. For four days of WordPress education, networking, food, sessions, sponsor booths, and social events, that is a solid deal.
Phoenix also gives me a good excuse to take a road trip through the Arizona desert near the end of summer.
WordCamp US is one of the largest WordPress events in North America. It brings together developers, designers, agency owners, content creators, marketers, hosting companies, plugin developers, WooCommerce professionals, and people who contribute directly to the WordPress open-source project.
WordCamp US 2026 Schedule
Sunday, August 16: Contributor Day
Contributor Day runs from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with registration opening at 8:00 AM.
This is a hands-on day where attendees can work alongside other WordPress users and contributors. You do not have to be a core developer to participate. People contribute in many ways, including documentation, translations, testing, accessibility, community support, plugin development, and more.
Monday, August 17: Showcase Day
Showcase Day runs from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with registration opening at 8:00 AM.
This part of the event focuses on creative and powerful real-world WordPress projects. It is a good opportunity to see how agencies, publishers, e-commerce companies, and developers are using WordPress in ways that go far beyond a basic business website.
Tuesday, August 18: Conference Day One
The first main conference day runs from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with registration opening at 8:00 AM.
Sessions are expected to cover WordPress development, design, accessibility, security, content strategy, performance, business, artificial intelligence, and other WordPress-related topics.
Wednesday, August 19: Conference Day Two and Social Event
The second main conference day runs from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with registration opening at 8:00 AM.
The WordCamp US social event is scheduled for Wednesday evening from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM. Events like this are usually one of the best opportunities to meet other developers, agency owners, WordPress product companies, and people working throughout the WordPress ecosystem.
Austin WordPress Meetup
When I first moved to Austin, I attended the PHP meetup groups. They typically had the same 20 or so people that would show up. They were almost always at a bar, and some company looking to hire PHP developers would sponsor the event and buy everyone beers. Not much was accomplished at these events except getting drunk. The few things Chat GPT found were all old with reference to WordPress meetup in Austin, the last one being in February of 2025. Better luck next time.
WP Engine DE{CODE} Conference
One of the largest WordPress hosting companies is headquartered right here in Austin: WP Engine.
WP Engine has provided excellent managed WordPress hosting over the years, and we became a developer partner with them many years ago. In the early days, WP Engine also hosted a decent-sized in-person event at the Fairmont Austin, including a private party at Banger’s to wrap up the festivities. I was lucky enough to receive an invitation through the developer partner program.
Those in-person events eventually gave way to a virtual format. WP Engine now hosts DE{CODE}, a free annual online conference for developers, agencies, marketers, and technology professionals working in the WordPress world.
DE{CODE} 2026 was held as a virtual event in May and focused on the “Intelligent Web,” including artificial intelligence, web development, agency workflows, digital experiences, and the future of WordPress. The sessions are available on demand for registered attendees.
Other WordPress Conferences Around the World
WordPress has a massive international following, and WordCamp US is only one of several major WordPress events held each year.
WordCamp Europe and WordCamp Asia are the other two flagship international WordPress conferences. There are also smaller WordCamps and WordPress events throughout Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Uganda, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Asia, and other parts of the world.
Below are a few additional WordPress, WooCommerce, accessibility, hosting, and developer-focused events that are not traditional WordCamps.
Yes. WordCamps are the biggest community events, but there are several independent WordPress and WooCommerce conferences worth watching—especially if you are looking for more focused technical, agency, e-commerce, hosting, or accessibility networking.
- LoopConf — A developer-focused WordPress conference rather than a general community WordCamp. It is aimed at developers, freelancers, agencies, and people building WordPress sites or web apps for clients. The next event is September 23–24, 2026, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. This would be one of the better alternatives for someone doing custom development work.
- WooSesh — A large online conference specifically for WooCommerce store builders, agencies, plugin developers, and e-commerce professionals. It is virtual, free, and expected to return in Fall 2026. It is probably the best non-WordCamp event for WooCommerce work and online-store clients.
- WordPress Accessibility Day — A nonprofit, 24-hour international virtual conference focused entirely on building accessible WordPress sites. The 2026 event is scheduled for October 7–8 and is livestreamed free. Good for developers, agencies, designers, and content teams that want to improve accessibility knowledge.
- CloudFest / WP Summit — Not exclusively WordPress, but it is a major international cloud, hosting, agency, and web-infrastructure event with a dedicated WordPress business and agency summit. CloudFest brings together hosting companies, web agencies, SaaS vendors, developers, and WordPress professionals from more than 80 countries. The next Europe event is March 15–18, 2027, at Europa-Park in Germany. This would be strong for networking with hosting, managed WordPress, plugin, infrastructure, and agency companies.
- Checkout Summit — A newer in-person WooCommerce-focused event, positioned around practical stories from people who build, operate, and grow WooCommerce businesses. Its next listed edition is planned for April 2027 in Palermo, Italy. It looks especially relevant for WooCommerce plugin makers, store builders, and agency owners.
