Karla Campos, a WordPress community volunteer from Miami with over a decade of involvement, is a lead organiser for WordCamp US 2025 in Portland. With a background in media and marketing — having worked for outlets like Telemundo and iHeartRadio — Karla moved from local meetups and WordCamps to larger organisational roles. Remarkably, this is her first flagship WordCamp as both an organiser and an attendee.
How she joined
Karla describes her involvement as serendipitous: she saw a call for volunteers and joined the organising group in May 2025. Although confident from prior experience running large public events, she found the workload and time commitment greater than expected.
Production company vs community team
WordCamp US uses a production company to handle venue logistics: room layouts, sponsor booths, signage, photographers, and ensuring the venue looks and functions to sponsor expectations. Karla’s co-lead, Megan Marcel, manages that vendor relationship. Karla herself leads communications and marketing, overseeing attendee communications, accessibility requests, dietary needs, visa questions, and the high volume of incoming emails. She coordinates a team of volunteers, including Caroline Harrison for attendee communications, and leans on mentors and previous organisers for guidance.
Time, finances, and impact
Organising is volunteer work. Karla pays her own travel and lodging and estimates she’s spending about 30 hours a week on the event in the weeks leading up to it. The role has encroached on personal time and sleep — she describes waking at 2 a.m. worrying about tasks — but she finds it rewarding to support the community. Scholarships exist for organisers but are limited and competitive.
Planning and resources
Organisers use prior years’ documentation, Slack channels, and mentors (including experienced community members and hosting partners) to onboard and learn processes. Despite joining late in the cycle, Karla says the team has a roadmap and strong internal coordination. They’ll do on-site walkthroughs — Karla plans to arrive a week early to review the venue in person — and will physically clear the venue by the agreed date, then debrief in the weeks after the event.
Attendance, goals, and concerns
As of the interview, around 730 attendees were registered. The team is planning for a target of 1,000. They anticipated attendance might be lower this year due to travel hesitancy, recent controversies in the WordPress ecosystem, and the event returning to the same venue as last year. Karla remains optimistic and cites initiatives aimed at boosting attendance, especially among students and newcomers.
Student and newcomer initiatives
WordCamp US 2025 emphasizes welcoming students and first-time attendees. Student tickets are priced at $25 with proof of enrollment; regular attendee tickets are $100. The organisers are partnering with colleges interested in bringing students to learn about web development, AI, and career opportunities. Karla notes that faculty sometimes tie attendance to course credit or summer projects, depending on institutional rules.
Community vibe and support
Karla highlights the friendly, collaborative atmosphere that distinguishes WordCamps from more corporate tech conferences. Newcomer support initiatives include the WP Trail Buddies program (led by Michelle Frechette), which pairs veteran attendees with first-timers so they have someone to meet and navigate the event with. Karla points out the value of hallway conversations, on-the-spot help with real website issues, and the community’s willingness to share knowledge.
Contributor Day and new experiments
Contributor Day will include a new hackathon-style approach — Karla kept details under wraps pending the contributor lead’s announcements — and a remote collaboration option for the Testing Team. The remote option allows people not physically present to participate in contributor activities, expanding accessibility and involvement.
Lessons and reflections
Karla underestimated the time required and the emotional energy involved, but she’s adapted and enjoys the challenge. The organising team has more ideas than they can implement this year; they’re documenting what worked to pass along to future organisers. Karla appreciates volunteers, mentors, and the production team who together bring the event to life.
Logistics and wrap-up
Organisers will stay after the event to manage cleanup and vendor closeout; the team expects physical clearing to be completed by the scheduled date, with follow-up discussions continuing for a couple of weeks to finalise learnings and next steps.
Final note
Karla thanked prospective attendees, highlighting the event’s focus on “the future of WordPress,” AI, and technology’s impact on businesses and careers. For more details — schedule, speakers, tickets, and resources — visit us.wordcamp.org/2025.
