Rebuilding WordPress Meetups After COVID

Nathan Wrigley speaks with Simon Pollard about how WordPress meetups and events have changed since the pandemic, what was lost, and practical ways communities can rebuild in-person connections.

Simon’s experience

Simon Pollard is a long-time WordPress developer based in Bristol who’s worked at Illustrate Digital since 2020. He helped turn the Bristol WordPress Meetup from an informal pub catch-up into a monthly, well-organised group with sponsors, catering, and 30–40 regular attendees. Growth came from recruiting extra organisers, using simple tools to coordinate, and gaining official WordPress support that brought funding and credibility.

How meetups grew before COVID

The group evolved from casual chats into regular talks, socials, and a welcoming culture. Promotion on Twitter and Facebook, active speaker recruitment (Simon gave many talks himself), greeters, name badges, and deliberate introductions helped newcomers connect. That atmosphere encouraged networking, knowledge sharing, and a sense of mutual help among developers.

The pandemic pause

When COVID hit in 2020 the meetup stopped. The organising team didn’t all have the appetite or bandwidth to pivot online, and Simon’s own life changed—he became a parent and had less energy for late-night events. He found a different social outlet in a local band. Attempts to hand the meetup over didn’t always stick, and activity faded for a while.

Fragmented online life

A major challenge now is that the online spaces which once united people have fragmented. Platforms that acted like town squares shifted or shrank, sending people to many different services or off social media entirely. That dispersal makes it harder for organisers to reach past attendees and potential speakers, and to sustain the informal contact that used to exist between meetings.

Why face-to-face still matters

Both Nathan and Simon emphasise the unique value of in-person events: the warmth of a room, quick hallway problem-solving, spontaneous introductions, and relaxed social time after talks. Those social moments encourage people to try new topics and grow their skills. Meetups provided a forgiving place to present, learn from mistakes, and build relationships that lead to collaboration.

Obstacles to rebuilding attendance

Several factors make recovery difficult:

• Habit change: Two years of remote routines made in-person meetups feel less natural.
• Life changes: People’s priorities shifted—family, careers, and time constraints affect attendance.
• Platform fragmentation: With no single place to reach the community, re-engaging former attendees is harder.
• AI and search: Developers increasingly turn to AI assistants and searchable documentation instead of asking people, weakening one path to meeting others.
• Younger generations: Those who spent formative years during the pandemic may not have experienced strong local meetup culture and may not value it the same way.

Ideas and opportunities to revive meetups

Simon and Nathan outline several practical approaches:

• Double down on hospitality: Greeters, name badges, and personal introductions make newcomers feel welcome and more likely to return.
• Broaden the program: Mix technical talks with creative, soft-skill, and local-culture sessions to widen appeal.
• Combine disciplines: Events that incorporate arts, music, or other local interests alongside WordPress content can attract people who wouldn’t come for a strictly technical meetup.
• Make it a night out: Live music, socials, and post-event mingling turn meetups into social evenings rather than just lectures.
• Keep hybrid options: While in-person connection is central, remote access helps those who can’t travel and keeps the group inclusive.
• Rebuild networks intentionally: Personally reach out to past organisers, speakers, and attendees instead of relying only on public posts to reconnect.

WordCamps, scale, and formats

Simon questions whether large, multi-track WordCamps will return to their pre-pandemic scale without a steady pipeline of active local meetups. If grassroots attendance stays lower, WordCamps may need to shrink or be rethought. Hybrid and mixed-format events could help make larger gatherings attractive and accessible again.

The impact of AI and online tools

AI and aggregated online resources change how developers find answers, often reducing the visibility and attribution of people who used to help on forums. That can weaken one route to meeting others. Still, collaborative problem-solving—pairing, screen-sharing, and team interactions—remains valuable and isn’t easily replaced by AI.

Personal note and optimism

Returning to in-person meetups after years away was emotional for Simon: the atmosphere and familiar faces remained, even if numbers were smaller. He’s optimistic that the community endures in new forms and can be nudged back into more active local engagement. He’s re-energised to give talks again and reconnect with contacts.

Find Simon

Simon is reachable through Illustrate Digital (illustrate.digital) and on LinkedIn, and he welcomes suggestions about where people are currently gathering online.

Conclusion

WordPress meetups are adapting to a new normal. The core benefits—personal connection, welcoming culture, and collaborative problem-solving—still matter. Rebuilding in-person participation will take deliberate outreach, creativity in programming, social incentives, and a willingness to experiment with formats that blend the social, creative, and technical sides of the community.