Simon Pollard, a long-time WordPress developer based around Bristol, joined Nathan Wrigley on the Jukebox Podcast to talk about the state of local WordPress meetups and events after COVID, why many communities faded, and what might help rebuild them.
Background and the rise of Bristol Meetup
Simon described how he got started with WordPress professionally, moving through roles in Devon, Cheltenham, Cardiff and finally Bristol. Early on a small group met in a pub to chat about work and the idea of a Meetup grew from those informal gatherings. As the group organised—using a Trello board, getting advice from people like Jenny Wong, and securing official WordPress backing and sponsorship—the Meetup evolved into a regular, well-run event with catering and a bank account. At its peak in late 2019 and early 2020 the Bristol Meetup saw 30–40 attendees, monthly meetings, multiple organisers and a warm, welcoming atmosphere that made speakers and newcomers comfortable.
The COVID pause and personal changes
Like many communities, the Meetup stopped when the pandemic hit. The group didn’t immediately move to online events: organisers lacked appetite, equipment, or time, and the social element that made the meetings special didn’t translate well to video. For Simon personally, the pandemic period coincided with major life changes—having a baby and later joining Illustrate Digital—so his priorities shifted. He also found a new social outlet in music, joining a local band of developers and creatives, which filled some of the social gap that Meetups had provided.
Attempts to hand over and restart
Simon tried to pass leadership on to new organisers during the hiatus. A couple of people attempted to run the Meetup but didn’t sustain it, and activity dwindled. Eventually some original team members, including Janice and others, started reviving events. Simon attended a recent Meetup to reconnect—with smaller numbers but many familiar faces—and felt the warmth and welcoming vibe was still there despite reduced turnout.
The fractured online ecosystem
A major challenge Simon highlighted is the fragmentation of social platforms. Before COVID, Twitter and Facebook were useful places to announce events, recruit speakers and keep community ties strong. After the pandemic many people abandoned platforms like Twitter or moved to different apps, and there is no single “town square” replacement. That makes it harder to reconnect with the network of people who once kept the Meetup lively. Simon finds himself primarily on LinkedIn now, unsure where to reach old contacts or where newcomers are congregating.
Why in-person still matters
Both Nathan and Simon emphasised the irreplaceable value of face-to-face interactions. Meetups and WordCamps foster relationships, learning, and serendipitous collaboration. In-person events make it easy to welcome newcomers, match people with complementary skills, get unstuck on technical problems, and enjoy the informal debrief after talks—conversations that rarely happen naturally on calls or in AI-driven question flows. The friendly, non-competitive culture in WordPress events makes them especially effective for encouraging first-time speakers and cross-company collaboration.
New challenges: AI, attention, and changing habits
Two big societal shifts complicate rebuilding community. First, AI increasingly answers technical questions directly, reducing the need to ask human peers or search community forums. While AI can provide quick solutions, it doesn’t preserve attribution or build connections the way person-to-person exchanges do. Second, attention and leisure habits have changed: streaming services, short-form video platforms and platform-native content reduce incentives to build and host personal websites—historically a gateway into deeper technical curiosity. Younger people who grew up during the pandemic may never have experienced the drive to tinker that old web workflows created.
What could re-engage people?
Simon and Nathan explored practical ideas to revive attendance and widen appeal:
– Broader programming: Mix WordPress talks with related topics (animation, design, soft skills, creativity) that attract diverse interests and showcase transferable skills. Speakers who aren’t strictly WordPress developers can still draw people in and spark cross-pollination.
– Welcoming practice: Maintain host teams who greet newcomers, issue name badges, and actively connect attendees with peers who share roles or interests. That human touch encourages repeat visits.
– Social elements: Keep post-talk socials, developer days, and informal gatherings. These moments often motivate attendance as much as the talks themselves.
– Creative hybrids: Combine arts or music with tech—small concerts, screenings, or live creative demos—to make events feel like compelling outings rather than just another lecture.
– Scale expectations: Recognise that Meetups and WordCamps may run smaller for now. WordCamps might need to be more modest (single-track or condensed) in some regions while still delivering value.
– Purposeful outreach: Use platforms where locals and past attendees actually are (LinkedIn, community Slack groups, email lists) and rebuild contact lists deliberately rather than relying on a single social feed.
Examples and opportunities
Simon recalled non-WordPress speakers (like creatives from Aardman and others) who delivered energetic, cross-disciplinary talks that were very well received. He also noted how local networks—many WordPress folks also play in bands or have side creative projects—present opportunities to blend community interests in fresh ways. Small, achievable aims (like one-off gigs in a pub after a Meetup) could be a way back into regular attendance.
Where Simon is now
Simon works at Illustrate Digital and is reachable via LinkedIn. He’s actively reconnecting with peers, exploring ways to bring people back together, and open to ideas about platforms or formats that could help re-knit the community.
Conclusion
WordPress meetups and events experienced a significant disruption during COVID. While much community energy and the “town square” effect have fractured, the core value of in-person connection—warmth, mentorship, serendipitous collaboration—remains. Rebuilding will likely be gradual, experimental and local: blending inclusive content, welcoming practices, social elements, and creative crossovers may help draw people back and introduce new attendees to the benefits of being part of the WordPress community.