WordCamps are my source of energy, a space for connection, learning, exploration, and the joy of being part of a community. Every year brings something different: new roles to try and unforgettable experiences to remember.
For the first time, I stepped into the role of a backup speaker and joined Contributor Day — and I truly enjoyed connecting with people and getting inspired by their stories. I have decided to stop focusing on networking and simply be present, fully enjoying the experience.
Last year, at WCEU Turin I (officially) started my journey into accessibility. I found guidance in workshops, meetings, and talks. Since then, I’ve learned a lot and have been trying to find my niche and my path. At this WordCamp, I found confirmation of the value I can bring to accessibility—based on my expertise and my values.
Wandering on Basel streets
WordCamp Europe wouldn’t be complete without spending at least a few hours exploring the streets of Basel. While waiting for the check-in at the hotel, I wandered through the city with no plan — just enjoying a peaceful sunny day. I loved discovering the old streets and buildings, and walking along the Rhine.
“You are never alone in the WordPress community!”
Every time I go to a WordCamp, I have the same fear: being a lonely freelancer in a big crowd. It’s not so easy to find relevant connections, or to join a group where everyone seems to know each other.
One day, at one of the events I attended, Wendie told me: “You are never alone in the WordPress community” and this mantra has stayed with me since then.
This year was different.
- Maybe because there were fewer attendees, and we saw each other again and again — from Contributor Day to the After Party. There were many chances to go from small talk to real connection.
- Maybe because I’ve started to recognize more people, after joining several WordPress events in the past years (WordCamps Europe, the Netherlands, and Romania, Cloudfest Hackathon in Germany).
- Maybe also because the venue helped. It offered plenty of quiet spaces to unwind or have deep conversations — or, if you wanted, to be fully in the crowd in the busy Sponsor Area.
- Maybe simply because this time, I was open to connection — without expectations.
From the moment Anna sat next to me on the plane to Basel — totally by chance — to the 5:30 am Basel tram ride to the airport with a group of Romanian WordCampers I met for the first time, I was never alone. There was always someone to talk to, to share a moment with, to listen to a story, or just to be around. I chose to be alone only when I needed time to recharge.
First time at Contributor Day
I never found my place on Contributor Day until this year. I’m a little embarrassed to admit it: I’ve been working with WordPress for 9 years and had no idea there were so many ways to contribute, not just development, design and community! Never is too late: I learned that there are around 30 different contributor teams!
I really enjoyed working in the Accessibility Team. I worked on testing a new WordPress theme using the Accessibility Requirements List for accessibility-ready themes. It’s very detailed, and the testing process was quite challenging. It was a valuable learning experience, not just checking a list, but to have the opportunity to ask questions, gain insights and understand how to approach ambiguous cases. As a freelance web designer, I rarely get this type of collaborative feedback, and this interaction was pure gold. I’m especially thankful to Amber Hinds and Joe Dolson for their support and guidance throughout the day.
I’m looking forward to continuing to contribute to testing themes with the WordPress Accessibility Team!
The backup speaker role
This year, I was selected as a backup speaker at WordCamp Europe with my talk “How to Start Building Accessible Websites: A Practical Workflow Based on a Case Study.”
That was the reason I decided to attend WordCamp Europe Basel. Otherwise — like many others — I might have said, “It’s too expensive. It’s not worth it.”
But what does it mean to be a backup speaker? It means you prepare like a regular speaker, but only present if someone else can’t. You stay ready, just in case. That means a lot of uncertainty.
I’m not an experienced public speaker, on the contrary. I avoided speaking as much as I could over the years. But I decided to change that and accepted this opportunity. And it was a huge step forward. I prepared my talk with an actor friend who had experience in WordPress, and practised with him on a small stage. These sessions helped me clarify my ideas and feel more confident in public speaking
Dealing with uncertainty at the event was a bit stressful. But this role also helped me start to familiarise my mind with this new role, to step up and to be seen. Wearing the “Speaker” badge was a great conversation starter with new people, and gave me visibility. I didn’t get the chance to present the talk, but a few speaking opportunities came up, just because the talk was already prepared.
Meetings, discussions, inspirations
I don’t like scheduling meetings in advance. That’s because I usually feel lost with time during WordCamps — new time zones, new people, new environments. I prefer to see what life offers. I stay present, enjoy every moment, and stay open to connections. I usually have a goal in mind, and I look for moments where the opportunities show up naturally.
Here are a few conversations that came quickly to my mind, and I can share in more detail:
- I first met K two years ago at WordCamp Netherlands. At this WCEU, we sat together by chance at an empty lunch table and she told me: “Our discussion 2 years ago inspired me to choose a new direction in my career. I’m so excited about how my business has grown since then.” Isn’t it amazing to hear that your experience helped someone else?
- I met Rachelle, a Twitter friend, in person for the first time. What a special moment! Meeting someone in real life after only knowing them from a few tweets, feels like discovering a new layer of reality and a new relationship! I was so happy to meet another freelancer doing similar work. We didn’t have enough time to talk, but it was a great start, and I hope we’ll meet again next WCEU.
- Ryanne and Elvire, my Accessibility friends. Each time we meet at WordCamp, we share our progress and challenges and encourage each other. That’s so inspiring and helpful!
- The discussion with Joe, about how to position my services and my expertise was eye-opening. It helped me to understand that I am on the right path – I just need to keep going and be more visible.
- Rien Rietvelt shared valuable feedback and advice about the talk I prepared and how to improve it, and how to turn stage fear into excitement.
The event was filled with valuable discussions, insights, opportunities and experiences — with both new people and familiar WordCamp friends: Hazel and Rachel, Mark and Tomasz (Greyd), Alexandra Bădiță, Marius, Tibi, the ShortPixel team, Stefano, Martin, Lukas, Amber & Chris Hinds, Stefana, Javi, Marco, Ross, Michelle, Andrei, Birgit. Each one offered a new perspective and added something meaningful to my experience.
Presentations:
I attended just the presentations about Accessibility, with a clear goal in mind: to observe the speaker’s role, to get used to the idea of being on stage, to imagine in my mind — how would it feel to be there? Hey, body, can we team up for the next WordCamp?
Just a few ideas I took:
Jeff Chi: Accessibility in Reality: Pro Helvetia, a Swiss case study
This fear of doing accessibility perfectly stops you from starting with small improvements that already would be way better than doing nothing. You should forget these useless fears, because every decision that makes a website more accessible is already a real improvement for the real people.
Making a website accessible in 2025 is, for me, the same as making it responsive. Accessibility is not an extra feature. Accessibility should be one of the website’s basic functionalities
Watching a few more recorded presentations is on my list.
Sponsor booths:
For me, this area was too noisy to stay for long. But it was a great place to meet people, so I spent a few minutes there, visiting and learning new things about new and familiar WP brands:
Web Change Detector, Cookieles Analytics, Real Cookie Banner, Stelar WP, TranslatePress
New hosting company: Spaceship, Seravo
The budget: Was WordCamp Europe in Basel more expensive than in Turin?
Basel:
- Hotel near the venue (one room, 4 nights): €560
- Plane ticket: €210
- Transportation: Free (Basel Card)
- Food & small souvenirs: €150
- Total: 920 Eur
Turin:
- Airbnb (one room in a shared apartment near the venue, 4 nights): €346
- Plane ticket: €210
- Transportation: €30 pass + €50 taxi
- Food, souvenirs, clothes: €200
- Total: 836 Eur
Yes, Basel was a bit more expensive—but not much when it comes to basic costs. And honestly, this is a once-a-year event, not a weekly or monthly expense. It’s an investment in myself and my business, and I learned a lot from it.
Be careful with crows! A funny and scary story
The weirdest experience I’ve ever had: Three crows jumped and hit my head — right near the venue!
It happened after the Contributor Day. I was happy and excited, walking by a bush. I didn’t know a baby crow had fallen there. I think I scared the parent crows with my big backpack, and they attacked me. A person walking nearby helped me.
The weirdest part? They recognised me later! On my way to the Social Event, I passed the same spot — and they attacked me again! I learned I can shoo them away by clapping or by using my umbrella.
I would swear it was just a nightmare, but the bump on my head was real!
Conclusions
Overall, WordCamp Europe Basel was an empowering and transformative experience! A big thank you to the organisers, volunteers and sponsors for making this event possible! I’m grateful to everyone I met, talked with, and connected to.
I’ll keep this good energy for the dry days that may come — and I’m already looking forward to the next WordCamp and a new Contributor Day!
