WordCamp US 2024: A Celebration of Community, Diversity and Creativity

October 3, 2024

Razorfrog’s team met in Portland this past September to attend the long awaited WordCamp US 2024 conference hosted at the Oregon Convention Center. It has been nine years since we’ve attended WCUS — the last event being WordCamp US 2015 in Philadelphia — largely due to the global pandemic, our remote work situations and changes within our personal lives. Assembling together was a major accomplishment!

WordCamp US 2024 Portland Oregon state logo surrounded by cartoon illustrations of camping gear and nature-theme elements. Predominant colors are red orange, gray, teal and dark green.

Thankfully California’s warm sunshine followed Max and Vinícius north while traveling to Oregon. The three of us were fortunate to enjoy three and half beautiful summer-esque days, despite the rain season’s early arrival within the Pacific Northwest. No need for raincoats this trip, but we were ready for it just in case.

Opportunities for learning and growth

WCUS’ diverse community of speakers presented on a variety of topics that helped to expand upon our knowledge of privacy by design, customer success, brand growth/protection, sustainability, scaling, leveraging AI and enhancing accessibility.

We attended 16 talks across two days at the convention. The takeaways gathered by our team have provided invaluable insights for refining our web development processes and improving upon our dedicated services and support.

Aerial view of the Oregon Convention Center. The structure has a distinctive spire and solar panels on its curved roof. Surrounding the structure are roads, trees, and other buildings under a partly cloudy sky.
Aerial view of a cityscape featuring the Moda Center, a large modern arena with a white curved roof. The arena is surrounded by trees, roads, and buildings, with a river and bridge in the background under a clear blue sky.
Four 3D printed poker chips are lined up on a gray surface. Each chip has a frog silhouette in the center. The chips are in various colors: green, blue, and black, with distinct patterns around the edges.
The Razorfrog Team (Vinícius, Max and Scott) standing in front of the WordCamp US 2024 backdrop. It is patterned with the conference logo and cartoon illustrations of camping gear and nature-theme elements.
Plates of doughnuts with white icing and black and blue letters are displayed on a table. Behind them are stacks of pink boxes labeled
A paper with a typed poem hangs on a string. The poem speaks about breaking free from technology to achieve connection, diversity, and unity. It emphasizes the power of creating the future.
WordCamp's community painting rests on two easels. The canvas depicts a forest scene with tall trees and dense foliage, surrounded by actual potted plants. A green curtain hangs in the background.
A large number of conference attendees gather in the Oregon Convention Center's spacious lobby, posing for a group photo. The crowd is diverse, with various ages and styles of dress. Some are seated on couches while most are standing.

WordCamp US 2024 team highlights

From Max

I had a great time at WordCamp USA 2024 in Portland with the Razorfrog team. We made a big splash right off the bat with our 3D-printed Razorfrog poker chips as business cards – It started a few conversations about 3D printing and the possibilities it holds for our businesses. It’s always nice when you can combine creativity with technology.

I had the pleasure of meeting some fantastic people in person: Patrick from GridPane, and Hans and Donata from Termageddon were all great to connect with. One of my standout moments was the NASA talk, WP-Admin as Mission Control by Gary Kovar. It was truly mind-blowing to hear about the work they did to build the NASA.gov site and its backend. It was a masterclass in both technical complexity and ingenuity, and I was in awe of their approach.

Another session that really stood out for me was Donata Stroink-Skillrud’s talk on Building WordPress Websites with ‘Privacy by Design’ in Mind. As privacy becomes an ever more important topic, the tips and strategies Donata shared were not only incredibly useful but also aligned perfectly with the direction we’re moving with our own projects. I walked away with a ton of ideas on how to better incorporate privacy practices into the websites we create.

And then there was Brian Rotsztein’s talk on Innovative Pricing Strategies to Grow Your WordPress Business. Brian offered some great insights, and there are definitely a few strategies I plan to incorporate into our business. His approach to pricing and scaling was practical, and I can already see how it could help us grow while offering more value to our clients.

Overall, the conference was a wealth of knowledge, and I’m leaving with fresh ideas and a renewed sense of excitement about the work we do. It was also just great to connect with like-minded people who share a passion for WordPress, innovation, and growing their businesses. Can’t wait to see how we can implement everything we learned into our work going forward!

From Scott

The Oregon Convention Center is a stellar venue. The organizers, volunteers, sponsors and caterers went above and beyond to provide an inclusive and welcoming experience for first-time and repeat Wordcampers. Huge props goes to Automattic’s talented branding team for hitting it out of the park with their WCUS 2024 logo design and whimsical outdoorsy illustrations. These visual elements captured the heart of the Pacific Northwest and helped to make the environment come alive.

From the talks I attended, I really enjoyed Neil Peretz’s presentation How To Grow And Protect Your Brand. He effortlessly walked through the processes involved with registering trademarks and avoiding legal conflicts. Karena Kreger and Gina Deaton’s Scaling Your Agency: Lessons Learned The Hard Way offered indispensable suggestions for staying organized, maintaining forward momentum and celebrating teams. Lastly, Enhancing WordPress Accessibility: Tools, Techniques, and Real-World Situations by Jennifer Dust and Eli Frigoli provided a trove of resources for strengthening accessibility workflows and offerings.

Something particularly memorable for me was the mystique of the Typewriter Troubadour’s wall of poems. He playfully captured the essence of the WordPress community’s aspirations in short, positive musings. This reminded me that words are powerful avenues for change, regardless of their ephemeral nature. The wisdom he stoically wrote will continue to resonate well into the future.

Being in the presence of so many kind-hearted and knowledgeable people was inspiring and humbling. I’m grateful for my team’s willingness to travel and share this special experience in person together — a rare treasure in itself.

From Vinícius

This was my first time attending WordCamp, and it felt like a long time coming! The entire conference was exceptionally well-planned, running smoothly from start to finish. The environment was both welcoming and inclusive, which made a huge difference in setting the tone for learning and connection. I appreciated the variety of talks offered, covering everything from the human side of business to technical backend topics. Notably, sessions like Empowering Black-Owned Businesses: The iOne Digital Story, Over the Rainbow: Talking About Inclusivity for the LGBTQ+ Community in WordPress, and Learning WordPress as a Neurodivergent Person reflected a genuine commitment to inclusivity.

Two talks that particularly stood out were Building WordPress Websites with ‘Privacy by Design’ in Mind by Donata Stroink-Skillrud and Leveraging AI to Accelerate Your Digital Workflow by Robbie Adair. While their topics covered different areas, both presenters provided fresh insights into challenges we regularly face. Donata’s session highlighted privacy considerations that may seem straightforward but are often overlooked, prompting me to re-evaluate how we approach data protection in our projects. Robbie’s talk introduced new AI tools and techniques that could significantly streamline our workflow, some of which I hadn’t considered before. Both speakers were clearly passionate about their topics, making the sessions engaging and memorable.

It was also inspiring to see how the pandemic spurred innovation, pushing teams to develop creative solutions to new challenges that have since evolved into long-lasting improvements. For instance, the Georgia Department of Education showcased their work creating WordPress sites that now serve as permanent resources for students and staff. What began as a pandemic response has grown into a system with state-approved recipes for cafeteria staff, continuing education resources for educators, and other practical tools—solutions with impact well beyond the physical borders of Georgia and the immediate needs of the pandemic.

On a personal level, it was refreshing to experience a slice of the WordPress community in person. Being reminded that this is a real, tangible community—not just faces on a screen—was incredibly grounding. It was especially great to spend time with Max and Scott, something we rarely get to do. Altogether, it was a fantastic experience that I’m deeply grateful to have been part of.

Post-conference celebration

The WCUS afterparty, hosted at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), was a great way to wrap up a very busy few days. At twilight we took a spontaneous tour of the USS Blueback, the U.S. Navy’s last active duty diesel-electric submarine, stationed right outside in the Willamette River.

The majority of the museum’s exhibits were open and provided space for curious discovery. We enjoyed experimenting with physics, light, mirrors and sounds. A wonderful night was had by all.

A dock at twilight with a view of a bridge spanning a calm river. Soft lighting creates reflections on the water, and city buildings are silhouetted against the sky. A few people are walking towards a docked submarine.
The USS Blueback submarine is docked with a twilight sky behind. The vessel's conning tower and periscopes are visible against a darkening sky, with faint lights in the background. A fence and signage are in the foreground.
Max sitting in the dimly lit cockpit holding the steering wheel, surrounded by various control panels and gauges with red lighting.
A colorful interactive exhibit at OMSI featuring a complex network of clear tubes, set within a vibrant, artistic backdrop. Balls can travel through the tubes, creating dynamic movement and engaging visual elements.
Vinícius and Max inside of a chamber filled with mirrors, creating multiple reflections in all directions. The space is illuminated with vibrant blue and pink lights.
Vinícius, Scott and Max smile in front of a large neon red

Exploring PDX’s creative offerings

Off the clock excursions

Our downtime together provided a variety of chances to reconnect in person while exploring a few of Portland’s celebrated cultural institutions. We dropped by Ground Kontrol for some classic arcade bliss and wandered through Hopscotch PDX’s immersive art installations including the quantum trampoline, light-emitting diodes, kaleidoscopic mandalas and giant rainbow ball pit. It was a unique experience that channeled the inner child within each of us.

The Razorfrog team smiling in a neon-lit room with blue lighting. The setting includes modern decor and geometric lighting patterns on the ceiling and walls.
A vibrant mural with abstract shapes, bold lines, and rainbow colors. Features include eyes, overlapping rainbow-colored human profiles, and connected circles with flowing lines, creating a visually dynamic composition on the wall.
Max and Vinícius in a dark room illuminated by vibrant, swirling patterns of pink, blue, and orange light on the walls and floor, creating an immersive, digital art experience.
A mesmerizing installation of hanging, multicolored LED orbs, creating a dazzling pattern of lights in hues of pink, purple, blue, and orange. The lights appear to extend infinitely, giving an immersive, otherworldly ambiance.
A circular kaleidoscope pattern with vibrant colors, including green, yellow, orange, and purple, forming intricate symmetrical designs against a black background, creating a visually mesmerizing effect.
A dimly lit room with people exploring a wide ball pit filled with glowing pink and purple balls. A neon sign on the back wall reads EXPERIENCES > THINGS. The atmosphere is futuristic and immersive.
Vinícius, Max and Scott immersed in a glowing blue ball pit, smiling and enjoying the experience. The lighting gives the scene a surreal and playful atmosphere.
A wall display featuring a Pac-Man-themed design, where donuts are creatively placed to resemble game elements such as ghosts and Pac-Man himself. The background mimics the classic game's maze with paths and dots.
A modern lounge with vibrant pink and blue lighting. It features a sleek black sofa, a coffee table, two unique hand-shaped chairs, and potted plants, creating an atmospheric and stylish setting.

Delightful bites and sips

No visit to Portland would be complete without exploring the city’s vibrant food scene, craft breweries and cocktail bars. We fortuitously stumbled upon Max’s favorite pumpkin beer at Rogue Brewery and traveled back to 1920 with prohibition-era cocktails at Bible Club PDX. Eem Thai’s masterfully spiced BBQ dishes and daftly-named drinks were well worth the wait. Wu-Rons ramen and Pine State Biscuits rounded out the rest of our culinary adventures.

Rogue Brewery's wall showcasing different beer options on clipboards. Below the signs is a row of beer taps labeled with the brewery's logo, along with small plants and bottles of spirits decorating the counter.
A glass of amber-colored pumpkin beer from Rogue Brewery sits on a wooden table with Max in the background.
A creative cocktail presentation in a black, spiky pufferfish mug at Eem Thai, garnished with green leaves, purple flowers, and lemon slices. The drink rests on a wooden bar counter, with a blurred background of a bar and two people.
A light blue lollipop holder topped with a smiling bear head sits on a table at Wu-Rons ramen restaurant with a variety of colorfully wrapped suckers sticking out. A small label on top reads THANKS YOU.
Bible Club's cozy prohibition-era bar interior with a vintage vibe featuring a counter lined with various bottles of spirits. A sign that reads
Max, Scott, Lindsey and Vinícius smiling at the camera while standing outside of Pine State Biscuits. Scott is holding Mabel, a tan and white dog with a green harness and purple leash. There are buildings, trees and vehicles visible in the background.

Gratitude for the good times shared

Overall our WCUS experience was a positive time full of unique surprises. We’re grateful to have had this opportunity to come together as a team, learn a slew of best practices and form new memories in the post-pandemic era.

It was a real pleasure to meet and connect with other attendees, organizers, speakers and sponsors at the conference and step outside of our screens and comfort zones for awhile. The energy, support and compassion within the WordPress community is a joy to experience and to be a part of. Authentic human interactions really do make all the difference… we’ve missed them!

WordCamp US will be returning to Portland again in late August 2025. We hope to see you there.

Scott is Razorfrog's Lead Designer. He is a passionate web designer, graphic designer, brand specialist, accessibility expert and content creator. View Scott's bio for more info.

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