What to expect at WordCamp Toronto 2018

WordCamp Toronto is an annual, volunteer-run conference for all things WordPress.

Hosted by members of our local WordPress meetup group, it brings together WordPress users of all skill levels and experiences from around the Toronto area (and further away, too).

What’s WordPress?

WordPress is free software for building websites.

It’s more powerful than a site builder service, but easier than writing code. You use themes to customize the site’s appearance, and plugins to add new features and functionality.

WordPress is built, managed, and supported by a global community of contributors. The community gets together at local gatherings called WordCamps. Ours is just one of hundreds taking place around the world each year.

Why should you attend?

New to WordPress? You’ll love WordCamp Toronto! It’s a great learning experience for first-time WordPress users. You can’t beat the value — it’s only $25 FREE for a full day of peer education, sharing, and support.

Already a WordPress user? This is a great chance to build your knowledge even further, and connect with other WordPress experts from the community.

Selling WordPress products or services? WordCamp Toronto is an opportunity to find new customers (or hires, or partners!) by sponsoring and attending.

Here’s what you can expect this year:

WordPress 5.0 and Gutenberg

This year we’re focusing on Gutenberg, the new post and page editor that’s bundled with WordPress 5.0.

This release marks a big change for WordPress, so we’re preparing sessions for both users and developers.

Sessions will cover topics like:

  • Preparing for Gutenberg
  • How to build your first custom Gutenberg block
  • How plugins are adapting to Gutenberg
  • What Gutenberg means for the future of WordPress

We’ll also cover other essential topics like:

  • Migrating from an HTML website to WordPress
  • Using CSS Grid
  • Building accessible websites
  • Copywriting for the web
  • Using WordPress as part of a digital marketing platform

…and more.

Note: Specific sessions are subject to change as we confirm speakers. Subscribe for email updates, and keep tabs on our Twitter profile and Facebook page as we publish speaker announcements in the coming weeks.

New venue, new voices

We’re focusing heavily on forging new connections in the community, and giving an opportunity for new voices to be heard from around the GTA.

To that end,  WordCamp Toronto 2018 is a smaller, more intimate event than in previous years.

We’ve moved uptown to the North York Civic Centre at Mel Lastman Square. We hope that the new location will be more accessible to our neighbours who are driving in from the suburbs, while still being accessible for people taking public transit.

Related: Accessibility information about NYCC

Coming in from out of town?

If you’re coming in from out of town, why not make the most of your time here? Attending WordCamp Toronto is a great excuse for checking out our city!

The venue is located directly on the Yonge subway line. Pick up a public transit day pass and you can quickly shuttle yourself around the city via the subway.

(We’ll have some local tips to share soon!)

Help us make WordCamp Toronto 2018 a success.

We need your help to make this event a great one.

Here’s the deal: We weren’t sure that WordCamp Toronto 2018 would even happen this year. Our team didn’t come together until very late in the summer, and we’re running on a super-tight deadline.

We’re a month away from the event. During a typical year our speakers would all be announced by now and tickets would nearly be sold out.

But this isn’t a typical year. We need your help spreading the word.

If you’re on Facebook, RSVP for the event and share it with your friends.

If you’re on Twitter, let others know that you’re attending and tag your posts with #WCYYZ. (We’ll retweet you!)

If you’d like to get more involved, we’re still accepting volunteers – you can find all the information on our Volunteers page.

And last but not least: Don’t forget to grab your ticket!