Cate DeRosia 8:10 pm on November 29, 2023
Tags: discussion ( 10 ), events ( 29 ), sponsorship ( 22 ), WordCamps ( 240 )

Should We Allow Sponsor Demo Rooms or Tracks at Events?

The discussion at WCUSWCUS WordCamp US. The US flagship WordCamp event. contributor dayContributor Day Contributor Days are standalone days, frequently held before or after WordCamps but they can also happen at any time. They are events where people get together to work on various areas of https://make.wordpress.org/ There are many teams that people can participate in, each with a different focus. https://2017.us.wordcamp.org/contributor-day/ https://make.wordpress.org/support/handbook/getting-started/getting-started-at-a-contributor-day/. sparked conversation around new opportunities events could possibly offer to sponsors. One of them was a place to better explain or showcase their products.

Today, a WordCampWordCamp WordCamps are casual, locally-organized conferences covering everything related to WordPress. They're one of the places where the WordPress community comes together to teach one another what they’ve learned throughout the year and share the joy. Learn more. proposed this idea in the form of a Sponsor Demo room or track.

In short, sponsors would be given the option to present information of their choosing in the Sponsor Demo room or track. The event would be responsible for highlighting to attendees that this is sponsor-driven content that could include sales pitches.

What do we think of this idea?

If we like the idea, here are a few questions that quickly come to mind.

How would an event offer it to sponsors?
- Could it be a stand alone option?
- Would it need to be part of a package?
- Could it be an add on to a package?
Should we call it a track or a room to differentiate it from the Speaker Track?

Please leave any additional questions below as well as any feedback or comments.

#discussion, #events-2, #sponsorship, #wordcamps

Néstor Brito 8:42 pm on November 29, 2023

Hi, I’ll point out my toughs about this:

How would an event offer it to sponsors?

I think that could be in a first stage as an standalone option, to see if this is effective and if it’s well received from the sponsors. Also, with the late feedback from them maybe the community could think about to move on and include it as a part of a package or another formula.

Should we call it a track or a room to differentiate it from the Speaker Track?

I would call it Room, to make a clear difference from the Speaker Track.

This is my drop of sand here. I hope it helps.
Regards.
Pablo Moratinos 6:11 am on November 30, 2023

In my opinion it is a mistake to sell conference space at a WordCampWordCamp WordCamps are casual, locally-organized conferences covering everything related to WordPress. They're one of the places where the WordPress community comes together to teach one another what they’ve learned throughout the year and share the joy. Learn more.. Many brands already promote the proposal of talks among their employees. Now those brands could focus on that new track with very different conditions.

Furthermore, it would be a track that would compete with tracks where there is no commercial focus, a space that the speakers have earned for the quality of their proposal and not for paying a slot.

I think that two conference divisions are established with different rules, one less restrictive available to those who can pay for it. I think it is not fair and is not aligned with the spirit of WordCamp.

It would also be necessary to think about whether this type of service would be offered as a plus to the usual sponsor packages or as a unique option.

In any case, if this proposal were to go ahead, I would try to ensure that the commercial talks took place at times that did not coincide with the regular talks.
Juan Hernando 7:10 am on November 30, 2023

One important thing first, if we decide to go ahead with this and experiment with it at a WordCampWordCamp WordCamps are casual, locally-organized conferences covering everything related to WordPress. They're one of the places where the WordPress community comes together to teach one another what they’ve learned throughout the year and share the joy. Learn more., it should be made clear that it is that WordCamp thing and not a new standard for all events. The last thing we want is for sponsors to demand “their talk” or “their space” from organisers because it won’t always be feasible.

Like Pablo, I would not want a track or space of paid content to take away audience from the speakers who should be the focus of the events (at least of the WordCamps as they are designed now).

Perhaps one or two short slots could be created in the schedule where several sponsors would present their products at the same time. But this would probably require smaller spaces, not a large auditorium. Or maybe it could even be done in the expo area (although there would probably be sound/voice problems).

I’m sure there will be good ideas here, but we do need to ensure that the spirit of the event is not lost, that no attendee feels that they have gone to be sold anything without knowing it, and that no one abuses the good faith of the organisers: I imagine that if this door is opened the next thing will be to give away products or discounts for attending their talks and not those of competitors, try to make aggressive comparisons in their sales pitch, get speakers or brand ambassadors inviting from the main stage to attend their paid talks…

I’ll probably come up with more “bad stuff ” soon. Anyway, to answer your questions, Cate, I would offer it either as an add-on to the top sponsorship packages, or if I really wanted to encourage everyone to have their chance, a separate package for smaller or local sponsors to have their moment of exposure. It depends a lot on the space and schedule of each event.
Isotta 10:20 am on November 30, 2023

I like the idea of allowing sponsors to give demos, I believe it would be very interesting for attendees as well to learn more about specific products and even discover some products they can be useful for them. I agree that we could start with a one time experiment, and see how it goes, and then keep experimenting until we are able to create guidelines, because we would definitely need guidelines to ensure that the spirit of the event is not compromized.

I wouldn’t want to see these rooms and tracks compete with the talks.

Could it be an add on to a package?
I like this option.

Should we call it a track or a room to differentiate it from the Speaker Track?
I don’t have a strong opinion about it, as a non native English speaker, for me track is always a very hard term to use. In my mind, when it comes to a WC, track and rooms represent the same thing: a space where someone gives a talk or lead an activity.
Ana Cirujano 12:13 pm on November 30, 2023

I align myself with Pablo Moratinos’s concerns regarding selling conference space at WordCamps.

The coreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. question we should address is: What problem is this proposal trying to solve? If it’s about sponsors feeling they lack visibility, it’s essential to recognize that sponsors already have a direct, face-to-face opportunity to showcase their products or services at their stands during events. Personalized interactions and addressing commercial inquiries happen there.

As someone involved in organizing MeetupsMeetup Meetup groups are locally-organized groups that get together for face-to-face events on a regular basis (commonly once a month). Learn more about Meetups in our Meetup Organizer Handbook. and WordCamps and serving as a brand ambassador for a regular sponsor, I’ve found that sponsors often participate to contribute to the sustainability of the WordPress project. Their primary motivation isn’t necessarily demonstrating products or services but giving back to the community.

Moreover, we should consider the impact on the overall attendee experience. Maintaining a focus on non-commercial content during the main talks ensures participants derive maximum educational value from WordCamps.

If a sponsor has explicitly requested a space to demonstrate their products or services, and we choose to accommodate that, I suggest it should be within their designated stand area. Additionally, scheduling such activities should be done in a way that doesn’t conflict with the main content of the WordCampWordCamp WordCamps are casual, locally-organized conferences covering everything related to WordPress. They're one of the places where the WordPress community comes together to teach one another what they’ve learned throughout the year and share the joy. Learn more., respecting the core spirit of the event.

Preserving the community spirit of these events is crucial. Any changes should benefit the community as a whole rather than specific commercial interests.

Logistically, scheduling commercial demonstrations within the sponsor area would avoid conflicts with the main event content. This addresses concerns about potential disruptions and maintains a cohesive event structure.

Let’s ensure that any changes we consider align with the community-driven and collaborative ethos that defines WordPress events.
- Adam W. Warner 3:26 pm on November 30, 2023
  
  Disclaimer: I’ve been working sponsor booths since 2016, but a WordPress user and community member since 2005.
  I’ve long been an advocate of sponsors being highlighted to all attendees at WCs but I’m not a fan of a dedicated track or room for demos for several of the reasons in the above comments, most of which is that they would compete with the regular sessions which are meant for learning, not pitching products/solutions.
  
  What I would like to see is dedicated time for sponsors at opening and closing remarks. In my view, this is not only good for sponsors but also for event organizers in incentivizing attendees to stay for the entire event.
  
  Example:
  Opening remarks –
  Based on sponsor level, each sponsor would have X number of minutes on stage to showcase who they are, what they offer, what they do for the WP project and community, and invite attendees to visit their booths to learn more. Top level sponsors would have no more than 5 minutes, and down from there…4 mins, 3 mins, etc. (or similar).
  
  Closing remarks –
  Sponsors often run giveaways at events and the hurdle we face comes in choosing a time to do the drawing. We usually choose an afternoon break on day two but even then attendees find it difficult to remember to show up, and even more difficult when trying to attend giveaways from multiple sponsors. Not to mention them having to choose between getting to the next session or heading to the sponsor area.
  
  In my view, it would be ideal to dedicate time for giveaways at closing remarks for all sponsors. This has proven to be valuable to both sponsors, attendees, and organizers in the past at WordCamps like Miami and Phoenix.
  
  Dedicated sponsor time at opening and closing remarks seems like an easy win for everyone.
  - Jen Swisher 6:23 pm on November 30, 2023
    
    Long time WordCampWordCamp WordCamps are casual, locally-organized conferences covering everything related to WordPress. They're one of the places where the WordPress community comes together to teach one another what they’ve learned throughout the year and share the joy. Learn more. organizer, and I like this concept and would like to build upon it:
    
    Something I saw at SXSW a few years ago was a time at the end of a session that was for startups to pitch their idea as a way to create connections with attendees interested in learning more.
    
    Similar to this, what if we built in a few minutes at the end of each session (outside of transition time to the next session) to share about their product? Sponsors could then take those conversations out into the hallway, back to the sponsor hall, etc.
    
    It could be offered as an add-on, or as part of a sponsorship package.
    
    Package Example: Top-level sponsors get X sponsor feature spots. Track and timing is at the discretion of the organizing team.
    
    Add-on Example: You can purchase a sponsor feature spot for $X. Track and timing is at the discretion of the organizing team. We have Y spots available.
  - Robey Lawrence 1:41 pm on December 2, 2023
    
    I like the idea of a ‘Speedy Sponsor Carousel’ during opening remarks. Where 1 person from each sponsor has 30 seconds to run on stage and say something about their product and then hand over to the next person.
    
    Just enough of a teaser to entice people to visit their booth between sessions, but not enough time for a full on pitch. 🙂
mdburnette 3:58 pm on November 30, 2023

From both a sponsor and community member perspective, I’ll jump in with a few thoughts as well.

I largely echo the sentiment of the comments above in saying that this solution is not the ideal solution. It’s unlikely that this separate room/track would garner much attendance, knowing that the goal is to pitch/sell alongside a demo. This would interest some folks, but not most. I also agree that this space basically already exists in the form of booths within the expo area, though I’ll admit it can be tough to cut through the crowd noise to really demonstrate something.

I do think that the proposal Adam Warner shared to have dedicated time at opening/closing remarks is a great idea and I might even extend that to include sponsor lightning talks throughout the main tracks. Again, attendance may be minimal, but they’re happening in the rooms that the main sessions are happening — and more importantly not competing with the main speaker sessions for attention. (Recurring Revenue Retreat does this very well, though it is a smaller, more intimate one-track business event.)

Where I disagree with folks above is this need to separate the business side of WordPress from WordCamps. People say they “don’t want to be sold to at an event they paid for”, but let’s remember that the ticket prices are so low because of sponsorships. Other “conferences” are much more expensive, in general. If it costs $100 to have an attendee at an event and the ticket price is $50 because sponsors are covering the other costs, why shouldn’t the attendee be asked for a few minutes to hear about something they probably would benefit from anyway?

And the reality is that all sponsors – regardless of size – have had to decide how much to invest in WordCamps in 2023 and are looking to 2024 now. Of course we/they all want to give as much as we possibly can to support and contribute to the project. Every sponsor from community level up to gold wants to give everything they can. However, without some level of return, that money will run out. It’s impractical to think that sponsors can continue to support at the highest levels forever without some financial benefit. Yes, there are booths in the sponsor area, but those can be easy to ignore if not placed prominently.

Sponsors need ways to support their businesses so that they can sustain contribution back to the project/community. It’s a cycle that must flow both ways — especially when we want to have the money to fund contributions, provide opportunities for underrepresented folks, pay speakers/organizers, and keep ticket prices low.
- Raquel 8:02 pm on December 5, 2023
  
  I must ++++ Marcus here.
  
  As a long-time organizer of local and regional/flagship WordCamps, I know all too well the bulk of the financial burden is carried by our sponsors.
  The attendee ticket price is almost nothing in comparison. And, if an attendee is receiving lunch/day and an after party, there’s a monetary value gain.
  
  Having said the above, I’m not a fan of a separate sponsor room and have loved the idea that Adam mentioned. We’ve (wcphx) implemented “Sponsor Highlights” during the opening/closing remarks of our local events for several iterations now and it’s been very successful (as Adam would know).
  Furthermore, we’ve been huge on creating our Sponsor Hall to be the epicenter/Hallway Track of our events because our sponsors deserve foot traffic. We make coffee/snacks close by and make it so an attendee has to pass through the sponsor area to get to a sesh etc.
  
  Attendees are receiving an incredible amount of value mostly provided by the financial help from sponsors and countless volunteer hours by organizers. Doing more to make sure we’re providing the best ROI we can is of the utmost importance. For this reason, I appreciate this conversation.
Milan Ivanovic 6:46 pm on November 30, 2023

We had something similar at WCEUWCEU WordCamp Europe. The European flagship WordCamp event. in 2017 in Paris (even tho it wasn’t sponsors paying for it), and now, when I think about it, I am not sure that I liked it or enjoyed any of the sessions there. It was logistically successful; everything was on time and worked like a charm, but I am not 100% sure if sponsors got any value from it. And since we didn’t repeat it in 2018, it speaks for itself 🙂 I walked in a few times, and it was either empty or filled with employees or the company giving a talk. If someone had a different experience at WCEU2017, please let me know.

If we bring another room to offer something extra to our sponsors and/or to gather more money, we will also add costs to that WordCampWordCamp WordCamps are casual, locally-organized conferences covering everything related to WordPress. They're one of the places where the WordPress community comes together to teach one another what they’ve learned throughout the year and share the joy. Learn more..

Adding a new room brings renting and all logistics costs for that room AND, more importantly, the whole work and stress for organizers.

The organizing team will have to work out the schedule. And, in all fairness, they will have to make some extra effort about the whole experience on that track since that is a paid track/room. Another cup of stress would be ensuring everything works flawlessly because it’s a paid track, and we want sponsors to feel good about it.

Another concern will be the audience, and adding a new room will spread out the attendees between all the sessions – I am sure we will end up with at least one of the rooms being completely empty.

I have another idea: What about the Hallway track? We had that at many WordCamps; the one I liked the most was the one at WordCamp US back in Nashville, and I found it quite impressive. Many people seemed to enjoy it.

Why don’t we put up a few “breathing rooms” in our schedule and let conversations happen organically at sponsor booths? If attendees are not in a hurry to attend a session or there isn’t a session, I am sure they will spend more time at sponsors’ booths or at least network with our sponsors.

If there is still a request for demo talks from sponsors, I would instead offer some additions to sponsor booths, like extra space or lounge areas, that the whole paid track.

And to add, I love that we started talking about this. <3
- Darshan Dagli 9:21 am on December 16, 2023
  
  I’m in full agreement with your reflections on WCEUWCEU WordCamp Europe. The European flagship WordCamp event. 2017. It highlights a key concern: the effectiveness and actual value of sponsor-driven sessions. The added logistical and financial burdens, as well as the extra workload for organizers, are significant considerations.
  
  Your idea of a Hallway track, like the one at WordCampWordCamp WordCamps are casual, locally-organized conferences covering everything related to WordPress. They're one of the places where the WordPress community comes together to teach one another what they’ve learned throughout the year and share the joy. Learn more. US in Nashville, resonates with me. It promotes organic interactions and fits the spirit of WordCamp. Enhancing sponsor booths instead of adding separate sessions could be a more efficient way to provide value to sponsors while keeping the focus on community and learning.
Jose Ramon Padron 7:31 pm on November 30, 2023

Well, as both a member of the Community, organizer, Content-team lead in some WordCamps, and a Sponsor of everything related to WP events for years, I’d like to say that I don’t like giving this type of presence in WP events to our sponsors. My reasoning:

Allowing this type of shows-demos-talks-workshops, we are adding content that competes with the main content of the event. If you want to see an example, just go to a standard Marketing event out of our Community, full of talks of people talking about their products. Value= zero. Every company has its channels for this purpose, YouTube, their events, etc…
One of the main advantages of WP events is the fact that we are giving talks free of sales-pitch, and this is something really valuable, something we need to keep.

In the Drupal Community, at least in Spain, every sponsor has a booked spot on the agenda for talking about whatever they want. Some of the sponsors talk about really interesting topics, and others just sell their services/products. I found it interesting a time ago, but nowadays I prefer how the content is managed in WP events.

Sponsors are looking for visibility, and also an opportunity to talk to their potential customers. Talking on the stage is one of the best ways to achieve that visibility. In WP events they have the opportunity to apply as Speakers, regarding this aspect, nothing else is needed in my opinion.

An alternative solution could be giving the sponsors 2-3 minutes on stage to talk about why they are supporting the Community and also about their products and services. We did something similar on WCEUWCEU WordCamp Europe. The European flagship WordCamp event. Online 2021, giving 5 minutes for interviewing the sponsors, and worked pretty well.

Another way to do it (I did it in some WordCamps) is to have a monitor in the booth and some space and seats to show your products/services on demand.

By the way, good topic!!!
Aditya Kane 8:27 pm on November 30, 2023

While I understand the issue of finding sponsors and this seems like a easy way to attract more sponsors if done right — but once we allow pay to speak — regulating this will be extremely difficult across events.

I think this is not just a logistical issue, but also strategic to the ethos of WordCamps.

WordCamps are not only just large events where a small track can easily be arranged for some tier of sponsors. There are all types and sizes of event and a sponsor track will eventually drive costs up in the budget — extra room plus AV costs.

The bigger issue I think with allowing sponsor talks is how do we avoid it from becoming the norm and not just something extra say some WordCamps do.

Because I am pretty sure more and more sponsors will prefer to invest on WordCamps that have a sponsor track/ rooms. This would probably end up meaning every WordCampWordCamp WordCamps are casual, locally-organized conferences covering everything related to WordPress. They're one of the places where the WordPress community comes together to teach one another what they’ve learned throughout the year and share the joy. Learn more. will be forced to have a sponsor track if they have to raise money for their events.

I am not sure this helps the program in the long run.
Andrew Palmer 8:40 pm on November 30, 2023

Yes.
Shawn Hooper 9:41 pm on November 30, 2023

I loved the idea as an extra stream of revenue. For anyone who’s tried organizing camps recently, it’s getting expensive to do! Larger communities will find this especially hard, as venue options become fewer.

I do like the idea of being able to say “Yes, I am interesting in this commercial pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party, and would love to see a good in depth talk about it.” I think that has value.

However, the points above about competing with the community talks, which are key to the culture of WordCamps, are valid. We shouldn’t do anything that makes the local camps less attractive to new potential speakers or takes attention away from the community speakers.

I opened this post ready to fully support the idea of a sponsored track/room, but as I read through everyone’s comments above, my mind may be changing.

Shawn
Peter Wilson 10:33 pm on November 30, 2023

I’m a firm no on sponsor tracks at WordCamps.

Allowing a sponsor track introduces pay-to-play for speaking slots at WordCamps. For smaller WordCampWordCamp WordCamps are casual, locally-organized conferences covering everything related to WordPress. They're one of the places where the WordPress community comes together to teach one another what they’ve learned throughout the year and share the joy. Learn more.’s this is particularly problematic as the venues are typically smaller so the number of rooms available for talks is limited. This would result in the opportunity to talk be taken away from people responding to the call-for-speakers.

Demo rooms are similarly problematic as they also take away space from people responding to the call-for-speakers.

At many WordCamps sponsors are already able to do demonstrations in the existing sponsor areas. Google have done this at numerous events with the AMP pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party and Site Kit plugin.

There is nothing stopping sponsors’ staff members from submitting speaking proposals and, provided they are useful to attendees, these are often accepted without the pay-to-play element. I have seen Joost de Valk speak at WCEUWCEU WordCamp Europe. The European flagship WordCamp event. events that Yoast was sponsoring.

I suspect a part of the reason this came up in conversation at WCUSWCUS WordCamp US. The US flagship WordCamp event. this year was because of sponsor dissatisfaction with the location of the sponsor-hall. Being located two floors below and at the other end of the building to the conference rooms required attendees to make an effort to visit the sponsor booths.

MCs thanking and acknowledging speakers during introductions seems quite adequate along with sponsor slides being displayed between sessions.
Lidia Arroyo Vargas 11:16 pm on November 30, 2023

It is a good idea but there must be a clear regulation:
Not in the main auditoriums
In a smaller room, you can even give a turn to each sponsor, something like a 1 hour talk for each company.
It should be clear that it is part of a sponsorship package and the exhibitor is selected by them.

That’s my opinion.
Seth Goldstein 12:04 am on December 1, 2023

I’m not opposed to seeing demos if I want to see them. It’s a nice option. Lot’s of great plugins don’t get demoed very well at sponsor booths. So maybe this is the way to show off new features and announcements.

Just a thought.
Julia Golomb 12:08 am on December 1, 2023

In this challenging sponsor environment – in which WordCamps are struggling to find sponsorships – it’s important to think creatively about what value the event provides its sponsors; and to consider approaches that are not extractive or exploitative of the community and attendees, but transparent and mutually beneficial, in which both sponsors and attendees receive value (through education, networking/relationship-building, etc.). I see sponsor demos/sponsor talks as one pathway toward this.

I am open about the exact form that this could take, but I wholly agree with @unintended8 that this is a decision made by each individual WordCampWordCamp WordCamps are casual, locally-organized conferences covering everything related to WordPress. They're one of the places where the WordPress community comes together to teach one another what they’ve learned throughout the year and share the joy. Learn more., and not a new standard for all events.

In this case, could we agree to allow WordCamp organizing teams to experiment with this if they so choose, and request that they and their sponsors share their learnings and experiences with the community, in the spirit of innovation and experimentation? I view this as part of the recent invitation for WordPress event organizers to experiment with new and creative approaches to WordPress events!
Dave Loodts 3:40 pm on December 1, 2023

On first sight it looks like a good idea: extra revenue, more spotlights on a sponsor, etc. But it would be weird to have speakers who pay to do their thing. Don’t forget a WordCampWordCamp WordCamps are casual, locally-organized conferences covering everything related to WordPress. They're one of the places where the WordPress community comes together to teach one another what they’ve learned throughout the year and share the joy. Learn more. is a “community” event, we need the keep that balance and not going to commercial.

I do like the idea of delivering knowlegde by the sponsor. And that is already possible if we get creative. Sponsors have a booth, they could organize demo’s or short talks themselves in their own booth. The organizers can take that into the sponsorpackages; in a bigger booth a sponsor can setup a demo-run for ten-fifteen people, so they can have 10 sessions on a day. I would like that to see, cause it offers also more interaction compared with a room, and in a small group you also get inter-connections between the watchers. People start talking to each other, which is also the whole point of doing a WordCamp.

And the organizer can facilitate the sponsor by offering a registration solution. We all know the hallway-track, we love it. Well, name this the Booth-track!

The Booth-track will be a success if the sponsor provides enough value, not just a sales pitch.

There are also other ways to put sponsor more in the spotlight.
During WordCamp Antwerp 2018, during the Intro every organizer had 1 minute to introduce themselves, say hey, we are here, we look like this, etc. So, they stood up from their seat and just did the introduction.
We also ran video’s during the dinner on a big wall, logo’s but also office recordings of the sponsor (showing that it’s not just software, but people behind it). Those video’s we’re also used on the WordCamps social channels, which was also 4-5 standard question they had to answer.
Be creative, not to sales-sy.
jimmy_r 5:26 am on December 5, 2023

Sponsors most def need to be able to do get the opportunity to talk about their stuff.

WCEUWCEU WordCamp Europe. The European flagship WordCamp event. 2022 and 2023 shows us that if we don’t, advertisement will sneak in and poison more or less every talk. For these two events, pretty much every talk had a corporate agenda instead of knowledge sharing as their main one.

I don’t mind – money needs to flow in order to bring value back to the product itself – but there needs to be a clear distinction between them. If there is no distinction some people use talks as a way of showcasing their product instead of paying for a sponsorship. That waters down the value of the events in a way that is not benificial – as we have seen on WCEU.
- Pablo Moratinos 5:32 am on December 5, 2023
  
  It’s the first time I’ve read that most of the WCEUWCEU WordCamp Europe. The European flagship WordCamp event. talks were “poisoned” by a commercial agenda. I watched many talks via streaming and I didn’t have that feeling. Was it really like that? And what is more important, would a track for sponsors that can only be accessed by paying prevent this situation from being repeated with those who do not pay?
  - jimmy_r 6:54 am on December 5, 2023
    
    Well, not every talk of course. But a very large part. Many of them were “this is an interesting problem, by the way, hire me as a freelancer so I can solve it on paid time”, but a lot of them were “look at my hosting/pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party”.
    
    I think vetting talks and presentations harder will render a better event. When I have had events I have personally went trough each slide and made sure that nobody sneaks in stuff in there, or creates a situation where one might get a nice way to “flow” into a commercial offering.
Darshan Dagli 9:17 am on December 16, 2023

I appreciate the idea of introducing Sponsor Demo Rooms or Tracks at WordCampWordCamp WordCamps are casual, locally-organized conferences covering everything related to WordPress. They're one of the places where the WordPress community comes together to teach one another what they’ve learned throughout the year and share the joy. Learn more. events. It’s essential to recognize the significant role sponsors play in making these events possible. However, I do have reservations about this approach, particularly concerning its impact on speaker sessions.

In my experience, I’ve noticed a trend at recent WordCamps where a large portion of the audience spends more time in sponsor halls for networking, leaving speaker halls with fewer attendees. While networking is undoubtedly a key aspect of these events, the heart of WordCamp lies in the sharing of knowledge and expertise by our volunteer speakers.

Introducing a separate sponsor track or room could further dilute the audience for speaker sessions. This might inadvertently diminish the value and impact of these sessions, which are the coreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. of what WordCamp represents. We need to ensure that the introduction of sponsor-driven content doesn’t lead to an imbalance where the primary educational and community-driven purpose of the event is overshadowed by commercial interests.

Perhaps a middle ground could be found. For instance, having dedicated time slots for sponsor presentations that don’t clash with key speaker sessions might be a solution. This way, attendees interested in both can fully engage with each part of the event without feeling torn between the two.

Moreover, it’s crucial to maintain clarity and transparency with attendees about the nature of sponsor-driven content. This could include explicit signage and announcements, ensuring attendees are fully informed about what to expect in these sessions.

Finally, considering the terminology, I feel “Sponsor Demo Room” might be more appropriate than “track” as it clearly delineates this space from the main speaker-driven content, helping attendees navigate their options more effectively.

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