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For long-form interviews, news, and commentary about the WordPress ecosystem. This is the companion show to The WP Minute, your favorite 5-minutes of WordPress news every week.
Matt (00:00)
Raquel, welcome back to the WP minute here to talk about EU PressConf. Or do you say PressConf EU? Do you not say that at all?
Raquel (00:07)
No, I've been saying PressConf EU.
Matt (00:09)
Should we not say well, it's this is your event, of course, yeah, you know, coming off of the US event, but should we even say EU or should we call it Europe? So we're not so confused with other conferences.
Raquel (00:20)
I mean, I keep getting confused the amount of times I've said WordCamp US now work or WordCamp EU when I meant to say PressConf US or PressConf EU it it is what it is. That's what I've been calling it.
Matt (00:30)
So we have you and I have short time today to record. We have a short time for PressConf Europe to kick off. When is it and where should folks go as a call to action at the start of this episode?
Raquel (00:41)
conf.events slash tickets or just dot events. you'll see everything. The site is fully updated. You can now see the US version versus the European version. And it's October twenty seventh through thirtieth in Barcelona. And yeah, short runway.
Matt (00:59)
We have PressConf as the premier conference for people doing business in and around WordPress. That's what we know and love in the US. Are you changing things up in Europe? Is there a different spin on it or is it the same sort of this is a closed recording, closed door conference. All the good stuff happens in the room on the stage, and you have to be there to experience all of it.
Raquel (01:25)
Yes, that part is the same. I make small iterations every single time, but we s what I think the part that I'm recognizing is the biggest difference is how much the European community wants this sort of space. And from what I've been communicated to by Europeans is that they don't feel like they have it, that there's this kind of inherent modesty around money.
And when we're all in the business of WordPress trying to make money with our agencies and products and they feel like they haven't had the the most safest space to speak, not that it's unsafe, it's just that you can't be as liberal in the conversation around it. So that is the biggest thing that I've been aware of with doing this. So how that might tweak what we do is very much in the conversations that the team is having with our speakers and everything that we're gonna touch on. So even more so that safe space of unrecorded.
Talks is is going to apply because of that.
Matt (02:18)
Yeah. I I mean, I think the you know, the confidence that people need to have in WordPress business these days, the conviction to run a WordPress business has to be at its all time high right now. Yeah. for many for many obvious reasons, right? Headlines in WordPress, of course, haven't been the best. I is, of course, through the lens that we've been talking about for years now, but it's just like every six months there's something else that's coming that's impacting our industry. Competitors getting better.
And then it it it doesn't help that there's a lot of sentiment around WordPress through all of those lenses. And a lot of people cast doubt on this beloved piece of software and community that we run. And I don't think there's time for people to, you know, tiptoe around trying to run their business. So I appreciate conferences like PressConf and like you've been spearheading for the last few years.
put people on stage to be vulnerable but also to tell it how it is in the space. And I for one, once again, like appreciate that and I hope this is the same kind of thing that comes out of the European conference. But but color in the lines, is there anything else that you think people are looking for in the European market when they're on stage or when they're coming to the conference that you think you'll deliver
for them?
Raquel (03:36)
Yeah, I I think you're kind of hitting on it. Like I don't know if you and I should be to together sometimes because I think we might cause some implosion, but I'm I'm kind of over it. Like you've mentioned tiptoeing. And I'm I'm very much looking forward to still being this WordPress space. You know, like I I know there's I I I I I'm I'm coming with a little bit of chip on my shoulder. And I would say that's something that's different than I've been. I've been sort of like
Hi everybody, it's your promie neighborhood, Raquel, and you all love me and I love you so much. And look, we're gonna do this PressConf and it's gonna be so cool. And yeah, maybe I'm a little crazy, but I don't know if I'm as crazy as as crazy I is as I am now. I mean, for instance, the short runway. Like I just knew this has to happen. This has to happen. Something inside of me knew. And I've been telling everybody all the events are gonna be coming. The the
Just event after event after event. And now every time I turn my head, I'm seeing some event popping up, some event popping up. And all those events, I'm just gonna say are all things to all people. Like we're we're not gonna just focus on WordPress because we're scared. And don't get me wrong, and I hope I'm ruffling some feathers right now. We have reason to be scared. We do have reason, but make a choice. And that's what I'm doing. I'm making a choice. And also I'm just done with the whole pulling that victim card out of our back pockets. Like let's let's make a choice and let's decide. And even
If it doesn't turn out the way we want it to, we made a choice and we decided and we moved. And that's what I'm doing. And that's that's what I want to see happen at PressConf EU. I want people to walk away knowing that they've made a choice and that even if the choice doesn't work out the way we want it to, you could have confidence that it's gonna work out for the best no matter what. And am I desperate to make that happen at at PressConf EU? I think I am a little bit because now all these events are popping up all over the place.
And I've seen I've put my flag down. This is here. This event matters to me deeply. I put my entire life on this. Not PressConf EU but PressConf and and WordPress. And and if there's any sort sort of like what's Raquel talking about right now, well there is. And it's gonna come out in this event and people need to be there to see it.
Matt (05:43)
WordPress needs leaders. It needs leadership. And it doesn't mean it has to come from the top. It means that we all have to be leaders in our in our own capacity. And I think when you started the idea of bringing Pressnomics into PressConf, and of course, like many things, myself included, there's that initial doubt like, can I do this? Should I do this? You know, I I said to you that you're the you're the one to do it, right? Raquel is the one to do it. And you've led that you've led PressConf.
well you've led the community for obviously many years at this point, but PressConf, you you you led that. You you took that flag and you charged forward with with that conviction that I mentioned earlier, with a cause and with purpose, and you rallied people around it. This is the thing that WordPress cannot lack moving forward. Your plug-in, your theme, your service business, your new WordPress SaaS idea, your new WordPress AI idea. It's
There's no time for the fun little cute approach to this. Hey community, wouldn't you love please try my thing? It that doesn't exist anymore. And in the you go to an event like PressConf to see that and to experience it, to touch, hear and feel that that we must be better these days in order for WordPress to survive. And I think you're a shining example of that.
as that leadership that we all need and to encourage others to become leaders in their own thing, whether it's that tiny plug-in or that big agency business. And again, PressConf is going to be that thing this time with a European flair to it. Lots of people love Word excuse me, lots of people love PressConf for the venue that people go to in
Tempe, what do we expect here in the European market? Are we gonna have a place for to all corral together at by the campfire like we do in Tempe?
Raquel (07:43)
Yeah, yeah. And so that's the idea is that no matter where PressConf is, you still have that. Like we're all in this together vibe. Or depending how you look at it, I we can't escape each other. So yeah, the the the venue was chosen for that reason, you know, that if there's any sort of separation, it's not from the communal aspect. It's just for the the sessions themselves, which is is totally okay. But yeah, no, the place is, you know, it's got like a rooftop.
pool and terrace and it's even bonus. This one's got a spa so you can get massage and there's lots of hot tubs and things like that.
Matt (08:19)
I wasn't such a curmudgeon, I'd be you know, enjoying that and
Raquel (08:24)
Is it really that much further from Phoenix? I mean, you're on the other side of the country. But yeah, no, so yes, it it and that is the biggest thing I I have heard that. I I remember it when I was at Prestonics in the early years. At the same time, I'm the type of person where it doesn't matter where we are, that like it just to me I find all the good in it. So I understand that POV, everybody is saying, no, no, no, Raquel, but for real, like we love that aspect that Tempe Mission Palms has provided us. And even in the future, PressConf US, wherever that lands, that's still gonna be.
you know, what we strive for is that we don't have to go anywhere else. Of course there's still those aspects that we go out into the town and we like where we're at and there's lots of things to do and places to eat, but the venue itself is nice and cozy for us for sure.
Matt (09:06)
Let's talk about the cast of characters, the folks that'll be up on stage. Who can we talk about at this stage in the game? Who can we expect to see there and and and maybe what kind of talks are are people going to experience?
Raquel (09:17)
Yeah. So that one was kind of rough because you know, there's also that idea that like people wanna see just like with a PressConf US, you wanna see Europeans talk, not just Americans. And so there was a little bit of that. However, I don't think we hit it. So we're good it's gonna pretty much be a European up the Europeans up there or Americans that now live in the US. So that's where we're we're gonna land. So I everybody knows I'm not big for repeating speakers.
But I one of the favorite talks that everybody's talked about from the first version was Remkus. So we announced that Remkus is coming back for our European version. And Daphne, I we all know Remkus, and there's not much more to say about that.
Matt (09:58)
I've never heard of him, actually.
Raquel (10:00)
He lives we have Daphne Monro, who I'm very excited for. She's actually American living in the US. And
I ran into her on stage with her at CloudFest and at a WordPress meetup in London and she just blows my mind. And she's young, like she's technically Gen Z, which also blows my mind. And and she's just got this charisma. And I'm so excited for her. And then we have Mark Wisebrod,, who Mark is, you know, just very much comes with it from the business side of things. And to what you and I have been talking about, I love how much he's up here being a leader saying, We are choosing WordPress. So now let's fix this business side.
WordPress because you can have success, but you gotta make some tweaks to your business. And that's where Mark's heart comes from. Very excited for that. And then a newbie, Ivana Ćirković if I'm saying that right, she was actually referred to me from Remkus. And Remkus, if Remkus refers somebody to me, then you know I'm gonna take it pretty serious. But she seems amazing. And I'm really excited for her as well. And it's gonna be talking a lot about like AI and WordPress. And we have
more speakers that we even have signed contracts from these speakers, but because I haven't announced them yet, then I'm I'm not gonna say. we also have our last two sessions of the day or we're gonna be doing something so that way they can get to that point. But that will have more for more so facilitators over speakers. So we're still figuring that out.
Matt (11:22)
Yeah. I I was curious about that. That was gonna be one of my next questions. If there was gonna be a new experience that we haven't seen yet at US because, you know, you have to replace the snack shack, which is like n probably definitely not a thing at at this at this venue. Or maybe there is, maybe there's a surprise. I I just picture like, I don't know, a chocolate lava fountain dipping. you probably don't want to share y communal dipping at an event, but Yeah.
There have been
There have been worse things. pressconf.events. Go to get your tickets there now. Pressconf dot events slash tickets. You can sign up. Who else are we gonna see from the PressConf team? Is is Adam making his way out this year?
Raquel (12:01)
It looks like Adam's not coming this time around. Adam is actually back in a teaching role So yeah, he's not. But and so he wants to focus on the US side of things. So yeah. So good for Adam. Me and Carol. we're gonna see more of Carol now. I'm so excited because Carol's life has opened up because her her both of her kids have graduated high school. So she's not like me. She's in this like more capacity mode. and then we're finally gonna get to meet Anna, who's been doing marketing for us for a year.
just about and we've got some new team members. We got a local team member, local to Barcelona joining us named Jalma. I haven't even announced him yet. I haven't even put him on the site yet. So that's all still coming. he just signed on. So it's looking a little different. And but also very much still in the PressConf spirit. So it'll be good.
Matt (12:49)
All right, fantastic. One thing we haven't mentioned, I don't think we mentioned yet at the top of this is October twenty-seventh. October twenty-seventh. get your tickets now at PressConf.events. PressConf Europe, October twenty-seventh, get your tickets now at PressConf.events. October twenty-seventh, twenty-eighth, twenty-ninth, and the thirtieth. Am I reading that right? Those.
Raquel (13:12)
That's how we always do it. Okay. The first day is is the kickoff. Remember it's the kickoff like yeah, like cocktail party. Like don't have to drink cocktails, guys. There will be NA also. But and then the two conference days and then the fun day, wonder day. Yeah.
Matt (13:27)
So yeah, you know me and that fun day, Raquel. You know me and that fun day. The fun day is going to the airport and going, I have to fly.
Raquel (13:36)
Why don't
Matt (13:38)
did you see this this this gentleman that was on on X where he was fighting his fear of walking to the cliff? Did you see that video? It was a couple days ago or last or yesterday? And he's crawling to the cliff. He's like laughing, but also like he has a fear of heights, and he's like crawling.
To the edge of the cliff so we can like look over the the cliff and see the beautiful sea horizon. And that's me in traveling. It's not a heights thing, it's just the traveling part. But that's just me, Raquel. That's just me. There's so many other people who enjoy traveling on October twenty seventh and the twenty eighth and the twenty ninth to PressConf Europe.
Raquel (14:16)
Well, I mean, most Europeans are gonna get on some like stupid cheap Ryanair flight, you know, to get to to you know, Barcelona. Which good for you all, 'cause that is wonderful. But y but it I mean it's gonna be so amazing and the what makes me laugh is about like the fun day. It really is so much fun. And why when I think of you do I have all these fun feelings? And now that I think about it, you never joined us on a fun day. I never do
Matt (14:39)
The fun stuff. That's the best part. People have the wrong impression of me. pressconf.events, Raquel's leading us in Europe this year. Thanks, Raquel. Thanks for being a leader in our community. All right.