Some notes from Uniting WordPress YouTubers dinner @ WCUS 2024

In the excitement of meeting each other and catching up, I’m afraid to admit that, beyond my initial notes, I didn’t get many notes in turn from others. If you are reading this and were there, comment below with your notes!

• Talked about Interactivity API with a few folks, leading to a new issue being opened based on the IRL feedback.
• Talked with folks about how to make a contribution pathway for content on the channel, mimicking how there are restrictions with who can commit code for who can post videos.
• Talked about how best to reach the various audiences and replicating a “Bon Appetite” model of a YouTube channel where there are numerous playlists for different types of content.
• Talked about either having a dedicated WordCamp for YouTubers or, more likely, reusing the flagship events to have more spaces for YouTubers to create content together, gather, etc.
• Talked with some YouTubers about not just doing WordPress content and hitting the broader ecosystem of how folks try to accomplish things with their websites.
• Talked about the age difference in the WordPress space (how much older most folks are) and how to bridge the gap for younger folks to get excited about open source, owning your data, etc.
• Some folks were interested in affiliate opportunities and how the community can help, with some shares of the https://wordpress.org/creator-connections/ page that’s been recently added. This is difficult and unexplored right now.

Attendees

1. Brian Coords (YouTuber)
2. Mike McAllister (YouTuber)
3. Kevin Geary (YouTuber)
4. Matt Medeiros (YouTuber)
5. Mark Szymanski (YouTuber)
6. Amber Hinds (YouTuber)
7. Brendan O’Connell (YouTuber)
8. Jessica Lyschik (YouTuber)
9. Adam Preiser (YouTuber)
10. Christian Taylor (YouTuber)
11. Jonathan Jernigan (YouTuber)
12. Jamie Marsland (automattic sponsored contributor, YouTuber)
13. Anne McCarthy (automattic sponsored contributor, product)
14. Lauren Stein (former automattic sponsored contributor, marketing)
15. Dan Soschin (former automattic sponsored contributor, marketing)
16. Nick Diego (automattic sponsored contributor, devrel)
17. Ryan Welcher (automattic sponsored contributor, devrel)
18. Rich Tabor (automattic sponsored contributor, product)
19. Aaron Jorbin (Core Committer)
20. Helen Hou-Sandí (Core Committer)
21. Matt Mullenweg.

For anyone interested in seeing photos, here’s a dedicated post where I shared some, minus the disposable camera photos that I’ll eventually get developed!

Notes for next time

For next time, I think we should consider a more open venue, rather than a narrower space, to help with intermingling and perhaps requiring name badges/do introductions to also help aid in folks connecting more. There was a pretty strong gender split and I wish I had done more to facilitate. The venue, while beautiful and nearby, likely added to folks staying where they first landed. Finally, next time, I’m sending the swag directly to the venue rather than to the hotel where I was staying as I still have no clue where it is.