A Preview of WordCamp Asia 2025 With the Organizers

Devin:
Hello everybody, this is Devin, and we have two lovely folks from WordCamp Asia with me. I’m not going to be asking too much about WordCamps in the local area because now this is a time for WordCamp Asia. So we have Meher Bala from India, and then we have Dan Tabifranca from the Philippines. Hello folks. How are you? Hello?

Dan:
Hello. Doing good, Devin. Thanks for having—

Devin:
Us guys. Good for having us. Yeah, this is excellent. I don’t remember when the last time I met you all was, so it feels like we have a little reunion today.

Dan:
Yes.

Devin:
Meher and Dan, I think the last time we met was WordCamp Asia 2024 in Taipei, right?

Dan:
Yes.

Devin:
Right, right, right.

Dan:
Yes, correct. WordCamp Asia.

Devin:
Yes. This year. Exactly this year. And then we are still together for WordCamp Asia 2025. Yeah, this is exciting. And folks, this year I’m just supporting the big teams. We have 75 people, I think, if I’m not mistaken. These two amazing folks from Asia are leads of the team. So Meher Bala is the lead for the program team. Am I correct? Program team? We call it program team this year, right? Not speakers team.

Meher:
Yes, correct.

Devin:
And Dan is the lead for attendee experience. Right. Just a little bit of history here, Dan. I was actually leading the AX team for 2023.

Dan:
Oh, nice.

Devin:
It was the beginning, and I’m so much happier to see all the journey and evolution we’ve made throughout the years—2023, 2024, 2025. I’m so happy to have you as the lead. I see a lot of improvements and yeah, looking forward to 2025. All right. So before we start, do you have anything that you want to say to the audience, to our listeners? Probably folks from India and the Philippines? Anything?

Meher:
We have a lot of surprises for you.

Dan:
Yeah, we have a lot of surprises.

Meher:
Book your tickets if you haven’t yet. Do we still have the tickets recently?

Devin:
The tickets. Tickets are still available. We just opened the third batch, if I’m not mistaken. Third batch, right? 28, 29 November. And I’m checking. Yes, we still have regular tickets and micro sponsor tickets. So while you are listening to us talking tonight, go grab your credit card or PayPal—ready to book tickets to attend and meet us in Manila.

Dan:
Yes. Grab a ticket or two or more.

Devin:
Yes. And invite your peers, your colleagues, your friends. Right. All right. Exciting.

Devin:
So, well, I’m going to start with one question for both of you. So I mentioned that we met at WordCamp Asia 2024 this year in Taipei, and I believe Meher, you were also in Bangkok in 2023?

Meher:
Yes, Bangkok. I was an attendee.

Devin:
You were? Oh wow.

Meher:
A last-minute attendee. Two days before—

Devin:
Attendee?

Meher:
Two days before the event, I said, okay, I’m flying to Bangkok. I got my visa, I got everything in an hour.

Devin:
You made it to Bangkok, right?

Meher:
I made it to Bangkok.

Devin:
And then last year, what was your role last year?

Meher:
Last year, I was part of the program team. I was just new to a flagship event. I’ve been a part of local WordCamps, I’ve led my WordCamps, but last year was my first flagship as an organizer in a flagship event.

Devin:
And then this year, you stepped up your game. Now you’re the lead of the program team. Wow, amazing. Amazing. And Dan, have you been to a flagship event before Taipei?

Dan:
Taipei? I wasn’t able to go to WordCamp Asia in Bangkok because tickets got sold out pretty fast. So yeah, that’s too bad. But I was able to attend WordCamp Asia this year in Taipei, but just as an attendee. I was having the time of my life as an attendee.

Devin:
Now you’ve got a bit more responsibility this year—or this coming year, 2025. All right, so my question to you all, just to sort of make it fun and easy—this is a really easy question: what excites you most about WordCamp Asia 2025 in Manila? Meher, you want to start first? Go ahead.

Meher:
A new place. Meeting my friends again from the community—WordPress across the globe. Getting new people to share the knowledge on stage. Experience, as well as new topics. Looking forward to a lot of exciting things coming up for WordCamp 2025. Not going to disclose much. It’s meant to be a surprise at the event.

Devin:
Nice, nice, nice. Looking forward. Okay, so you mentioned about visiting a new place. That was your first answer. So then, unfortunately, this is not going to be the case for you, right? Visiting a new place. Yeah. Oh, what is it about WordCamp Asia 2025 in Manila that excites you then?

Dan:
Oh my. I’m excited about a lot of things actually. So first off, as a local living here in Metro Manila, I’m super excited to welcome the global WordPress community to our home here in the Philippines. I can’t wait for everyone to experience the incredible Filipino hospitality that we have here—our vibrant culture and food. You’ve been here, Devin, before. So Manila has this amazing energy, kind of like a mix of the old and the new, and I know attendees are going to fall in love with it.

Also, seeing all these passionate WordPress people come together right in the heart of the Philippines is just exciting. I’m also excited to showcase the growing WordPress community that we have here. Our local WordPress community—we’re like one big happy family here. So even though we live in cities hundreds of miles apart, we’re all united as one big family, and that’s very special. So I can’t wait for everyone to experience that sense of community.

Devin:
Well, as a fellow person who lives in an archipelago, I can tell that despite all of you living on different islands, you still have this strong sense of connection. If you follow WordPress Manila social media groups, you’ll see the evidence—how they meet regularly and are gearing up towards WordCamp Asia 2025 in Manila. They sort of boost the energy of the local community. And if I’m not mistaken, the folks from the Philippines are also the second-largest participants this year, right? I mean, at least from the tickets that are sold already. Is it the second largest?

Dan:
I think we’re number one now.

Devin:
Yeah?

Dan:
Yeah. Most tickets sold.

Devin:
That’s how excited they are. All right. Looking forward to seeing them. Nice.

Devin:
Well, my next question then—probably let’s dig more into the content, the program, and the speakers. Despite us not being able to find out everything because there are going to be surprises, what do you think are the highlights that attendees can look forward to, Meher, from the program this year? Well, 2025, I mean.

Meher:
The highlights—I think you can look at the keynote, which is essential because you’ll get to know what is coming in WordPress soon. We are still waiting for a few folks to accept the invites for the invited speaker program. So I’m excited about that because if those folks say yes, it’s from a totally different background than WordPress. So they’ll come and share their knowledge and experience.

For the experienced speakers, there are a lot of topics that will cover the basics as well as the hot topics like AI, headless, and other stuff. It’s a mix of everything. And we made sure that there’s something for everyone so no one feels left out. Whether you’re not an expert or are just getting started, there’s something for everyone.

Devin:
So last year, we started this invited speakers program, right? I think in Taipei, we started having that program—invited keynotes or invited—

Meher:
Invited speakers.

Devin:
Invited speakers, all right. And so we continued this year. How big is the proportion? How many people? So assuming that “invited” must be folks who are selected with deep knowledge and probably a bit more exposure in the global industry, how many invited speakers are there?

Meher:
Invited is not only based on experience, but it’s also based on who people want to see. We did open a form where we got feedback about who attendees want to see. A lot of big names may not apply to WordCamp because they may not know that the audience is interested in hearing them. We got a lot of feedback for people outside the WordPress industry as well.

So currently, for us, in our entire schedule, we’ve given six to eight slots for invited speakers.

Devin:
That’s quite a lot.

Meher:
Since we have three tracks and one workshop, we try to bifurcate it to six to eight. But we’ve locked six so far. We’re still waiting for a few responses to finalize.

Devin:
Fingers crossed. Nice. So have any of them been published yet? I know that you’ve already revealed some speakers for 2025. Is one of these invited speakers already announced?

Meher:
Three have been announced.

Devin:
Can you mention an example?

Meher:
One is Matt.

Devin:
Okay.

Meher:
One is Matías.

Devin:
Oh, our project lead of Gutenberg.

Meher:
Yes, Matías Ventura.

Devin:
Oh yes, yes, yes. I think I saw the announcement the other day. Wow. So we’ve already got three announced, and we’re looking forward to more. Exciting. Nice. So is there anything that you can share about the industries or sectors or topics that came in from the feedback? What are people wanting to hear or see?

Meher:
Some are outside the community, like topics related to OpenJS or speaking about how one has established their website to reach a bigger audience using WordPress. Basically, content around scaling, content privacy, and other related areas.

Devin:
All right, well, I still have some questions for you, but let’s move to Dan for a bit. Yeah.

Devin:
Dan, can you tell us about any special activities or features planned to improve the attendee experience? I mean, we’re talking about the third WordCamp Asia, right? So there’s probably some learning from the past that you’ve iterated on this year. Is there anything exciting we can look forward to?

Dan:
Yeah, so for WordCamp Asia 2025, Devin, we’re actually planning a mix of classic activities from previous editions and some exciting new additions.

We’ll have fun activities like gamifying the conference. So with the help of Meher, the program team, and your sponsor team, we want everyone to experience everything WordCamp has to offer. We want to keep our attendees engaged as much as possible. Gamifying the conference means attending insightful sessions with our speakers, visiting sponsor booths, collecting swag—or hoarding swag if you may.

Devin:
That’s what I do.

Dan:
Yeah, hoarding swag. Don’t miss the swag, don’t lose the swag. And just participating in workshops.

We’re also excited to introduce something new next year: YouthCamp. We’re introducing YouthCamp for WordCamp Asia 2025. It’s going to be open for kids aged 8 to 17. And the best part? It’s completely free. As long as a parent or a guardian has a valid ticket, their child can join.

Devin:
All right, so folks who’ve got kids aged 8 to 17, please bring them along and they can have their own dedicated camp, right?

Dan:
Yes.

Devin:
They’ll have sessions—

Dan:
Yes. Hands-on sessions and workshops.

Devin:
Nice!

Dan:
Yeah.

Devin:
I actually have never been to a KidsCamp or YouthCamp in my life. I mean, it’s not happening in Indonesia. I’ve been to several local WordCamps, but I don’t think all the WordCamps I’ve attended have that. I know in the Philippines, Iloilo is one of the most consistent local WordCamps that organizes KidsCamp. And there are folks in Africa and America who also do KidsCamp, but not so much in Asia.

Dan:
We had one in Cebu this year. Earlier this year.

Devin:
Oh yeah, right. So was that the first time?

Dan:
Yeah, it was the first time.

Devin:
Right, okay. So that’s almost like a signature event or something to look forward to. If you go to WordCamps in the Philippines, there’s a KidsCamp.

Dan:
Yeah, the KidsCamp.

Devin:
Right. All right.

Devin:
But is there any new special activity that we can look forward to? Is there anything that we need to prepare for?

Dan:
So, on top of all that, we might have a few surprises sprinkled throughout the event, but maybe we’ll just keep those under wraps for now to keep things exciting.

Devin:
Full of surprises. Yeah. All right. Then I would say, get your energy, get your enthusiasm, and be a part of the event.

Meher:
Right, right. Of course.

Devin:
Yeah. Let’s not feel like, “Oh, it’s too many things to look forward to,” but instead, “Hey, there might be surprises we should not miss.” So yeah, let’s grab the tickets and find out.

But okay, let’s talk more about the content, the program. So we talked about keynote speakers, invited speakers, or some highlights. But at WordCamps—whether it’s local or flagship events—we always have new attendees, and that’s something we are looking forward to seeing. We love to see returning folks; we get to see them again, it’s like a reunion. But for WordPress to get bigger, we also want new people to come and meet the cool folks in open source, the WordPressers, right? Learn about how cool WordPress is, learn how to use it, and meet the support system that we have.

So there’s a lot of beginners, but then, as I mentioned, the returnees—the seasoned WordPressers—are around as well. How does your team balance the expectations of these two groups in terms of providing content? And you mentioned about three tracks. What are these three tracks? Is there any specific focus for each track, or what should we expect?

Meher:
The tracks are not focused on a single topic. It’s a mix. For new attendees, we have inspiring stories from people who just began as freelancers and have grown into agencies, increased their income, and grown very big using WordPress. So, inspiring stories—examples of what’s possible for you as a freelancer or an individual looking to use WordPress.

And for seasoned or experienced folks, they can learn from people who are just as experienced but who approach things in a different way. A lot of people have different ideas for solving one particular problem. So we have a mix. My team ensures we try to cover as much as possible. We can’t cover everything, obviously, but we try to provide value for everyone. And my team has done a fantastic job in vetting 300-plus applications.

Devin:
How many applications did you say you received again?

Meher:
Around 280 to 300 plus, yeah.

Devin:
Oh wow. And how many have you filtered out right now?

Meher:
We finalized around 37.

Devin:
Oh my god, that’s a hardcore job to do. And I bet you received applications from folks across the world. They’re very committed, they’re experts in their fields, so it’s really difficult to filter, I would say.

Meher:
It is. But I have a great team who’ve supported me and done a lot of vetting. Vetting so many applications is not easy. When you see repeated categories—like AI, AI, headless, headless—at one point, your mind gets clustered. I’ve been there last year for 2024.

Devin:
And is there any special focus? I remember there was something related to women or folks from underrepresented backgrounds or minority groups. Is there any consideration for them?

Meher:
Oh, we’ve not received as many applications as we hoped, but we were open to underrepresented speakers as well. We’ve tried to incorporate as much diversity as we can. We don’t have any special panels for women right now, but we’re figuring things out. We still have a little more time.

Devin:
Okay, so when will you finalize everything? When will all speakers be announced? Next year, January? Or—

Meher:
No, December.

Devin:
December?

Meher:
Yeah, by December, we expect all the speakers to be revealed. I have a deadline given by the global leads and local leads. So hopefully, the schedule will be published. Certain bits, like the invited speakers, may take time until January because they’re outside the ecosystem, and it takes time for them to respond. But the other 95% of the schedule is ready. I just need to do some data entry on the website.

Devin:
All right, folks, being an organizer—whether it’s a local WordCamp or a flagship event—requires dedication. And if you’re a lead, you’re investing even more time. I hope you all get to experience this in the future because it is really, really—how do you call that?

Meher & Dan:
Fulfilling.

Devin:
Yeah, fulfilling.

Devin:
So Dan, I’ll go to you then. Sorry about the confusion earlier. We’re talking about attendee experience, and we’re talking about how we can ensure inclusivity and accessibility during the event. Is there anything you can share with us about that?

Dan:
We’re really focused on making WordCamp Asia 2025 very accessible to everyone. So we’ve chosen the PICC—the Philippine International Convention Center—because it’s designed with accessibility in mind. Think: easy-to-navigate spaces, accessible entrances, exits, and restrooms. We’ll even have gender-neutral restrooms available. And overall, there will be plenty of room to move around comfortably for all our attendees.

Also, we’ll have our hardworking volunteers throughout the event to provide attendees with extra assistance if needed. Food-wise, we’re accommodating different food preferences. So we’ll have Halal, vegan, vegetarian, and even kosher meals available.

So yeah, our team has really been focusing on creating just a welcoming and inclusive environment for everyone so they can fully participate and just enjoy the event.

Devin:
That’s great, Dan. I remember because every venue might have its own distinct services. And sometimes, if we don’t request them, they’re not provided. So we need to seek out and demand what we need. I guess, as you mentioned, the hospitality of the folks in the Philippines plays a big role here. I’m sure they’d be happy to work with your team to ensure that everything we need will be provided, right?

Dan:
Yes, of course. Definitely—Filipino hospitality at its finest.

Devin:
Right. So I’m going to ask a question for both of you now about your roles. I mentioned earlier that being an organizer—especially a lead—requires dedication, passion, and commitment.

So, Dan, tell us a bit about your role as a lead for your team. You can mention a bit about the tasks, the expectations, and also share with us how big your team is, how many people are in your team, where they’re from, and who they are. So probably they’re listening to us now, and they’re excited to hear their names mentioned by Dan.

Meher, you want to go first?

Meher:
So, as the program lead and part of the program team, our tasks include putting up the call for speakers—vetting the applications that come in, opening the call for MCs, and vetting the MCs to make sure that we don’t have a speaker also serving as an MC. We want to give everyone an opportunity, and we don’t want to tire one person with double roles.

We also figure out what furniture we need, what rooms we need, and the timing for sessions—like what time we start, what time we end. We also need to coordinate the speaker rehearsals because many speakers want to do rehearsals a day before the main event. So we ensure they have time, and we also make sure the MCs are comfortable with the speakers they’re assigned to. They can have one-on-one chats on WordPress Slack to get familiar with names, bios, and more.

My team includes Sunita from Nepal, Jericho from the Philippines, Eve from Malaysia, and Amit from India. I had two more members as well, but due to personal reasons, they had to step away, which is okay. This is a community-driven effort, and we understand that things happen.

But I’m so happy with my team. They’ve supported me from day one until now, and we’re only less than 100 days away from the event.

Devin:
Wow, less than a hundred days!

Meher:
Yes.

Devin:
All right, Dan, your turn.

Dan:
Okay, so I’ll greet my teammates first! My team includes Joy from the Philippines, Caro from the Philippines, Yvonne from Davao, Anand from India, Ganga from Nepal, and Ahmed from Bangladesh.

We also had Corey—Corey is American, but he’s currently staying in Taipei. Corey was part of the attendee experience team earlier, but he’s now stepped up as the design team lead. So yeah, congrats, Corey!

Devin:
Oh, I remember Corey was part of the design team for WordCamp Asia 2024 in Taipei. And now he’s stepping up to lead. That’s amazing.

Dan:
Yeah! So, about my role—I would say it’s a pretty dynamic one. Even though I hold the “lead” title, everyone on the team plays an equally important role.

Our responsibilities are split into two main areas.

1. The first area focuses on accessibility and inclusivity—ensuring the venue is easy to navigate, the food is delicious and caters to different needs, and just making sure everyone feels comfortable.
2. The second area is what I like to call the fun side—organizing the social night (formerly known as the welcome dinner) for sponsors, speakers, and special guests, as well as the after party.

At first, these two areas might seem very different, but they both fall under the overall attendee experience. We coordinate a lot with other teams to ensure everything works seamlessly. Ultimately, our goal is to create a memorable experience for all attendees.

Devin:
That sounds exciting! You talked about the after party and the welcome dinner for the special people contributing to the event.

So I guess this one is for you, Dan. Following up on your mention of the after party, what makes Manila a unique and exciting destination? And will there be any opportunity to learn about Manila or experience Manila at the after party? Because usually that’s what we expect—there’s a bit of a culture night or something that reflects the Philippines. Is there a plan for that?

Dan:
Yes. I won’t say what the theme for the after party is, but yes—we will definitely incorporate a lot of what the Philippines is in the after party.

Devin:
Okay, I failed to dig more information from you. That’s all I get?

Dan:
Haha, yes! But I can tell you what makes Manila an exciting place.

Manila is a city that’s rich in history and a melting pot of cultures. You’ll find influences from Spain, China, America, and the indigenous Filipino cultures, all blended together. This mix is reflected in everything—from the architecture, to the people, to the food.

Speaking of food, those attending WordCamp Asia next year should prepare themselves for a culinary adventure. Filipino cuisine is a fusion of flavors. You’ll find Spanish influences in dishes like adobo, Chinese influences in pancit (our version of noodles), and Malay influences in dishes like kare-kare—which is my favorite. Kare-kare is an oxtail stew with a peanut sauce.

And if you’re feeling a little adventurous, why not try balut?

Devin:
Yes, the balut!

Dan:
We’ll have that somewhere during the event. Surprise, surprise!

Devin:
Get ready, folks! If you don’t know what balut is, you can Google it. It’s an interesting experience. As someone from Jakarta, Indonesia, I’m familiar with unique culinary items, but we don’t have anything like balut.

Devin:
And so there’s a lot of similarities between Indonesia and the Philippines. We even share some languages. But with balut—oh, we don’t share that! So when I go to the Philippines, I look forward to trying it. But then the moment it’s in front of me, I’m like, “Oh no, I don’t think I can do this.”

Dan:
Haha, that’s exactly it.

Devin:
But I did finally try it. So I’ve been to the Philippines several times, but I think the first time—and the only time—I managed to gather my courage was just last year.

Dan:
Last year?

Devin:
Yes, when I attended WordCamp Iloilo. Around midnight, I finally thought, “Okay, I’m ready for this.” But honestly, Andrew Garcia—one of the local leads for WordCamp Asia Manila—was the best salesperson for balut.

Dan:
Yes! He’s the perfect guy for that.

Devin:
Oh my gosh, he made it sound as if you’re eating a strawberry cake—so charming and friendly. You just can’t say no when he’s there with the balut.

Dan:
Exactly!

Devin:
Oh, this is fun. I can’t wait to go back to Manila.

So yeah, we’ve been talking a lot, and I think we’ve heard about so many great things that you all have done to prepare WordCamp Asia 2025 in Manila. You’re making it another extraordinary experience for WordPressers and non-WordPressers across the world—especially from our region, Asia.

Is there any last message that you want to share with us today?

Meher:
If you’re still hesitant—wait for the schedule, see the schedule, and then go book your tickets. Come meet the community. We’re very friendly. Meet new people from different parts of the world. And have a culinary experience of Filipino taste!

Devin:
Yeah, yeah. You’ll never regret it. All right. And Dan, what’s your final message for the listeners today?

Dan:
I just want to talk to the first-time attendees—our first-time WordCamp attendees. If this is your first WordCamp, don’t feel overwhelmed by the event. My advice is: try to plan your schedule in advance. Take a look at the wonderful program that Meher and her team built for us. See what sessions, workshops, and activities you’re interested in. Figure out which sponsors you want to talk to.

But honestly, once you’re there, it’s just going to be pure fun. You’ll want to go everywhere and do everything all at once. WordCamps are like that. It’s not a typical conference. WordCamps have a very strong networking aspect. You can just put yourself out there, meet new people, and open up opportunities.

Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions and connect with other attendees. I myself used to go to WordCamps alone. My very first WordCamp—I went solo. My second WordCamp—I also went solo. But I came home with a lot of new friends and new connections. That’s what WordCamps are all about. It’s all about community.

So just come as you are. Don’t feel nervous, because that’s how I felt. But trust me—it’s going to be really fun. Pure fun. Trust us.

Devin:
You go there solo, and you come home with a family, right?

Dan:
Yeah. And a happy bag full of swag.

Devin:
Yes! And speaking of swag—I just learned recently that “swag” is actually an abbreviation. Did you know that? It stands for “Stuff We All Get.”

Dan:
Oh, I didn’t know that!

Meher:
Even I didn’t know that!

Devin:
Yes! Google it. Swag stands for “Stuff We All Get.”

Dan:
Wow, I’m going to use that now.

Devin:
All right. So, before I close our chat tonight, I just want to remind everyone that WordCamp Asia is going to be in February, from the 20th to 22nd, at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Manila.

And folks, if you missed it, we just sent out an email a couple of days ago. We’ve officially opened the registration for Contributor Day. So don’t miss the opportunity—come to Contributor Day, learn how to contribute, and meet all the cool contributors from around the world.

We also have the official hotel, which is the Conrad Hotel—it’s close to the event venue. But of course, you can find other accommodations that are comfortable for you. And if you need any help—like a visa letter—feel free to reach out.

As Dan mentioned earlier, if you have any questions, you can contact us at asia@wordcamp.org.

And last but not least, we’ve also published the call for the next host city. So I’m calling out to all the community organizers across Asia: please get ready and apply to host WordCamp Asia 2026.

That’s all from me, from us. Thank you all for attending, sharing, and chatting with me. Meher and Dan, I can’t wait to see you in less than 100 days in Manila, right?

Meher:
Yes!

Dan:
Yeah!

Meher:
Thanks, Devin, for inviting us.

Dan:
Yes, thanks, Devin. And thanks, everyone who’s listening. Just go to our website at asia.wordcamp.org—you’ll find all the details there. Go buy the tickets!

Devin:
All right. Have a great day, everyone, and see you in Manila in February.

Bye-bye!