After a multi-year break caused by the pandemic restrictions on live events, WordCamp in Sofia Live was back on April 22, 2023. We had the great pleasure of being there, and here's how we—the Jump team—experienced it and what speakers, organizers, volunteers, and participants had to say about the event.
What is WordCamp and When Did It Began?
WordCamp is an event that traditionally brings together WordPress enthusiasts, website developers, designers, marketers, and others to get inspired, share experiences, and help improve the platform that powers over 40% of the world's websites.
The first WordCamp took place 17 years ago - in 2006 in San Francisco, USA, and was organized by Matt Mullenweg. Thanks to Scott Beale's footage taken on August 5, 2006, we can take a look and immerse ourselves in the atmosphere of the event:
WordCamp 2006, photo by Scott Beale, August 5, 2006.
Matt Mullenweg, in his blog, defines WordCamp as " a one-day free BarCamp-style conference with a party in the evening. There's a free BBQ lunch, WordPress t-shirts, and a full day of discussions with users and developers”.
As time goes by, WordCamp conferences become more and more demanding, and to cover the costs of organizing them, there is a very symbolic entrance fee.
To date, over 1151 WordCamp events have taken place on 6 continents, in 65 countries, and in 385 different cities. WordCamp Europe is held in a different city each year, as is WordCamp US.
The pandemic that has had such a tangible impact on our lives has also affected the place where WordCamp - Live takes place. The last event took place in 2019, and in 2020 it was held online.
But those who have experienced it know that the talks are only part of the experience. The live meetings, the talks, the opportunity to present a paper, get support, etc. are invaluable. The first live event in Sofia after the long pandemic break took place in 2023.
WordCamp Sofia 2023
WordCamp Sofia 2023 was a true celebration for all those who value direct contact and networking opportunities. After a three-year break, the conference that brings WordPress enthusiasts together was organized again to the delight of many.
WordCamp Sofia 2023, April 22, 2023, "John Atanasov" Forum, Sofia Tech Park
The event took place on April 22, 2023, traditionally in Sofia Tech Park in the Forum "John Atanasov". Registration started at 8:00 am and to our surprise there was already a queue of enthusiasts in the first minutes after the doors opened.
We at Hosting Jump supported WordCamp Sofia 2023 as a sponsor and our team was immersed in the atmosphere of the event throughout the day.
In the following lines, you will find out who the speakers were and what they thought of the conference. The organizers, volunteers, and participants also wrote reports, especially for our blog. Here's what they shared:
Speakers at WordCamp Sofia 2023
Speakers are traditionally volunteers and are not paid for their participation in the conference. There is also an application form with the announcement of the event. A team of organizers reviewed the applications and selected the best ones. Here's who that was in 2023.
Petya Petkova at WordCamp Sofia 2023 - " Anatomy of WordPress: How to Create Your Theme"
The first speaker was Petya Petkova, popularly known as {dev} blondie, who shared her experience and knowledge on the topic: "Anatomy of WordPress: How to create your theme", suitable for developers and enthusiasts with dev interests.
Petya Petkova at WordCamp Sofia 2023, April 22, 2023, "John Atanasov" Forum Sofia Tech Park
Petya explored the anatomy of a WordPress theme, covering the most important components – index.php, page.php, single.php, WP_Query, The Loop, and the creation of custom post types. Using several examples, she clearly showed which steps are necessary to create a customized theme, especially in the front-end.
Here's what Petya shared specifically for our blog:
After a two-year break, the WordPress community in Bulgaria has once again proven how strong and united it is. It's been a while since I didn't get up on a Saturday morning with joy.
My personal experience was more than invigorating - I found myself among friends and new faces with whom we still have to share knowledge and experiences. I hope that there will be no more interruptions and that every year we will have the opportunity to immerse ourselves in this atmosphere of enthusiasm, positivity and knowledge of hundreds of people.
Todor Pulev at WordCamp Sofia 2023 - "Can WordPress Be a Part of the Future of WEB 3.0?"
After a short break, Todor Pulev took the podium and gave a talk on the topic: "Can WordPress be part of the future of WEB 3.0?" The topic was accessible and suitable for a broader audience, without requiring WEB 3.0 knowledge or deep DEV expertise at the level of WordPress or blockchain technologies.
Todor Pulev at WordCamp Sofia 2023, April 22, 2023, "John Atanasov" Forum Sofia Tech Park
He explained that the concept of WEB 3.0 is about creating a more secure web space where we can be sure that our data remains protected and intact. The development of the idea is based on blockchain technologies that aim to make the network fully decentralized.
Todor introduced the audience to the essence of WEB 3.0, the benefits of the concept, and the latest actions of WordPress in this direction, including plugins and integrations based on WEB 3.0. We also saw a real example of a completed Bulgarian WEB 3.0 project worth over 14 million dollars. An interesting detail was that the website started with a "custom" version, but as the project progressed, it was replaced with a WordPress solution that allows marketing and business goals to be pursued more practically.
Here's what Todor told us - specifically for our blog:
Todor Pulev for WordPress, WordCamp, and How He Decided to Attend It:
WordPress is much more than just software for creating and managing website content. The core principles and ideology behind the mission and concept of WordPress have, over time, developed the most important asset for a brand - a community that can identify with the product and the other participants in it.
The WordPress community is smart, tight-knit, supportive, and deeply committed to the values that almost everyone involved shares. This is the main reason that motivates me to pass on knowledge and specific know-how to the participants of this huge ecosystem, where everyone is willing to help each other.
Whenever I have been a speaker at WordPress meetups, I have felt great, and the energy of the people has filled me with positive emotions. Over time, I came to believe that this community took the information I was sharing with interest and believed that I could be really useful with my experience.
All these positive factors motivated me to apply to be a speaker at WordCamp Sofia 2023, the biggest WordPress event in Bulgaria.
Todor Pulev's Thoughts About WordCamp Sofia 2023:
Although I have been active in the WordPress community since 2019, this happened to be the first WordCamp I attended.
The full hall with 400 people, the smiles on their faces, and the interesting presentations of the speakers are, in my opinion, a sign of the success of the WordCamp Sofia 2023 event.
The organizers and volunteers managed to make everyone feel comfortable and enjoy a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. The sponsors had prepared quite interesting games, various attractions, and gifts, and in my opinion, they managed to attract the attention of WordCamp visitors.
I think that everyone was able to learn something interesting or make new friends with wonderful and intelligent people at this event. It's a great feeling when you see so many well-meaning and smiling faces in one place. That's part of the magic of WordPress!
The support I received from the attendees at the event, as well as the feedback I received after my talk, still makes me wake up with a smile on my face because I did a good job, but also extremely motivated to keep doing my best for this community.
I was very satisfied with everything I saw, experienced, and felt during the event. In my opinion, the level of WordCamp Sofia 2023 was extremely high and I definitely can't wait to attend the next WordCamp that will be organized in Bulgaria.
Nikolay Karaboychev at WordCamp Sofia 2023 - "How a Small Project Can Drag on for Months? Proven Project Management Practices for on-time Delivery.”
The third presentation was given by Nikolay Karaboychev on the topic: "How can a simple project drag on for months?" Proven project management practices for on-time delivery".”
In his presentation, Nikolay addressed one of the most pressing issues in communication between clients and agencies, namely the delay of projects due to delays in materials or other information.
Under such circumstances, even a seemingly simple project with a planned processing time of 10 working days can take months. He shared examples of such projects and best practices used in the agency to meet the initial deadlines as much as possible, as well as a strategy for creating phases with deadlines and how to best divide the process of creating a WordPress project.
Diana Koshedzhiyska at WordCamp Sofia 2023 - "User Enablement - Not Just a Functional Training"
The fourth talk had the attractive title: "User Enablement - not just functional training", presented by Diana Koshedzhiyska with guidelines for bridging the gap between successful custom WordPress implementation and user satisfaction.
Atanas Yonkov at WordCamp Sofia 2023 - “ChatGPT for the WordPress Community – a Friend or a Foe?”
The fifth topic was hot - about artificial intelligence, which has become popular in recent months, presented by Atanas Yonkov: "ChatGPT for the WordPress community – a friend or a foe?"
The talk was in English and included a guide on how website owners can benefit from AI (SEO, copyright, translation, development, design, etc.). The "dark side of AI" - the perceived dangers and threats that can arise in connection with AI - was also addressed.
Atanas Yonkov at WordCamp Sofia 2023, April 22, 2023, "John Atanasov" Forum, Sofia Tech Park
Here's What Nasco Said Specifically for Our Blog:
I have been developing WordPress websites since 2016 when two other friends and I created a WordPress blog just for fun. After that, I started working professionally as a web developer and consultant. I am the author of themes and plugins published on wordpress.org. I have an online store for themes Nasio Themes.
I attended my first WordCamp in Sofia in 2018 and I haven't missed it since! I have worked at both WordCamp Skopje and WordCamp Europe Porto. For me, WordCamps are the coolest IT conferences, the atmosphere is unique, the people are positive and the talks are informative.
This year's WordCamp was no exception, it was once again top-notch. I had the pleasure of being a speaker, which was my first time at such a large event, and I was pretty excited. My topic was related to artificial intelligence. I'm glad that the topic piqued my interest and an interesting discussion ensued. The next stop is in June, WordCamp Athens!
Martin Mladenov at WordCamp Sofia 2023 - "How to Develop Plugins with React and How Does It Benefit?"
The sixth speaker in a row was Martin Mladenov with a presentation on the topic: "How to develop plugins with React and what are the benefits" He introduced the audience to the rules of plugin development with ReactJS in WordPress, practices and innovations that I have used in the projects I have managed.
Martin Mladenov at WordCamp Sofia 2023, April 22, 2023, "John Atanasov" Forum, Sofia Tech Park
Martin went through the whole process from planning the plugin architecture to its release, combined with a comparison between good and bad practices, illustrated with examples from projects he has worked on over the years.
Nikola Dimitrijevic at WordCamp Sofia 2023 - “Sun Tzu's Principles for Webmasters”
The last two lectures were again in English. The guest speaker from Serbia, Nikola Dimitrijevic, demonstrated how webmasters can apply the principles of Sun Tzu in his presentation on the topic: "Sun Tzu's principles for webmasters".
Nikola Dimitrievich at WordCamp Sofia 2023, April 22, 2023, "John Atanasov" Forum, Sofia Tech Park
Vasilena Valchanova at WordCamp Sofia 2023 - "The Brand of You"
The highlight of the conference was Vasilena Valchanova, who presented how we can market ourselves and how others can see the expert in us!
Vasilena Valchanova at WordCamp Sofia 2023, April 22, 2023, "John Atanasov" forum, Sofia Tech Park
Organizers of WordCamp Sofia 2023
Participation in the WordCamp organization is voluntary. Enthusiasts invest their time to make this event a real celebration. Here's what some of them shared:
Niki Krastev for WordCamp Sofia 2023
I have friends who are addicted to work, and others to pleasure, and I combine both with my addiction to WordCamps ;)
The small WordPress events, better known as Meetups (actually the WordPress Sofia Meetup is not that small, as we regularly gather more than 50-60 WordPress enthusiasts), are events where usually in the first part a speaker gives an interesting and topical talk and in the second part moves on to pleasant conversations in an informal setting, WordCamp conferences are much larger events, in many cases two days, and during these there are many and various activities.
There are WordCamps in the cities where there are also monthly meetings (WordPress Meetups), and in our country, these are Sofia, Plovdiv, and Varna (official meetings are held in over 800 cities around the world).
Niki Krastev in the company of Georgi Dimitrov and Boryana Popova at WordCamp Sofia 2023, April 22, 2023, "John Atanasov" forum, Sofia Tech Park
I'll talk a little more about the euphoria that comes with this, but let me start with a little more general information: WordPress is a community known worldwide for its openness, hospitality, and friendly atmosphere at all its events. And if there was a ranking list of these events, WordCamp would top it.
The conference is organized by the active members of the WordPress community on a local or global level, depending on whether it's a local or global camp. WordCamps take place all over the world and are aimed at users, developers, and generally anyone who works with WordPress.
Volunteers at the registration table at WordCamp Sofia 2023, April 22, 2023, "John Atanasov" Forum Sofia Tech Park
WordCamp is both a conference and a networking event and a space for the exchange of experiences and ideas. The event features talks, panels, workshops, and other activities covering a wide range of WordPress-related topics such as programming, web security, search engine optimization (SEO), marketing, design, accessibility, and much more.
The event also offers the opportunity to meet and share experiences with other attendees working with WordPress. This is a great opportunity to meet people who have a common interest in WordPress, learn new things from industry experts or enthusiasts, and have fun. Of course, you can get involved not only as a visitor but also in a leading or supporting role in the organization, as a volunteer, speaker, or sponsor.
The WordCamp is open to anyone interested in WordPress and can be attended by anyone, regardless of their level of knowledge and experience - the lecture program is selected so that something is interesting and useful for everyone in the audience!
The sponsors' stands are always very well attended, as there are great competitions, prizes, and the opportunity to find out first-hand about the new opportunities and products they offer.
Due to the networking activities, the positive mood of the visitors, and the topicality of the presentation topics prepared by the speakers, WordCamp is attended by the experts and the most active members of the WordPress community and is a wonderful opportunity to expand your network of contacts and learn new things directly from the source.
Above all, WordCamp is a place where you can meet new friends, have fun, and enjoy the positive atmosphere of the WordPress community. These events are full of energy, inspiration, and enthusiasm and can provide you with unparalleled experiences. So if you have an interest in WordPress, don't hesitate to attend WordCamp.
Atanas Lambev for WordCamp Sofia 2023
What attracts me most at these events is the positive energy with which I am charged. It is generated above all by a large community in which wonderful relationships develop.
Since 2018 I have been the design lead of all WordCamps in Bulgaria, and I am happy that we managed to realize another wonderful event where wonderful friendships and business partnerships are created. They are like an added value to the useful lectures that keep us updated on the platform, but for me, the human relationships are the motivation and ambition to keep actively participating in the camps.
How did HE decide to get involved as an organizer?
In 2017, I was working as a volunteer photographer at events in Varna and Sofia. Then something dawned on me, I was inspired by the WordCamp community, by people who are willing to help each other, despite the different industries they work in, despite the different companies they work for, and despite the different levels they occupy.
It was as if all differences had been erased… everyone acted like an incredibly well-oiled event machine. I was impressed, I had never been part of a team like this before. This motivated me and I decided to apply to be a designer at WordCamp 2018, and it worked out. They gave me a vote of confidence, which I try to justify at every event.
What COMES NEXT after WordCamp Sofia 2023?
There are many ways, but I would not give up on these wonderful people (the organizers). I feel immensely useful doing what I do. It still brings tears to my eyes when I receive words of thanks from the stage.
And as for direction - I am thinking about becoming a lecturer. I have quite a few appearances as a lecturer and as a teacher in the 6 years, I have been teaching. I have never been a WordCamp speaker, but maybe it's time.
Ivan Popov from Vipe Studio for WordCamp Sofia 2023
I was very happy to be reminded that the word community in the software world, in the business world in general, really has a meaning that goes beyond the marketing overexposure it has received lately - almost everything has become community.
The WordPress community bears the true responsibility for community development - every participant in the camps - from volunteers to guests - is there to give of themselves. And it is this giving that we receive.
I am glad that we are organizing live camps in Bulgaria again. The progress and employment in the IT field in the country have increased tremendously since 2019, when the last WordCamp took place, but it has shown that the interest in WordPress is not only not decreasing, but increasing. I cannot wait to be part of the future development as well.
Stefan Velev for WordCamp Sofia 2023
Stefan once again participated as a volunteer. Here is what he shared:
How and when did you find out about WordPress?
Here we have to go back 15 years, when there were no social networks and blogs were the space on the web where ideas were shared and spread, stories, travelogues, and poems were written, and copyrighted photos were shared.
Back then, I actively used Blogger as a platform for my humble blog, until one day a colleague from the office I worked in asked me to try something new (to me at the time), WordPress.
I had already heard of this platform, I even had a wp.com registration, but I had not actively used it yet. With the help of my colleague and with great effort, I finally managed to configure a subdomain on a website, fight "the famous "5-minute installation" and now I had a self-hosted blog where I continued my naive texts, travelogues, and photo albums, and without realizing it, I had taken one of the biggest steps in my life - the step towards independence from employers and "bosses".
The year was around 2007 and the WordPress version, if I'm not mistaken, was 1.5. After that, I migrated the old blog to a new domain, which I still maintain to this day and on which I still write (albeit infrequently) and share useful WordPress solutions.
Do you remember the first WordCamp you attended?
Oh yes! I will never forget my first WordCamp and how I almost missed it because of a crazy party and one hell of a hangover the next day.
My first WordCamp was also the first one in Sofia, and back then it was simply called WordCamp Bulgaria. The year was 2010, Facebook had just become relatively popular in Bulgaria and Web 2.0 was at its peak!
I could never have imagined that this conference would leave such a strong impression both in my memory and in my professional life. This was also the turning point from which WordPress became an everyday tool not only in my hobby but also in my work!
What do you remember from it?
This event was the first time I had the opportunity to touch one of the strongest sides of WordPress, the community! On this sunny fall day, I had the chance to meet some of the "rock stars" of our scene and exchange ideas with them.
Names like Niki Bachiiski, Stefan Kanev, Elenko Elinkov, Bogomil Shopov, Ognyan Mladenov, and Veselin Nikolov still command respect in the industry, and I, the freckled peasant, had the chance to talk to them at eye level, enjoy the free coffee in the hall's foyer and soak up their every word (I still keep my notebook!).
I remember the sponsors sensing at the time how promising these conferences were, and I still keep a laptop bag - a gift from one of the event sponsors. The ELIEFF Center hall was relatively small and could barely accommodate the WordPress enthusiasts who came to the conference hungry for new knowledge. This hall also hosted WordCamp Sofia 2011, where I was delighted to meet a chatty, red-haired boy whose name I later learned… Matt Mullenweg - the co-founder of WordPress :)
Do you manage to be a part of WordCamp every year?
Yes, since 2010 I only missed the 2012 edition when I was not living in Bulgaria, but I still followed it from afar. in 2014, I volunteered for the first time, and not at just any event, but at WordCamp Europe, which took place in Sofia! It was the conference where Matt Mullenweg said his iconic phrase "Lean JavaScript deeply", and the place where I felt part of the big picture for the first time.
four years later, I volunteered again at WordCamp Sofia 2018, and in 2019 I became part of the organizing team. Since then, I have had the pleasure and honor of being one of the enthusiasts who donate some of their time for free to support the local community and make the biggest WordPress conference a reality!
What motivates you to volunteer at WordCamp?
I realize that what I've said sounds like a cliché, but I cannot lie to myself, and everything I'm about to say I believe and think! I sincerely believe that the more you give, the more you get. WordPress is my tool to achieve relative freedom, the favorite platform thanks to which I've been freelancing for almost 13 years and have managed to build a successful career and long-term partnerships with colleagues and clients.
WordPress wouldn't be the successful platform it is if the thousands involved in it hadn't sacrificed their free time to build this amazing ecosystem based on the principles of open source and democratization of publishing, making the system something new, bigger, and different than anything we've seen before.
The time I spend helping the community is just a small part of what I've taken from it, and I believe that every effort is worthwhile and will pay off in the long run. And when I say "it pays off" I don't mean an immediate financial measurement, quite the opposite!
It's a true pleasure and honor for me to be part of this community and not only to know a large part of it, but to call these people friends and sympathizers in this cause that is bigger than all of us, namely - the freedom to express ourselves, the freedom to publish and the freedom to grow together with our beloved platform.
Ismail (Esmo) for WordCamp Sofia 2023
I have been interested in WordPress for a long time - since 2005 - 2006, and more seriously since 2015, when we had to migrate a website from Drupal and it was quite interesting.
My first attendance at WordCamp was in 2017, including Contributor Day. And in the following year, 2018, I was already there as the organizer and Accessibility Lead of Contributor Day, because web accessibility (eAccessibility) is important!
My first participation as a speaker was at WordCamp Plovdiv 2019 with a presentation on the topic: "What is accessibility?":
Under the conditions of a pandemic, there were then only online events, in which I also participated as an organizer and volunteer of Contributor Day.
WordCamp makes me happy with the possibility of many social contacts, new friendships, and a good atmosphere with many positive emotions.
What participants and WordPress enthusiasts shared
The people who make up the event are those who sacrifice their time to participate and share experiences and knowledge. Here is what some of them shared:
Petyo Eremiev from Webtik.bg for WordCamp Sofia 2023
My name is Petyo Eremiev and I am co-owner of the digital agency WEBTIK.BG. I have been creating WordPress-based websites for over 10 years.
WordCamp is a very important event where we have the opportunity to meet many colleagues in our field and share valuable experiences and knowledge.
This year's program was very dynamic and the speakers managed to address many important and interesting topics, such as the future of WordPress in the world of WEB 3.0, project management and where we can encounter "pitfalls" in practice, Sensation, and the amazing chatGPT that has reached heights in the IT industry, valuable and very important advice, in my opinion, from Vasilena Valchanova and many other useful information that would help you "check your watch" with the news in the world of WordPress.
Of course, the sponsors also set up their stands with a range of giveaways, useful information about their services, raffles with games, and, above all, to chat and share experiences.
In the last two years, or rather after the strict measures related to the pandemic, this type of event has become extremely popular thanks to Hosting Jump, DevriX, and many other companies that contribute to the development of the WordPress community and the skills of web developers, marketing managers, and SEO specialists.
In general, the IT sector in Bulgaria continues to grow rapidly and competition is increasing, so it is very important to discover and implement new information solutions to meet the needs of businesses.
I look forward to the next WordCamp event and hope that the WordPress community will grow and more specialists will appear on the horizon.
Daniel Yordanov - SEO Specialist - for WordCamp Sofia 2023
My name is Daniel Yordanov and I am an SEO specialist at the digital agency Webtik. My SEO adventure started in 2019 and has continued to this day. I have gone through several projects and SEO courses so that Webtik can provide quality service to the market.
I can say about WordCamp Sofia 2023 that it was a successful event with a lot of positive emotions and good networking. The speakers were very well selected and talked exactly about the topics of how WordPress will work in 2023. I can say that the talk about WEB 3.0 and how the WordPress platform can fit in there was the most interesting for me, as I am interested in these things.
The networking part was really fun because the purpose of these events is to socialize. As we all know, during the Covid pandemic we have not had the opportunity for such events and a large proportion of our colleagues have not seen each other. Everyone was very positive and ready for new acquaintances and partnerships. There were also games and raffles with gifts.
The organization of the whole event was great and I would like to congratulate them on a job well done. Everyone knows that it is not easy to organize such an event, so - CONGRATULATIONS! We are already looking forward to the next event.
Slavcho Panov for WordCamp Sofia 2023
For me, one of the most valuable features of such forums is the so-called networking. We, Edmund Ford, have come specifically to see, meet, and talk to certain people.
The organization was good, but I was very impressed with the spirit and vibe of the event. The WordPress community in Bulgaria is a nice, smiling, united, and interesting people.
I was happy to see you (and take a photo with you), Boryana, with Petya, who gave a wonderful talk, with your commander Drago, with Todor Pulev, but I was also very happy when I could meet and talk to Tihomir Georgiev from your team, who I know does not live in Sofia permanently, but who has helped me a lot with hosting problems in the last few years.
Hosting Jump at WordCamp Sofia 2023
The news that WordCamp is returning to Sofia was a cause for joy in our team. We started feverish preparations to be able to meet again with friends among WordPress enthusiasts.
Hosting Jump booth - moments before we draw the big prize - branded comfortable barbaron WordCamp Sofia 2023, April 22, 2023, forum "John Atanasov" Sofia Tech Park
We had prepared two types of mugs (metal jugs) - one with the history of the company painted on it, the other with the services we offer. We had also prepared two patterned scarves, a notebook, and a pen, and hosted prizes to be won in a raffle. And the main prize was a comfortable Barbaron with a backrest.
Here's what our camp representatives had to say:
George Dimitrov - dev. manager
The event brought together developers, designers, experts, members of the public, and enthusiasts of the WordPress platform. The participants, who traveled from all over Bulgaria, especially for this weekend, were touched by a unique atmosphere and professional lecturers who shared their knowledge in the form of lectures in Bulgarian and English.
It's nice to see events of this caliber taking place again after a lull in recent years. I met many happy and radiant people with whom I had the honor of chatting during the coffee breaks.
I am happy to see that the WordPress and WooCommerce community in Bulgaria is growing and becoming more cohesive. This is largely thanks to the volunteers who sacrificed their time and joined forces for another year, and the result was a great WordCamp Sofia 2023.
Petar Hristov: After the accumulated experience of CloudExpo in Germany, where Hosting Jump and Delta Cloud were also present, we created an organization and a stand that surpassed the best there.
I am very proud of the team and the fact that we have received a large number of positive reviews and recommendations from our current and future customers and the interest in our services has grown exponentially.
We hosted several representatives from the "Technical Support" department to talk about their experience with the campaign:
Tihomir Georgiev - technical support manager
For me, it was the second WordCamp and I knew what to expect, but that did not make it any less exciting. I met a lot of nice people and we were able to talk about our services as well as about WordPress, which is my particular passion. Perhaps the most exciting part is finally meeting people (some of them) live after months or years of communicating online.
Lyubomir Kotsov - Technical Support Administrative Manager
This is my second time attending WordCamp as the event is always successful in bringing customers and suppliers together. The best thing about it is that you can see your customers face-to-face and talk about interesting WordPress topics, problems, and solutions. After the event, you are always full of new ideas and have received new information.
Such events are always useful for people who want to work with and develop WordPress. For me, this event is an enrichment and communication with our current and future customers. We are grateful that we were able to gather a large number of people in our camp and inspire them with our knowledge and prizes.
Borislav Stoyanov Technical and WordPress Support Expert
This is the first WordCamp I have attended. It was cool, there were a lot of young people. I could not attend the presentations because we had constant visitors at our booth and I wanted to take the opportunity to interact with them live and help them answer questions they had regarding technical support. The price for the event was great and I would attend again next year.
Dobromir Dechev - Technical and WordPress Support Expert
I am a fan of WordPress and I am glad that I was able to feel the pulse of the WordPress community in personal contact. In my job, I deal with clients every day who use WordPress for their websites. It fills me with satisfaction when I can contribute to their well-being and development. But when I get to experience these people and their tasks first-hand, the excitement and enthusiasm is second to none!
Stilyana, Ellie, and Sophie - the Sales Team
It was a great pleasure for our entire "Sales Department" team to participate in the WordCamp Sofia 2023 event. We managed to meet a large number of our current and, we believe, future partners and customers :)
With great pleasure we distributed gifts, collected smiles and fulfilled wishes : )) We hope that everyone who visited our stand was satisfied and received at least one glove from us. And do not forget – our frog is a springboard for sure success!
Stilyana: For me, WordCamp Sofia 2023 was a professional challenge that brought me a bouquet of expertise, shared emotions, cohesion plus value for future projects. We developed ideas that we will continue to work on, fulfill, and implement.
Elitsa: The feeling when you see the positive result of your efforts on the faces of your customers is amazing and certainly very motivating. The event filled me with positive energy, satisfaction, and the certainty that the path we have chosen is the right one.
Sofia: WordCamp Sofia 2023 was an exciting adventure. I had the opportunity to meet inspiring people from whom I could learn new things. The day is great when you expand your professional knowledge while experiencing moments of fun, joy, and positivity.
Boryana Popova, Marketing Manager
This was the first WordCamp event for me. From WordPress MeetUps, I had an idea of the potential of the community, but what I saw and experienced exceeded my wildest expectations, and I am a bold and brave person!
It's amazing how much positivity there was in every single one of the people I spoke to, and there were a lot of them. At an event like this, you realize how united the digital community is and how strong the will to change is that each of us brings to the table.
We are strong when we are together, and together we can achieve more. Only those who believe in themselves and the success of the community can help, and share experiences and even know-how. That's why I bow to everyone who attended WordCamp and spared themselves, their knowledge, and their time so that we can all become stronger and more capable - today and tomorrow!
Dragomir Zhelev - CEO
I would like to thank the organizers for allowing us to participate in the event again as sponsors. We are honored to be able to support the WordPress community. I am happy that we met many friends and partners. At Jump, we pay special attention to WordPress and strive to provide an ever higher quality service and additional features.
Conclusion
WordCamp Sofia 2023 has inspired many, and part of the event is the so-called Contributor Day - the day when each of us can immerse ourselves in the friendly atmosphere of the community and make our contribution - to make the WordPress platform even more successful and accessible.
Expect our report on WordCamp Sofia 2023 - Contributor Day - very soon!
