Nestled in the heart of Thessaly, at the foothills of Mount Olympus, the small yet vibrant city of Larissa became the epicenter of WordPress magic on the 9th and 10th of November 2024. A total of 242 enthusiasts, professionals, and hobbyists from 12 different Greek and international cities gathered for WordCamp Larissa, the city’s first-ever WordCamp.
Typically, smaller local WordCamps are known to have about half the gathered amount of attendees. Also, the live stream had 216 views during the event and over 4 times that number just 2 weeks later; at the time of writing this article. Other smaller, local WordCamps lack a live stream altogether! Expenses were even covered by ticket sales and sponsors by about 90%, relying very little on the WordCamp Central Sponsorship.
All that and more made WordCamp Larissa an absolute success!
Why Larissa?
The decision to host WordCamp in Larissa was no coincidence. Pre-pandemic, the Greek WordPress community was growing strong, with meetups drawing increasing numbers of attendees. While Athens and Thessaloniki had their share of successful meetups, Larissa stood out with its consistently higher attendance rates.
Larissa’s strong community spirit and its geographic convenience encouraged attendees from all over the country to participate in meetups. Its central location made it a hub for WordPress enthusiasts across Greece, connecting the two major cities and offering easy accessibility; a 3-hour 20-minute drive from Athens and a quick 1-hour 20-minute drive from Thessaloniki.
Engaging Talks and Innovative Workshops
The talks and workshops at WordCamp Larissa 2024 provided a vibrant mix of inspiration, technical know-how, and hands-on skill-building tailored to the needs of the WordPress community. The event featured a superb lineup of 13 speakers, primarily from the local community but from abroad too.
Talks
The talks at WordCamp Larissa 2024 offered a vast array of insights into WordPress development, marketing strategies, and eCommerce solutions, providing both practical advice and innovative ideas for attendees.
Some of the standout sessions included:
- Elli Mouchatrou‘s talk on attracting clients to agencies by effectively using all available marketing channels.
- John Kastorinis explored how automation tools can transform eCommerce operations.
- Uroš Tasić‘s exploration of the WordPress Playground for streamlining development.
- Vagelis Papaioannou‘s and Orestis Samaras’ session on the ethics and impact of forking under the GPL license.
Workshops
The workshops at WordCamp Larissa 2024 offered attendees hands-on learning across various interesting topics.
Irene Ioannidou’s session focused on integrating Unity WebGL games into WordPress, offering practical guidance on enhancing user engagement with interactive features and real-time player performance tracking.
Christos Baferas explored the European Accessibility Act (EEA 2025), diving into ESPA compliance, accessibility mistakes, and solutions to improve web accessibility.
Fotis Routsis presented a modern approach to plugin development in WordPress, emphasizing the role of hooks and filters in extending WordPress core functionality and popular plugins like WooCommerce, as well as the importance of creating custom hooks for third-party extensions.
Volunteers and Sponsors
WordCamps thrives because of the selfless efforts of volunteers. From planning logistics to guiding attendees, 12 passionate individuals, and 2 dedicated photographers ensured WordCamp Larissa’s success. Their commitment highlights the power of community-driven initiatives in bringing such events to fruition.
Despite being a smaller event in scale, WordCamp Larissa attracted big-name sponsors including WooCommerce, Jetpack, and GoDaddy. Their contributions reinforced the importance of fostering community-driven initiatives.
Equally vital were the local WordPress-oriented businesses that sponsored the event. Companies like Neuma, SimplyFine, and Papaki demonstrated their unwavering commitment to the local ecosystem. These sponsors highlighted how local and global efforts come together to build a thriving WordPress community.
Community Day
The second day of WordCamp Larissa was dedicated to Community Day, which again, saw an impressive turnout and high levels of engagement. Attendees were introduced to the many ways they could contribute to WordPress, whether through coding, design, translation, support, or organizing events.
The day began with a brief yet insightful introduction to how the WordPress community operates, shedding light on the invaluable work of the various WordPress Community Teams. For many, this was their first glimpse into the collaborative ecosystem that powers WordPress, inspiring them to get involved and make an impact. Then people broke off into teams for contribution while some participated in discussions on what’s next for the Greek WordPress community.
Thank You WP Community!
WordCamp Larissa was more than just an event—it was a celebration of the power of community. Thanks to the organizers, volunteers, speakers, and sponsors, this inaugural gathering succeeded in creating an inclusive space for connection and learning.
Here’s to many more WordCamps in Larissa; can’t wait until next year! WordPress magic continues to thrive in the hands of its passionate community!
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