In the past few weeks, there have been questions about the WordCamp US (WCUS) attendees estimate.

It is true that WordCamp US 2022 is currently planning for an event of around 650 people – much lower than the 2,000 person event that WCUS used to be!

There were a number of factors that led to this which we’d like to share with you today. 

1. The first is venue flexibility in the United States. In 2020, all flagships were either canceled or moved online. Our venues for WCEU in Porto and WC Asia in Bangkok were willing to work with organizers by moving our contracts with them forward, year after year. For those flagships, the organizing teams did not have to worry about changing the attendee headcount because the space was guaranteed.
   
   In the US, however, the St. Louis venue refused to move or cancel the contract without a hefty price tag, insisting that they could host a safe event in October 2020. WordPress Community Support (often referred to as “Central”) strongly disagreed, and canceled the contract.
   
2. It was immensely difficult to look into the future to determine when might be safe for a WordCamp US comeback. After some discussion in 2021, a group of community deputies and former lead organizers of WordCamp US decided to secure a venue for 2022. By then, we were competing with many, many other events for venues. With so many events coming back, the cost of venue space in the US is at an all time high. Further, the cost in any city close to an international airport is also higher than usual this year.
   
3. Even working with a production company, our choices in location were limited. We selected what we believe to be the best option based on venue flexibility, cost, and dates available. One major benefit of the venue we’ve selected is that there is flexibility around rescheduling and minimum attendees, given the global situation.  WCUS could not afford to confirm a venue that could accommodate 2,000 attendees without undue risk of financial loss.

WordCamp US organizers are committed to creating the best possible event for WordPress enthusiasts under continually changing circumstances.

Organizing a flagship event is never an easy task, let alone under current circumstances. It is our hope that the WordPress community sees and supports this organizing team in creating an event that embodies the spirit of WordPress: a strong community that comes together to create a more equitable future.