We can’t wait to see you (again)
As the world’s WordPress community arrives in Portland, Oregon for WordCamp US (WCUS) 2024, be prepared to have fun and create lasting WordPress memories! Whether you’re a first-timer or long-time attendee, you may be wondering what to expect at this year’s flagship event.
Portland is a wonderful city to host WordCamp US, with plenty of places to eat and things to do. Some sponsors and other “Friends of WordPress” are even hosting evening side events that you may want to consider attending!
WordCamp US will feature three days of not-to-be-missed sessions for web professionals, including talks by the CTO of TIME, UX Lead for Disney Experiences, Lead Engineer for Pew Research Center, Chief Education Officer for Georgia Department of Education, Co-Founder of WordPress, and much more.
You’ll be joining an expected 1,700 attendees at the Oregon Convention Center (OCC)! There is ample signage on-site, and here is a map of the OCC.
The entrance is located at:
777 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd
Portland, OR 97232
The NE Holladay entrance may appear closer to folks staying at the Hyatt, but those doors will be locked. Save yourself some time and head directly to the MLK entrance to start your WordCamp adventure.
Find Your Way Around WordCamp US
WordCamp US will take place on two levels of the OCC.
Sessions will be held in three (3) rooms on Level 1:
- Rose City (A105 – A106)
- Stumptown (B113 – B116)
- Timbers (C123 – C124)
Opening Remarks and Keynotes will take place in Mt. Hood (Oregon Ballroom) on Level 2.
Campfire Sessions, a new type of programing for 2024, will be held in the WCUS Lounge in the center of the Sponsor Hall.
The WCUS Sponsor Hall (open Thursday and Friday) and Lunch Hall are in Exhibit Halls B and A1 on Level 1.
There are ramps or lifts to all session stages and WCUS works with venue staff to ensure wide aisles in all event areas, variable table heights, and priority seating for individuals with access needs. Read more about venue accessibility here.
WCUS 2024 starts with Contributor Day
This year’s Contributor Day is Tuesday, September 17th, at the beginning of WCUS.
Please sign-up in advance if you have not done so already!
Contributor Day is a full day dedicated to bringing together new and returning contributors to the WordPress open source project. Attendees are asked to arrive by 9:00 am, with a New Contributor Orientation breakout planned at 9:30 am.
No matter your experience level, WordPress could benefit from your contributions! To learn about the twenty-three (23!) teams and ways you can contribute, visit the Make WordPress website.
Bring your laptop, writing utensils and creative thinking and get ready to shape the future of WordPress!
Showcase Day
The inaugural Showcase Day is on Wednesday, September 18.
Showcase Day will spotlight the most innovative and exciting uses of WordPress, from Disney Experiences to CNN Brazil and Vox Media. It’s an opportunity for WCUS attendees to see the breadth of possibilities WordPress offers.
Thursday & Friday Sessions
Both Thursday, September 19 and Friday, September 20 are traditional programming days, beginning with opening remarks, a keynote speaker, and followed by 45 minute sessions led by an incredible group of speakers.
Feel free to come and go as you need during sessions. Volunteers wearing brightly colored t-shirts will be available to help open/close doors if you need assistance.
Seating Arrangements
Contributor Day will have a combination of long tables and circular tables to facilitate collaboration among teams of contributors.
Wednesday through Friday sessions will have lecture-style (row) seating, with open spaces for wheelchairs and motorized devices, and priority seating for individuals with access needs.
Livestream, Wifi, and Charging Stations
WCUS programming on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday will be live-streamed and live-captioned (CART services) on this site and on YouTube. All session recordings will be published to YouTube and WordPress.tv after the event.
The Oregon Convention Center has ample locations to charge devices and Wifi will be available to all attendees.
Quiet Rooms, Family Room and Nursing Suite
Need a break from the hustle and bustle of WCUS? Visit a Quiet Room in C127 or C128 on Level 1.
The WCUS Family Room is in A104. It provides a comfortable place for families to play and rest, with a refrigerator for bottles or children’s food to stay cold.
A private Mamava nursing suite for breastfeeding and pumping is located near the WCUS Info Hub in Pre-Function A. Download the app at mamava.com/mobile-app. The door code is available on the door of the pod.
Lunch Service
During lunch, we’ll provide a variety of meals to meet attendees’ dietary needs including allergies. The lunch menus can be viewed here.
Contributor Day will serve box lunches. Lunch on Wednesday through Friday will be served as a buffet, with volunteers available to assist. Coffee will be available throughout the day. Please contact WCUS with any questions or concerns you may have.
Note: There are NO nuts, hibiscus, popcorn or shellfish in any of the menu items being served at lunch. Please also be aware that meals denoted as AVG (Avoiding Gluten) are NOT Certified Gluten Free.
Certified Gluten Free, Halal, Kosher, and other specially requested meals will be distributed in a designated location in the Lunch Hall.
WordCamp US Social
The WordCamp US Social will be held at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) on Friday September 20 from 7 to 10 pm. Set against the backdrop of Portland’s waterfront, OMSI offers a festive venue to celebrate the conclusion of WordCamp US – complete with a submarine and planetarium!
Please note that badges are required to enter the social. More details about the WCUS Social event are available in this post.
Getting Around Portland
While the area around the convention center is walkable, the MAX Light Rail, the Portland Streetcar, and rideshares are a fantastic way to travel around the city.
The Oregon Convention Center and Hyatt are located directly on Portland’s MAX Light Rail red line at Convention Center Station.
Travel Portland is gifting MAX Light Rail passes to guests staying at the Hyatt Regency Portland. They will also distribute passes to WCUS attendees at the Travel Portland table on Tuesday and Wednesday. MAX passes will allow you to use the light rail over the course of your stay. Check out additional travel details in this earlier post.
The Portland Streetcar is the other light rail offering in Portland beyond and the same forms of payment are accepted. Very importantly, the Streetcar goes directly from the Convention Center to the OMSI (where the WCUS Social is being held)! It’s a 15 minute trip on the Streetcar. Alternatively, if the weather is nice and you fancy a bit of walking, the OMSI is nice 37-minute walk away from the OCC along the river.
Parking
Onsite parking is available in the OCC’s underground garage, with entrances on NE Lloyd Blvd (P1) and NE First Avenue (P2). Clearance on the P1 Level is 7 feet; clearance on the P2 Level is 9 feet.
Additional parking information, including parking rates, can be found on the OCC’s website.
Join WCUS on Slack
Join the WCUS conversation on Slack! For those already in the Making WordPress Project Slack workspace, be sure to join the #wcus channel. If you’re new, follow these instructions to join the WordCamp US Slack channel.