WordPress 10th Anniversary Right Around the Corner

WP10

Can you believe it’s been almost 10 years since WordPress was first released? No foolin’. The 10th anniversary of the platform’s launch is May 27, and WordPress enthusiasts and aficionados all around the world are planning Meetup celebrations, and paying homage to the evolution of WP on their blogs and websites.

Want to get involved? To celebrate the 10-year anniversary, WordPress users from all over the globe are planning to come together for a day of shared revelry – code poetry recitals optional. Check the official WordPres Meetup page to see if there is already an event planned for your area. If not, there’s still time to organise a WordPress 10th Anniversary Meetup day from scratch – but the 27th is right around the corner, so you better get cracking!

Planning a WP10 Meetup event is simple.

Venue

First, find a venue where local WP users can meet and celebrate. This could be a local hall or park (depending on the weather!) where everyone can bring their own food and drink, or it could be a venue that offers catering so no one even needs to lift a finger.

Handy hint: Call tech-friendly cafes and bars in your area and ask if they would be interesting in supporting or sponsoring the event. Alternatively, if you expect a large turnout, contact a local exhibition hall or hotel with conference facilities and ask if they would be willing to provide one of their function rooms for an afternoon or evening.

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Gather your Tribe

Your 10th anniversary celebration might be an intimate event for a few dedicated WP fans, or an epic party of 80, 90, or even 100 users. How many people you have in attendance on the day isn’t important – but it is essential to encourage as many local WordPress fans as possible to join the fun at the event, to really tap in to that sense of community so integral to the platform.

Ask all of your attendees to put the word out over their social media networks to encourage other WP users to attend, and of course, promote the anniversary on your own WordPress website or blog, and ask other attendees to do the same. You could even design a WP 10th Anniversary badge that people can include on their blogs and sites, linking to more information about the event.

Handy hint: Put flyers up in cyber cafes, local libraries and tech stores, and promote your party to local tech classes, Meetup groups, bloggers and the press. Local newspapers and tech publications may be interested in attending the event for a news story or feature, so invite them along and ask them to promote the event in the lead up to the anniversary.

Look the Part

Wear your WP-devoted heart on your sleeve, so to speak, and get your mitts on an official WordPress 10th Anniversary Tee for just US$10 (plus shipping).

If you plan on attending one of the anniversary celebration Meetups, why not consider a group order on these piece-of-history tees to save on shipping costs? Check to see who would be interested in your local event group – but be in quick to allow for enough shipping time to get your orders before the big event.

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If you think time is going to be an issue and would prefer to ask a local printer to create some tees for your event, keep you eye on the WordPress News page this week, because WordPress will be posting a vector file to facilitate this.

And Finally…

All WP10 parties should be free to attend – meaning no cover charge – but it’s fine to ask attendees to pay for their own food and drinks. Planning to party at a café, restaurant or bar? It couldn’t hurt to ask your venue if they’ll consider a set menu discount or drinks discount for attendees.

Remember to use the #wp10 hashtag on Twitter for all of your WordPress 10th Anniversary updates and discussions in the lad up to event – and be sure to share your photos and videos on WordPress’ 24-hour worldwide anniversary party photostream on the day.

We’ll be posting a special tribute to WordPress in celebration of the big event on the 27th, so check back that day for a 10th anniversary extravaganza!

Nikki is a professional freelance writer and story teller with a passion for the web and technology. She writes for WP Dev Shed and amongst a roster of other clients.

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