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Running a blog means accepting that you will never know everything there is to know about running a blog.
We’ve been building Arner Adventures on WordPress.com for years, and our website now holds more than 1,000 blog posts.
Even with all that experience, we are constantly learning better ways to manage our content, improve the reader, that’s you- experience, and make our website work harder for our business.
That is one reason we are attending WordCamp US 2026!
How to Make the Most of WordCamp US 2026
WordCamp US 2026 will be held August 16–19 at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona. The four-day event brings together bloggers, content creators, developers, designers, business owners, and other people who use WordPress.
A general admission ticket normally costs $100, but you can use our discount code AF26 to save $20, bringing the ticket price down to $80.
That is a lot of access for less than the price of many single-day conferences. However, getting your money’s worth still requires a little planning.
Here is how bloggers and content creators can make the most of WordCamp US 2026.
1. Decide What You Want to Learn Before You Arrive
If you get excited like we do, you may want to be like a sponge and take in everything! We get it. We are the people who open 23 browser tabs while researching one question about a website.
However, trying to take in everything usually leaves you with a full notebook, exhausted, and no idea where to start.
Before WordCamp US, choose one or two areas of your website that currently need your attention. Your goals could include:
- Improving your website’s accessibility
- Creating a better experience for mobile readers
- Making your website load faster
- Improving your content organization
- Learning more about website security
- Finding better ways to monetize your blog
- Making your publishing process more efficient
Having a few specific goals will help you choose relevant sessions, ask better questions, and avoid spending four days collecting tips you will never use.
We recommend writing your goals down before the event. When a session, conversation, or resource connects to one of those goals, you will know it deserves your attention.
2. Understand How the Four Days Are Organized
WordCamp US 2026 runs for four days, with each day focusing on a different topic.
According to the official WordCamp US schedule, the event is organized like this:
- Sunday, August 16: Contributor Day
- Monday, August 17: Showcase Day
- Tuesday, August 18: Conference sessions and workshops
- Wednesday, August 19: Conference sessions, workshops, and the community social
Looking at the schedule ahead of time can help you decide which days and activities are most important for your goals.
Showcase Day focuses on real WordPress projects and what people have built using the platform.
The final two days include sessions and workshops covering topics such as blogging, content strategy, accessibility, security, website performance, design, and business.
You do not have to attend every session to have a successful WordCamp. In fact, leaving a little breathing room in your schedule may help you get more from the event.
3. Give Contributor Day a Chance
The phrase “Contributor Day” may sound like it is only for developers, but you do not need to know how to code to participate.
Contributor Day is an opportunity to work alongside other members of the WordPress community. Participants can contribute through writing, marketing, accessibility, photography, community support, documentation, and several other areas.
This is also a great way to meet people without having to walk into a crowded networking event and magically become the most outgoing person in the room.
The WordCamp US Contributor Day information explains the available teams and how to prepare. Contributor Day is open to new and experienced contributors, although it has a separate sign-up process.
If you are attending for the first time, review the teams before the event and choose one that connects with your skills or interests. You are not expected to arrive knowing exactly what to do. Team members will help you get started.
4. Bring a Real Website Question to the Happiness Bar
One of the most useful WordCamp resources for bloggers may be the Happiness Bar. Is there any better name for a place you want to visit for some help?!
Despite its name, it does not serve cocktails. Frankly, a free website help desk may be even more useful after years of blogging.
The Happiness Bar is a drop-in space where attendees can ask WordPress volunteers for help with actual website questions.
Those questions may include plugins, design, CSS, e-commerce, or something on your site that has been pressing your last nerve.
Before leaving for Phoenix, make a short list of website issues you have been putting off. Bring your laptop, login information, and any screenshots or notes that could help explain the problem.
You may not solve every issue during the conference, but speaking directly with someone who understands WordPress could give you a much clearer next step.
5. Do Not Spend the Entire Event in Sessions
The sessions and workshops are a major part of WordCamp US, but they are not the only reason to attend.
Some of the most useful information at a conference can come from a conversation between sessions, a question asked during lunch, or a chat with someone who has already solved the problem you are facing.
The official first-timer’s guide to WordCamp US notes that conference sessions are recorded and posted online after the event. That means you do not have to panic when two interesting sessions happen at the same time.
Choose the session that best matches your current goals. You can catch up on another recording later.
Use some of the time you save to introduce yourself to other bloggers, creators, and website owners. You already have a natural conversation starter: ask what they are working on or what they hope to learn during the event. Everyone is excited to talk about their creation. We definitely are!
Networking does not have to mean handing your business card to every person who walks by. A few genuine conversations are far more useful than collecting a stack of names you will not remember when you get home.
6. Visit Sponsor Booths With a Purpose
WordPress.com, WooCommerce, Jetpack, and Pressable are among the sponsors of WordCamp US 2026. The sponsor area gives attendees a chance to speak with people connected to products and services they may already use.
Before visiting the booths, write down any questions you have about those tools. You could ask about a feature you are not using, a problem you have experienced, or a service that might help you manage your website.
This approach turns the sponsor area into something more useful than a quest for free pens. Though, for the record, we are not against free pens.
7. Create a Simple System for Your Notes
Conference notes can become their own form of digital clutter. You return home with pages of ideas, save the document somewhere safe, and never look at it again.
We use Rocketbook and then scan the pages so the notes are in a digital folder for easy review.
Use three categories while taking notes:
- Do now: Tasks you can complete within the first week after WordCamp
- Research later: Ideas that require more information
- Not for us: Interesting ideas that do not fit your website or business right now
That third category matters. Not every good idea is a good idea for your website.
If you are like us, you need a reset when you get back to your hotel room. Do that, but before you go to bed, review your notes from the day.
Choose one or two actions you want to take. This will make your post-conference list feel manageable rather than like a four-day assignment you accidentally gave yourself.
8. Schedule Time to Follow Up After WordCamp
The work should not stop when you leave Phoenix.
Before the conference even begins, block out a few hours on your calendar for the week after the event. Use that time to:
- Organize your business cards, notes, and resources
- Follow up with the people you met
- Watch any sessions you missed
- Complete your “do now” tasks
- Share helpful takeaways with your audience
- Decide which larger ideas deserve a place in your content or business plan
Without that scheduled time, it is very easy to return to your normal routine and let everything you learned sit untouched.
You do not need to rebuild your entire website after WordCamp. One helpful connection, one solved problem, or one improvement that saves you time could make the trip worthwhile.
What Does a WordCamp US 2026 Ticket Include?
A general admission ticket is $100 before discounts. According to the official ticket information, admission includes:
- Contributor Day
- Showcase Day
- Two full days of sessions and workshops
- Lunch and snacks each day
- The WordCamp US community social
- Access to sponsor booths and event activities
Use discount code AF26 when purchasing your ticket to save $20, bringing the general admission price down to $80.
Conference costs can add up quickly once travel and lodging are involved, so saving where you can is always worth doing.
Is WordCamp US 2026 Worth Attending for Bloggers?
WordCamp US is not only for developers or people who build websites for clients. Bloggers and content creators are using WordPress to run businesses, publish helpful resources, grow communities, sell products, and build their own platforms.
You do not have to attend with a perfectly polished website or years of technical experience. You simply need a willingness to learn, ask questions, and talk with people who understand the work involved in running a website.
The real value will come from arriving with a plan and leaving with a few clear actions.
If WordPress plays an important role in your blog or business, WordCamp US 2026 is worth it and could be a practical way to strengthen the website you have already worked so hard to build.
Purchase your WordCamp US 2026 ticket and enter code AF26 at checkout to receive $20 off general admission.
If you decide to attend, let us know! We would love to connect in Phoenix!
FAQs | Frequently Asked Questions
No. WordCamp US is also for bloggers, content creators, marketers, designers, business owners, and newcomers to WordPress. You do not need coding experience to attend.
Yes. New and experienced contributors are welcome. There are several ways to participate without coding. Contributor Day has a separate sign-up process, so review the official information before the event.
Yes. The ticket page asks purchasers to log in using a WordPress.org account. This is your account for the official WordPress.org website, not the login for your personal WordPress website.
