(Here's the post I wrote for the WordCamp Madrid 2025 website)
Well, WordCamp Madrid 2025 is now over, and wow—just based on the feedback we’re getting from you all… If wrapping up a WordCamp is already an adrenaline rush, receiving all those messages of appreciation is even more heartwarming.
How it all began…
After a change of plans and dates, WordCamp Madrid was moved from December 2024 to March 2025. After organizing WordCamp Griñón in November, I jumped on board to lead one of the WordCamps on my to-do list—one I was dying to organize.
It’s clear that you can’t do these things on your own; you have to surround yourself with a good team. And honestly, I couldn’t be prouder of each and every one of the people who have been part of it. There’s something I’ve learned through this process: to judge a book, you have to finish reading it first. Let me explain: all of us who organize these events are volunteers; we don’t get paid a penny and, so to speak, we invest our time in it. We might even “lose” money. We have jobs, lives, and many things to juggle, so sometimes it may seem like some of us are busier than usual. But when the big days arrive and you see the commitment and enthusiasm, all you can say is: Ole!
Leading a team
Leading a team is never easy, especially in an environment where we aren’t “bosses” even if we have that title. Often, without meaning to, you can hurt someone by making a unilateral decision, especially if you have an impulsive and anancastic personality (or so the psychologist said). I warned everyone before we started, but I know it’s not always easy to deal with.
So, I’d like to apologize in advance if anything didn’t go quite right. I hope that, like me, when you see the final result, everyone will agree that the effort was worth it.Because it’s definitely worth it when you see people having a great time at the afterparty, after having moved more than 65 tables in the blink of an eye, taken down more than 10 display stands, and hauled more than 20 boxes…
Advice I'll never forget
There was someone very special to all of us—someone with a wealth of wisdom when it comes to WordCamps—who gave me two pieces of advice I’ll always remember:
- "The work behind a WordCamp happens day in and day out, and when the event finally arrives, it's all about having a good time and making sure the team and volunteers enjoy themselves."
- “At a WordCamp, as a general rule, you’ll find many leaders like yourself, many organizers from other WordCamps… If you run into any problems, they’ll be there to help you.”— José Luis Losada
The other day, at UBAC, Ana Cirujano said, “Fernando was very calm…” And how could he not be, with such a great team?
Volunteersoften feel liketheytake a back seat to the organizers. But no, friends—on WordCamp day, you’re a vital driving force. There’s so much to do, and without your help, pulling it off would be very difficult. So, once again: thank you, thank you, and a thousand times thank you.
The "Pivots" WordCamp
This WordCamp was all about "pivoting." We had some plans in mind, and suddenly, due to circumstances beyond our control, we had to change them on the fly. But, from what everyone says… it wasn't so bad, was it?
As organizers, we always notice little things that could have gone better, and it frustrates us. But it’s also very reassuring to see that many of the things we planned went smoothly. As Hannibal Smith would say in *The A-Team*: “I love it when a plan comes together.” And the truth is, we thought long and hard about how to organize certain areas, and in the end, they worked out perfectly.
Great successes
One of the biggest successes was the “Passport,” an idea conceived byÁngel Zinsel, the lead sponsor liaison, which had a massive impact.
From the very beginning of the planning process, we wanted to return to the “Back to WordPress” theme: learning, branding, and presence. That’s how the 10-meter backdrop came about—so that, in addition to the photo booth, everyone would want to take a picture there. And people did take pictures, even though it rained almost all day. It was so well-received that we’ll now be bringing it to every WordCamp in Spain.
The program was also designed so that people would leave with valuable content and real insights. And as I’ve been watching the talks bit by bit on WordPress.tv, it’s clear that we have some real gems.Fernando TelladoandLidia Marbándid a tremendous job making this happen.
A special thank you
I don’t want to forget to mention and praise the work of all the organizers:Carla, for lending me a helping hand;Axel, for his tireless coordination of dinners, karaoke, and more; andSofíafor her hard work with the catering. It’s important to realize that they’re vendors, and there’s often little we can do… they tell us something, and we just take their word for it. But wow, what dedication on her part—thank you!Maylenfor how she manages and organizes more than 30 people. ToJuanmafor being so methodical and keeping an eye on everything. I’ve loved getting to knowElsanot just as a designer but as a person—well, like everyone else! Hehe.Ángelfor his work with the sponsors and his great decisions! ToSantifor running around more these days than he does all year, hehe. ToClaudiafor being on top of social media. And toSanfor his contribution to the design.
And I can’t forgetNilo Vélez, a volunteer at many WordCamps who always helps us out so much—he works hard days in advance to export the badges, then puts together a video, and so on. Thank you so much, NILO.
And of course, we have to thank Javier Salinas, a member of the WordPress community who works at the university. He provided the venue free of charge, handled all the arrangements to make everything happen, put in a ton of work on the audio setup, and was there to make things run smoothly.
The icing on the cake
When I was preparing theopening presentation, I wanted to bring that “back to WordPress” theme together, to emphasize that we’re working together for a shared vision and a common project. And seeing that the community echoed those very same sentiments… that’s priceless.
And then, the afterparty. Seeing the volunteers having a good time, the attendees having a blast… So much so that we ended up dancing a conga line together. That, my friends, is what really gets you pumped up!
In fact, we're already thinking big: we're looking into whether we can host WordCamp Europe in Madrid!
Thank you, everyone
In closing, I would just like to say thank you: to the attendees, the sponsors, the volunteers, and, above all, the organizing team.
We hope WordCamp Madrid gave you as much of a boost as it did us.
Hugs to everyone. We'll see you at the next one! 😉
Photos of Nilo, Fede, Sebas, and a few of me 😉
