In an effort to provide some real-time information for event organizers and the community alike, Central would like to present a month-in-review post with recaps of the prior month’s events and how they fared financially, in terms of ticket sales and budget.
It’s hard to believe that October is upon us! 2023 has been a big success in terms of in-person events in the WordPress space. The year has already seen 3 flagship events and 43 local WordPress events, including several NextGen events. September was particularly active with 10 WordCamps and 1 NextGen event.
| WordCamps Held in September 2023 | |||||
| WordCampWordCamp WordCamps are casual, locally-organized conferences covering everything related to WordPress. They’re one of the places where the WordPress community comes together to teach one another what they’ve learned throughout the year and share the joy. Learn more. | Dates | Final Tickets Sold | Attendee Total Approved with Budget | Budget Notes* | Open Items – Finances |
| Jinja | Sept 4-5 | 186 | 250 | Awaiting final numbers | Still Awaiting final Transparency Report**, team has responded and is working to gather final support |
| Netherlands | Sept 7-8 | 407 | 400 | Budget closed.
Final cost $66,403 USD/62,060 EUR and cost per person/day of $81.58 USD/76.24EUR. Event closed on budget (if there are no additional expenses to report) |
No Open Items |
| Malaysia | Sept 8-9 | 280 | 300 | Budget closed.
Final cost $16,270 USD/73,953 MYR and cost per person/day of $29.05 USD/132.06 MYR. Event closed with a contribution to the Global Sponsorship Fund of $2,914 USD/12,380 MYR |
No Open Items |
| Kathmandu | Sept 8-9 | 473 | 450 | Awaiting final numbers | Still Awaiting final Transparency Report**, and team has responded to say they are working on the final numbers |
| Finland | Sept 14-15 | 407 | 500 | Awaiting final numbers | Several payments still pending (After Party, Food, Venue) |
| Pontevedra | Sept 16-17 | 245 | 300 | Awaiting final numbers | Several payments still pending (Swag, Audio/ Visual) |
| Whitley Bay | Sept 18 | 97 | 120 | Budget closed. Final Cost $6,665 USD/5,332 GBP and cost per person/day of $68.71 USD/85.88 GBP. Event closed with a contribution to the Global Sponsorship fund of approximately $4,187 USD/3,350 GBP. |
No Open Items |
| Vancouver | Sept 23 | 241 | 375 | Awaiting final numbers | Several payments still pending (Food, Venue) |
| Rome Community Day |
Sept 29 | 30 | 60 | Budget closed.
Final Cost: $98 USD of Global Sponsorship funds used and cost per person/day of $2.88 USD. |
No Open Items |
| Gdynia | Sept 30 | 211 | 110 | Budget closed. Transparency Report submitted and reviewed.
Final Cost: $4,919.45 USD/21,540 PLN and cost per person/day of $25.52 USD/102.09 PLN. |
No Open Items |
| Rochester | Sept 30 | 79 | 120 | Budget closed.
Final Cost: $5,100 USD and cost per person/day of $64.56 USD |
No Open Items |
| Updates on WordCamps Held pre-September with Open Budgets | |||||
| WordCamp | Dates | Final Tickets Sold | Attendee Total Approved with Budget | Budget Notes* | Open Items – Finances |
| Kerala | March 25 | 499 | 500 | Awaiting final numbers | Still Awaiting final Transparency Report**, and team has responded to say they are working on the final numbers |
| Nairobi | Aug 16-17 | 200 | Awaiting final numbers | Still Awaiting final Transparency Report**, and team has responded to say they are working on the final numbers | |
| Denmark | Aug 26-27 | 48 | 95 | Awaiting final numbers | Several payments still pending (Signage, Swag) |
Budget Notes*: If an event was able to raise more sponsorship income or ticket income, or the expenses were less than amounts listed in the approved budget, the additional funds are contributed back to the Global Sponsorship fund. If, on the other hand, an organizing team raises less sponsorship income or ticket income than planned, or expenses are higher than originally budgeted, the additional amount needed to cover all expenses is covered by the Global Sponsorship fund and will be stated as additional Global Sponsorship funds used.
The goal of WordPress events is to provide a space where community members can come together and share knowledge, build relationships with other members and sponsors, and spread love for WordPress. The goal is never to make money. Because WordPress Community SupportWordPress Community Support WordPress Community Support PBC is a Public Benefit Corporation, created specifically to be the financial and legal support for WordCamps, WordPress Meetup groups, and any additional “official” events organized within the WordPress Community Events program. pays taxes on any income at year end, we strive to hold events where income is equal to expenses.
Transparency Report**: WordCamps that run funds through WordPress Community Support (WPCSWordPress Community Support WordPress Community Support PBC is a Public Benefit Corporation, created specifically to be the financial and legal support for WordCamps, WordPress Meetup groups, and any additional “official” events organized within the WordPress Community Events program.) – meaning WPCS collects ticket income and sponsorship income, and pays vendors directly – are not required to submit a Transparency Report.
Alternatively, organizing teams that run money locally collect all or some of the ticket income and sponsorship income directly. The team then uses the collected funds to pay expenses of the event. The organizing team is responsible for completing a transparency report after the event where they submit receipts/documentation for all expenses, support for ticket income collected, and support for sponsorship income collected. More info can be found here.