I attended the inaugural WordCamp Pisa last week. Going to Italy is never a bad thing, and Tuscany is potentially the most beautiful part of the country. We got to stay in a stunningly beautiful house, so the stage was set for a fantastic week! 

The first day of the event was a traditional contributor day. As usual for contributor days, it focused on a handful of Make WP team tables. And as always at local events, those teams seem to have been picked based on team lead availability. Every table focuses on onboarding new contributors. Some teams welcome that approach because they are easy to join, like Photos and Polyglots. Many other teams are not that simple. Core and WP CLI need preparation. And, for example, accessibility requires deeper knowledge of the ecosystem and the technical field itself.

At contributor days, we often sit together without a real plan. We try to teach, guide, or inspire, yet we do not have clear projects ready for people to work on. This makes it hard to use the full potential of the room, especially for people who are new and want to make a meaningful start.

A different model at CloudFest US

CloudFest US showed a different model. The hackathon wasn’t open to everyone. You had to apply. The organizers selected a team and shaped clear goals. As a result, the group made real progress for FAIR in a single day. People arrived ready to work. They knew the purpose and were told the expected outcomes. The structure helped everyone feel engaged.

This experience made me reflect on how much more effective our WordPress contributor days could become. It also showed that structure, when done well, can support inclusion instead of limiting it.

What if contributor days required a simple application?

I want to argue for a shift in how we run these events. What if we asked people to apply and be selected to be part of the contributor day? This is not about gatekeeping. Quite the contrary. It is about helping teams prepare and making sure they have the right skillsets in the room to finish a project and work together as a team. By selecting the right people, we’ll have more capacity to properly onboard and guide new contributors. An application helps us understand skills, interests, and learning goals. And thus it supports forming a team that consists of a healthy mix of new and experienced contributors.

For this to work, the Make WP teams need to get involved early. Each team, whether Core, Documentation, Polyglots, Accessibility, or any other group, can commit to preparing one clear project before the event. Experienced contributors in the Make WP team can decide what should be worked on and describe what skills are helpful and/or required. This project description is then shared on the WordCamp site, allowing the applications to come in. The WordCamp organizer(s) responsible for the contributor day can now, fairly easily, build the required teams from the applications.

With this model, all contributors have a clearer starting point. And you do not need extensive experience to join. Enthusiasm, curiosity, and a willingness to learn matter just as much. Having a healthy mix of new and experienced contributors also smooths the onboarding for beginners. They join a group that expects them, knows how to guide them, and values what they bring.

The model can adapt to different events. A small WordCamp might use a simple form and one or two prepared goals. A larger WordCamp might support several teams and a more elaborate and formal matching process. The core idea remains the same: Make WP teams prepare early, and contributors step into purposeful work.

Why this approach can work

A clear project offers focus. A mixed team offers learning. A light application helps build the perfect team. When the goals are well-scoped, it means that the teams can turn them into tangible results in a single day. Together, these elements can turn contributor days into productive workshops where people build something that lasts beyond the event.

This model respects the open nature of the WordPress community. It also respects the time, energy, and curiosity of all contributors. New contributors bring fresh eyes. Experienced contributors bring context. When Make WP teams prepare early and shape the goals, the work becomes stronger and easier for everyone.

A call for shared exploration

Contributor days deserve fresh thought. We can keep our welcoming spirit and at the same time create space for deeper work. We can borrow lessons from hackathon-style events without losing our inclusive values. Most of all, we can support both experienced and new contributors with more clarity, intention, and preparation.

Let’s prepare better and use our future contributor days to really get things done!