Switzerland has its own unique vibe—calm, scenic, and very different from other parts of the EU. The journey from Milan to Basel was a bit hectic due to a technical fault near Zurich, which caused a few hours of delay. Thankfully, the issue was resolved just in time, and I made it to our side event with only five minutes to spare.
The side event, sponsored by Analytify and executed by SEO Repair Kit, turned out to be an amazing experience. I was there representing SEO Repair Kit and had the chance to engage with a small but truly diverse group of attendees. From seasoned developers who started their WordPress journey back in 1999 to psychologists and even someone from Iran who discovered WordPress during a tough job hunt—it was inspiring to hear such heartfelt stories. Despite being a small group, the richness of culture and community was immense.
Day 1 – Reunions, Feedback & SEO Conversations
The main conference kicked off with great energy. I caught up with old friends at Google and the 10up team and shared updates on SEO Repair Kit and the work we’ve been doing at TorontoDigits. It was wonderful reconnecting with folks from the Indian WordPress community too—big shoutout to Chetan, Mukesh, Sumit, and others doing incredible work.
During lunch, I had a lovely conversation with Tammie Lister and appreciated her creative contributions to WordPress over the years. Later in the day, I ran into Yashwardan Rana from GoDaddy and gave detailed feedback on cPanel and email migration issues—something many in the community are facing.
Met with Danish Shakeel from rtCamp, and had a great conversation around business and future possibilities. We missed connecting in Torino, but finally caught up in Basel—and it was well worth the wait.
Before heading to the Alt Ctrl Party, I had a great chat with Ratis Sevelis from WPBakery about a potential partnership. I mentioned how we’ve used WPBakery over the years—including back in 2015 and 2017—and how we’ve even developed some custom extensions.
At a side event party sponsored by StellarWP and InstaWP, I had the opportunity to connect with Alex Panagis, founder of ScaleMath and a former collaborator with Rank Math, which Group One later acquired. We had an engaging conversation about the SEO Repair Kit, where I shared our vision, roadmap, and some exciting performance stats. Alex was genuinely impressed with the direction we’re taking and offered valuable insights and suggestions to help shape its future.
Day 2 – Partnerships & Raising Community Voices
Day 2 began with a productive meeting with Dusan from Dynadot, who’s doing impressive work in the domain space. We’re hopeful about closing a partnership soon—the proposal has already been sent!
Later, I met with Mariya from Google and had an in-depth conversation about how we’re integrating Google Site Kit into SEO Repair Kit for Search Console functionality. I also shared real usage numbers and discussed future possibilities.
Had the pleasure of meeting Matt Cromwell, Senior Director of Customer Experience at StellarWP. It was inspiring to see firsthand the impressive growth journey of GiveWP, especially its successful acquisition by Liquid Web. We also had a great conversation about the SEO Repair Kit, where I shared our upcoming plans, key insights, and the potential for exciting collaborations soon.
I shared WordCamp Lahore 2023 as a success story and raised a concern about the challenges Asian organizers face in attending global camps, despite years of dedication to the community.
After Party – A Perfect Wrap
The event concluded with an unforgettable After Party where we celebrated with WordPress friends from India, Pakistan, and beyond. It was the perfect wrap-up to a meaningful and productive few days.
Final Thoughts
Global WordCamps are truly therapeutic for those of us who’ve spent our entire careers immersed in WordPress. Every time we attend, it reaffirms why we do what we do—connecting, learning, and growing together.
Looking forward to the upcoming camps and continuing our journey with this incredible global community.
