Kudos to the following deputies for helping with this post: @_dorsvenabili, @angelasjin, @courtneypk, @kcristiano, @rmarks, @afshanadiya, @monchomad, @nao, @sippis, @kdrewien, @megabyterose 

Many thanks to everyone who participated in the proposal on how to return to in-person WordCamps. There were many excellent thoughts on that post, as well as new concerns and questions raised. The conclusion of that post, however, is that the WordPress community should be getting prepared to restart the in-person WordCamp program.

Guidelines for In-Person WordCamps

The WordPress community team is not expecting or requiring local organizers to organize in-person WordCamps for only fully-vaccinated people — we’re simply removing the barrier to doing so under one these two sets of conditions:

If:

1. local public health authorities say people can gather in person, AND
2. your region passes the in-person safety checklist, THEN
3. go ahead and hold in-person WordCamps, following local health guidelines!

OR… If:

1. local public health authorities say people can gather in person, AND
2. your region doesn’t pass the in-person safety checklist, BUT
3. vaccines or COVID tests are available for anyone who wants one in your region, 

THEN, local community organizers can (if they want to) plan in-person WordCamps!

Who could attend the in-person WordCamp?

If an in-person WordCamp is happening, the Community team expects that attendees (including organizers, sponsors, and volunteers) participate only if they:

• are fully vaccinated,
• OR recently tested negative,
• OR recently recovered (in the last 3 months)

Additional Guidelines for In-Person WordCamps

1. Pre-pandemic meetup communities can organize a WordCamp without the requirement of organizing several events the previous months.
   Note: This new guideline would only apply to a local community’s first WordCamp post-pandemic.
   Note 2: Brand new communities would be asked to organize meetups instead of a WordCamp right away.

2. WordCamps need to be prepared to raise 100% of the expenses for their WordCamp. 

Note: Global Sponsorship Program for 2021 does not currently include WordCamps. However, the conversation for Global Sponsorships for 2022 has begun, and funding for WordCamps will be considered. Having communities apply for a WordCamp (whether online or in person) will help add to those conversations. 

3. Venues should be fully refundable in case of anycancellation.
   Note: if organizers can’t find any venue that offers fully refundable deposits, Community Deputies will evaluate venues on a case by case basis to avoid as much financial risk as possible.

4. Ticket costs should be low and refundable (maximum of 25 USD per person/day)

5. In all cases, always follow local health guidelines!

Recommendations

1. Experiment with format ideas (both at online and in-person events), and share with the community what you learn in the comments of this post!
2. Avoid high expenses where possible: try to get together in a free or low cost (+ refundable) venue, encourage organizers not to provide food, and be financially responsible.
3. Half-day WordCamps with snacks/refreshments and not a full lunch might also be a good offering and a cost-effective way to organize an in-person event.

Next Steps and Feedback

The Community Team will add the new guidance to all the appropriate places in the WordCamp organizer handbook, and write a summarized version of this decision for the next meetup organizer newsletter. If you have questions, concerns, or feedback… Please share them in a comment on this post!

Do you want to apply to organize an in-person WordCamp following the guidelines described above? You can do it by submitting this form now!