Behind the swag bags and keynotes lies the real value of WordPress conferences: actionable intelligence and relationship-building that directly impact your bottom line. From conducting market research to organizing side events, a well-thought-out approach to conference networking has helped Freemius turn casual conversations into profitable business relationships.
To ensure you get unique networking insights from someone who understands your business, we talked to our conference veterans: Freemius founder and CEO, Vova Feldman, and our Head of Brand, Hadas Golzaker.
Let’s break down all the ways we leverage moments of connection when software makers come together to learn, build relationships, and unveil new business opportunities.
What’s networking to you?
Use Conferences as Market Research Labs
WordCamps (and other industry conferences) offer invaluable opportunities for real-world market research that you can’t get from online surveys or analytics. The key is to create natural environments where makers feel comfortable sharing honest feedback about your product and the broader ecosystem.
The diverse mix of attendees can provide a comprehensive view of market needs across different segments, from solo software makers to established businesses, helping inform your product development and marketing strategies.
At WCEU 2024, Hadas learned that direct conversations with users often reveal key value drivers that might not surface in typical feedback channels.
“When I say ‘do research’, I don’t mean just approaching someone and firing off questions like a survey form. Start with a conversation, talk about personal things, and build rapport. Then, gradually introduce questions about your product.”
This approach yields more authentic insights about:
- Product feedback: People usually say something about your product themselves, without being prompted. “If they’re comfortable enough, they’ll naturally tell you what’s wrong and what’s working well,” confirms Hadas.
- Customer relationships: The conference environment revealed that many early adopters chose Freemius because they trusted the founder personally, highlighting the importance of putting faces to the brand.
- Market positioning: At his first WordCamp conference, Freemius CMO Goran Mirkovic learned that these events enable “many fruitful conversations with partners, mostly about marketing and what we can do to help them grow their businesses.” Users came forward proactively with ideas and explicitly indicated where they needed help.
For example, during conferences, Freemius users shared that they chose our product and stayed because “they feel we genuinely care about them and are invested in their success”, while also appreciating practical benefits like VAT handling.
Recommended reading: Talk the Talk: The Solopreneur’s Guide to Building a WordPress Network
Build Strategic Partnerships
In the WordPress ecosystem, strategic partnerships can accelerate your growth and expand your reach without requiring massive marketing budgets. The key is finding the right partners whose values, goals, and products align with yours.
Leveraging partnerships for growth has excellent ROI!
WordCamp conferences provide an ideal environment for discovering these partnerships. They bring together businesses at various stages — from independent developers to established companies. And, they’re all focused on building and growing within the WordPress ecosystem.
Take a merchant of record (MoR) like Freemius as an example. It could strategically partner with several types of complementary businesses in the WordPress and broader software ecosystem, including code repositories and version control platforms and deployment and hosting services.
As a WordPress plugin maker, you could potentially think about partnering with other makers whose products offer:
- Complementary functionality (form plugin + email marketing plugin)
- Related features (SEO plugin + analytics plugin)
- Enhanced workflows (page builder + image optimization)
- Bundle deals for related tools
- Joint promotions for complementary products
You could even consider partnering with course creators or documentation platforms.
The key is to ensure mutual commitment from both parties, start small and build gradually, and focus on delivering value to both audiences. Think strategically about how each partnership can enhance your product’s value proposition and expand your market reach.
As seen at recent WordCamps, the WordPress community is increasingly focused on meaningful collaborations that drive mutual growth. This makes the WP conference a perfect place to find your next business opportunity.
If you want to learn more about this growth tactic, check out our comprehensive guide on building strategic partnerships.
Strengthen Your Team Bonds and Company Culture
For remote teams, WordCamps provide invaluable opportunities to strengthen interpersonal relationships beyond video calls and Slack messages.
These events offer a unique blend of professional development and team bonding that can transform working relationships and reinforce company culture, through:
- Collaborative content creation (filming interviews, creating social content)
- Team dinners and social activities
- Participating in contributor days together
- Shared mission at company events like Makers’ Meetup
“We don’t have an office, so this is an opportunity to get people to connect and bond with each other and the company and its mission and vision,” explains Hadas, who has attended several WordPress conferences and met most of the Freemius crew. These in-person meetings help transition relationships from “Slack waves and GMeets to handshakes and hugs.”
When team members are spread across different regions, WordCamps provide opportunities to experience each other’s cultures.
Local team members can become cultural ambassadors. “It’s an opportunity for them to show us around a little bit, to give us a taste of their culture, and also bring them to the conference,” confirms Hadas.
But, these events aren’t just about socializing. They provide chances for team members to:
- Learn from industry peers
- Present their expertise
- Contribute to the WordPress community
- Stay current with industry trends
- Get to know the product users and audience better
Freemius team at WCEU 2024
WordCamps also serve as powerful employer branding opportunities. As several team members noted, going to conferences “makes them feel more connected to what we’re doing to the company.” This includes practical elements like:
- Getting professional headshots
- Distributing company swag
- Building personal brands through speaking opportunities
- Creating content that showcases company culture
The impact of these in-person meetings can be transformative.
After the WordCamp Asia conference in 2024, “the Freemius team parted ways not only as better-acquainted colleagues but as firm friends with a united mission and vision. To help our partners achieve success, and to work hard to make our shared and individual dreams a (crazy) reality.”
Remember, these events require careful planning and energy management. As Vova advises from experience, “WordCamps are a lot of fun, but they’re also hard work and take a lot out of you. You better pace yourself to make sure you manage to meet all your goals for the conference and factor in events that are simply outside of your control.”
Recommended reading: The Logistics of Bringing Your Team to WordCamps & Conferences
Collect Social Proof & Marketing Content
WordCamps provide a unique opportunity to gather authentic marketing content and build relationships with community influencers in a natural setting. The face-to-face interactions and relaxed atmosphere make it easier to collect genuine testimonials and create engaging content.
Vova confirms: “WordCamps are a golden opportunity to shoot testimonials and interviews + collect content for multiple video projects since many respected and experienced community members are in attendance,” as the team did at WCEU 2024.
We booked interviews with industry leaders like Patrick Posner (founder of Simply Static), Rytis Lauris (CEO of Omnisend), Anna Hurko (CEO of Crocoblock), Matt Cromwell (co-founder of GiveWP), Vito Peleg (founder of Atarim), and the Blocksy team, which turned into several formats of marketing materials, like educational videos, success stories, and testimonials.
Interview with Patrick Posner of Simply Static at WordCamp Europe 2024
The key to gathering authentic content is creating comfortable environments. Hadas adds: “The informal setting makes people more comfortable sharing genuine feedback. They come more open to talk because they know it’s a conference. It’s much easier to interview a person at a conference than at their home or virtually.”
Now, good preparation is crucial for maximizing content opportunities:
- Scout locations in advance (At one WordCamp, our Head of Video, Zee, left the hotel at 6:30 AM to find and secure a good filming location in the venue! 😃)
- Schedule interviews ahead of time
- Come prepared with equipment and questions
- Have a content strategy for different platforms
The best content often comes from natural interactions. For example, when we interviewed Patrick Posner about his GTM strategies, we accidentally discovered how we used Freemius data for marketing purposes — to discover who his best customers were!
You can learn more about it in this video:
WordCamps are also valuable for gathering future content ideas through:
- Observing common questions and pain points
- Noting trending topics in sessions
- Understanding what resonates with the community
- Getting direct feedback from users
Pro tip: Plan your content strategy before the event, but always leave room for spontaneous content opportunities! Sometimes, the most authentic and valuable content that truly captures the spirit of the WordPress community is created in unexpected ways. For instance, our brand & social team came to WCEU 2024 with a comprehensive plan on what kind of content we wanted to create during the conference. However, a spontaneous conversation between Vova and one of our makers turned into a video that exceeded our expectations in terms of impressions and reactions on social media.
Side Events: The Hidden Value of WordPress Conferences
A lot of real business at WordPress conferences unfolds in the casual moments between talks: product demos, happy hours, side events, mixers. In these informal spaces, partnerships are forged, deals are closed, and lasting business relationships begin.
“The best talks are not during the conference,” Hadas explains. “Conference talks are just the first connection — what’s your name; give me your number. Then going to a side event is where we can actually connect.”
That’s how our Makers’ Meetup was born.
The 2024 Makers’ Meetup in Italy
While WordCamps are excellent general networking events, we noticed a specific need in the community. Product creators and business owners needed their own space to connect deeply with peers facing similar challenges. We recognized that successful product businesses need more than just technical knowledge — they need a peer network.
So, we aimed to create an environment where these people, regardless of their company size, can connect authentically. No fancy dress codes or forced networking — just genuine conversations over drinks where the music isn’t too loud to talk.
This casual approach pays off in multiple ways:
- Market intelligence: When people feel comfortable, they naturally share insights about their products, challenges, and what’s missing in their tech stack.
- Partnership development: “We’re connecting people to our community so they can learn from each other or maybe do something together,” whether it’s a co-marketing initiative, technical integration, or affiliate relationship, says Hadas.
- Product validation: These informal conversations often lead to invaluable feedback — “if they’re comfortable enough, they’ll naturally tell you what’s wrong and what’s working well.”
The key is creating an environment where everyone feels heard. According to Hadas, it doesn’t matter “whether they’re just starting out or have been in the industry for decades.” This level playing field leads to more authentic connections and, ultimately, better business opportunities.
The Makers’ Meetup format has evolved based on community feedback. It’s all about a casual environment, strategic timing (the first night, when people aren’t too tired), and focus on connection.
“At the Taiwan 2024 meetup, we introduced conversation starter questions and maker superpower stickers to help software founders with similar interests connect naturally,” explains Vova.
Makers’ Meetup in Taipei, 2024
The number of fruitful conversations that have happened during our meetups validated our belief that makers needed a dedicated environment for such discussions.
And the success of this approach lies in its authenticity. Rather than pushing for immediate sales, focus on building genuine relationships.
After all, 66 out of 79 attendees showed up for our meetup in Taipei 2024 — in other words, 83%. That’s an A for the Makers’ Meetup!
Huge kudos to Vova and the entire Freemius team for that – it was, without a doubt, the best after-party I’ve ever attended at a WordCamp. — Patrick Posner of Simply Static
Make WordCamp Conference Networking Work for You
It’s true that keynotes and sessions provide valuable insights. But, the ROI of WordPress conferences also comes from unscripted moments between talks — whether you’re validating ideas during casual conversations, forging partnerships over coffee, or strengthening team bonds at after-hours events.
To make the most out of these opportunities, focus on creating genuine connections rather than collecting business cards. Remember, the most valuable conversations often happen in relaxed settings like meetups and side events.
Approach conferences with a strategic mindset while staying authentic in your interactions, and you’ll be able to transform your conference investment into lasting business relationships and growth opportunities.
