In the fifth episode of WordCamp Europe Insights, Kasia Janowska sits down with Piermario Orecchioni, a veteran of the WordCamp Europe speakers team who has been involved since Athens 2023 and led the team for the Torino edition in 2024. The conversation covers everything from how a handful of volunteers manages to read through hundreds of speaker applications, to what actually happens on the day a keynote speaker is nowhere to be found. If you have ever wondered how the WordCamp Europe programme comes together, this episode takes you right into the heart of it.
A Programme in the Making
Kasia opens by asking the obvious question: how is the agenda shaping up? Piermario explains that at the time of recording, the team was in the very final stages of the selection process, with the programme essentially ready and a public announcement imminent. He describes the work of the Speakers Team as “all fun and giggles” up until the moment you actually have to make cuts, and that tension runs through the entire conversation.
One highlight he is particularly enthusiastic about is a dedicated education track on the morning of day two. The whole of track two during that session will be built around the WP Credits programme and the growing relationship between the WordPress community and universities and schools. Piermario makes a point that this track is designed to be interesting for everyone: mentors, teachers, students, and people who have heard WP Credits mentioned but never fully understood what it involves. Kasia notes that she will block out that slot in her schedule immediately.
Over 400 Applications and the Hardest Part of the Job
This year, the Speakers Team received over 400 applications, meaning only about one in ten made it into the final programme. Piermario is candid about how difficult that process is. A lot of applications sound compelling on paper, especially in the age of AI-generated abstracts, and a significant part of the team’s work is reading between the lines to distinguish what genuinely sounds great from what actually is great. He points to the involvement of Milana Cap, one of the most recognised names in the WordPress documentation community, as a particular boost to the technical selection process. She noted at one point that the team could have filled an entire month of technical presentations with the quality of the submissions.
When Kasia asks what Piermario personally looks for in an application, his answer centres on ambition and depth. WordCamp Europe is a significant investment for most attendees: the event moves between countries every year, which means travel, time, and effort. The Speakers Team feels a responsibility to deliver something that genuinely justifies that investment, aiming to go beyond the topics that a strong local WordCamp or meetup might already cover.
Experience Matters, But the Door Is Open
Kasia pushes on whether a first-time speaker stands any chance of being selected. Piermario is honest: experience matters, particularly for the main stage, which in previous years has been a theatre holding thousands of people. Placing someone on that stage who has never spoken before a large audience is a risk neither the speaker nor the audience deserves. That said, the team tries to match speakers to the right track. The main stage demands proven experience, but the smaller tracks offer space for newer voices with strong topics.
Importantly, Piermario also makes it clear that being rejected does not mean being written off. Sometimes the margin between a selected application and one that does not make the cut is a fraction of a point in the team’s voting average. He encourages anyone who did not get through to apply again, and he admits openly that he personally remembers who applied in previous years. Showing up consistently, building experience at local WordCamps and smaller events, and applying again is exactly the right approach.
From Volunteer to Team Lead: Andri’s Story
One of the warmest moments in the episode comes when Kasia asks how people get involved with the Speakers Team. Piermario tells the story of Andri, a volunteer he first met in Athens. They had a brief exchange during the event and went their separate ways. A year later, when Piermario was putting together his speakers team for Torino, Andri’s application appeared in the pile. What caught Piermario’s eye was not just a familiar name but a specific note in the application saying Andri would really love to join the speakers team in particular. He was in.
Andri went on to be part of the team in Torino and in Basel the following year. This year, he is leading the Speakers Team himself. Piermario clearly takes great pride in that progression, and the story illustrates one of the recurring themes across the whole podcast series: the path from volunteer to team lead to team lead of the team lead is a natural one, built on showing up, being specific about where you want to contribute, and earning trust over time.
What the Team Does During the Event
Kasia wants to know whether the Speakers Team’s work is finished once the programme is published. Piermario laughs and explains that the event days bring their own kind of intensity. The team is responsible for making sure every speaker arrives at the green room on time, gets to their track, has someone to help them navigate the venue, and has everything they need, right down to water on stage. He recounts the most stressful moment of his time as team lead in Torino: the closing keynote speaker was unaccounted for with the slot approaching fast, the team scrambling across the venue, until someone spotted him sitting calmly in the second row of track one, entirely unaware of the mild panic he had caused. The lesson, delivered with good humour, was simple: please send a message next time.
Questions, the WP Café, and Experimenting with Format
Kasia raises something that surprised her at Basel: the absence of the traditional on-stage Q&A after talks. Piermario explains the thinking behind that experiment. Not every speaker is comfortable fielding questions in front of a large audience at short notice, and some have topics large enough to fill every minute of their slot without interruption. To address this, the team introduced a dedicated post-session area, known last year as WP Café, where speakers were available for an hour after their talk to speak with anyone who wanted to ask questions or simply have a conversation.
Piermario suggests this format is often better for everyone involved. The person asking gets a real exchange rather than a 30-second window at a microphone, and the speaker can engage genuinely with the people most interested in their work. Whether this will continue in Kraków is still being decided at the time of recording, but the principle of experimenting and iterating on feedback is something Piermario clearly values.
What’s on the Programme
When Kasia asks for a preview of the topics, Piermario is careful not to give too much away but offers a broad outline. There will be a fair amount of AI content, because the subject is simply everywhere right now. He adds, with a grin that Kasia picks up on immediately, that having someone on the team who is not personally enthusiastic about AI has actually been a useful counterweight, helping the group push past the hype and focus on what is genuinely worth selecting. Beyond that, the programme will include business talks, SEO, accessibility, and community topics, with the explicit goal of ensuring that everyone attending, regardless of their background or level of WordPress experience, finds something meaningful.
Come to Kraków, Talk to the Speakers
Both Kasia and Piermario close the episode with the same invitation. WordCamp Europe is not a place where speakers disappear into a closed green room after their talk. They are in the hallways, at the after-party, in the café. You can walk up to someone whose plugin you have been using for years and tell them so. You might end up dancing with them later. As Piermario puts it, show the love. The people who build and run the WordPress community do it for everyone, and a little appreciation goes a long way.
If you are ready to be part of it, you can secure your place at WordCamp Europe 2026 in Kraków through the official WordCamp Europe 2026 tickets page. For a look at what previous editions have felt like, browse the community’s photo archive on the WordCamp Europe Flickr albums.
Listen to the full episode wherever you get your podcasts, and share it with someone who has been wondering whether WordCamp Europe is really for them. It is.
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