What to See at WordCamp US 2026: Audio system, Demos, and Extra

WordCamp US 2026 is coming to Phoenix for the primary time on August 16–19, and there’s so much competing on your time and a spotlight.

In case you’re making plans your agenda, get started right here: our collection of 8 audio system value catching, hands-on demos of WordPress Studio and WordPress Agent, and one thing new for college students and educators.

This 12 months, we’re providing a sponsor code WordPress.com-friend20 for 20% off basic admission.

8 talks value including for your WordCamp US agenda 

WordCamp US 2026 has a powerful AI thread this 12 months, and Automattic audio system are proper in the course of it. 

We’re speaking about vibe coding and agentic trade to company workflows, and the way forward for open supply.

If you wish to listen from the folks development throughout WordPress.com, WooCommerce, and Automattic, get started development your agenda right here:

1. Matt Mullenweg, WordPress co-founder and Automattic CEO joins Robert Jacobi in a fireplace chat at the state of open supply. AI, converting expectancies, and the way forward for WordPress are all at the desk, however the helpful phase is that it isn’t intended to be a ready keynote: the general half-hour are target market Q&A. In case you have a burning query about the place WordPress is going subsequent, that is your likelihood to invite it.

2. Jamie Marsland runs WordPress.com’s YouTube channel at Automattic, the place his complete task is appearing non-developers what they may be able to construct on WordPress with out writing code. He’s doing triple accountability at WCUS with “WP 101: Construct a Actual Website online, As of late,” “Place of job Hours: Take Your Web site Are living,” and “How you can Vibe Code in WordPress for Non-Techies.” The closing one is a will have to see when you’ve ever sought after to construct a plugin, customise the editor, or attach WordPress to some other device, then talked your self out of it since you don’t write code. He’ll display you what AI does as a substitute, reside.

3. Klaus Harris works on finding out and credentialing at Automattic after greater than 18 years as a instrument developer. In “The Making of a WordPress Credential,” he joins Dr. Leslie Thomas to unpack an issue the ecosystem has someway lived with for years: employers want a greater strategy to acknowledge genuine WordPress engineering ability. The consultation is going at the back of the year-long Automattic effort to construct a professionally ruled credential, no longer some other badge you gather and omit about.
4. Brian Coords, Developer Recommend at WooCommerce and one of the vital block-theme group’s go-to academics, is tackling the query each company is quietly fearful about. His consultation, “The Web site Is the Supply of Fact: Block Issues, AI, and Company Workflows,” makes the case that when AI begins enhancing manufacturing websites without delay, the web site itself, no longer the AI’s reminiscence of what it did, has to stick the only supply of reality.
5. Shani Banerjee, WooCommerce Developer Recommend, joins Danny Dudzic to take the agentic-web dialog in an excessively sensible path: the checkout. “From Crawlers to Shoppers: WordPress and the Upward thrust of AI Patrons” appears to be like at what adjustments when bots prevent merely indexing your web site and get started evaluating merchandise, making choices, and doubtlessly purchasing. If AI brokers transform a brand new roughly buyer, WordPress and WooCommerce need to be in a position for greater than site visitors.

Past Automattic, those audio system are neatly value catching: Miriam Schwab’s “The Agentic Internet Is Coming. Is WordPress In a position?” tackles what the agentic information superhighway way for WordPress. In the meantime, Nicola Catton’s “Personal Your Target audience” will get into The Ankler’s transfer off Substack and the realities of proudly owning your publishing platform. Remaining however no longer least, Manny Costa’s “WordPress for the Public Just right” appears to be like at WordPress as civic infrastructure, with accessibility, public products and services, and long-term stewardship on the middle.

See how WordPress.com helps scholars construct at the open information superhighway

WordPress.com Training offers scholars get right of entry to to a pro WordPress.com surroundings the place they may be able to construct genuine web sites, be informed sensible information superhighway talents, and stay possession of what they devise.

As Javier, an IT trainer at San Telmo Arts College in Málaga, put it: “I really like the ‘eternally’ nature of this. My scholars can construct an actual portfolio that they may be able to in truth stay and use after the path ends.” 

Greater than 5,000 energetic scholars have already used this system. In case you educate, find out about, or care about the way forward for the open information superhighway, discuss with our sales space to peer how WordPress.com is connecting school room paintings to real-world talents and the broader WordPress group. 

At WordCamp US, we’ll have one thing thrilling to announce about what’s coming subsequent for college students and educators.

Come say hi on the WordPress.com sales space

On the WordPress.com sales space, our message is WordPress for the longer term. Our demos of Studio and Agent display what that long term looks as if: new techniques to construct, set up, and paintings with WordPress.

WordPress Studio is our agentic construction device for WordPress builders and companies. We’ll demo a brand-new UI, and also you’ll see how our Studio Code agent can construct, make adjustments, and send to manufacturing, all from a dialog.

WordPress Agent is for individuals who spend extra time operating a web site than coding one. The demos duvet tips as reminiscence, editorial assessment, symbol enhancing, and the use of the Agent thru e mail and Telegram.

Watch the demos, ask questions, and let us know how those gear can beef up. 

Assist form what we construct subsequent

The sales space isn’t a finished-product victory lap. We’re the use of WCUS to be told what sparks your passion, what provides you with pause, and the way we will be able to do higher and construct higher to toughen you neatly into the longer term.

In case you paintings at an company, carry the buyer workflow that wastes your time so we will be able to assist clear up it. In case you post or run a trade, carry the duty you want your web site may just take care of for you. Our sales space personnel will take that comments again to the groups that construct and marketplace the goods.

Have a laugh with one thing decidedly offline

In the end the debate of AI, there’s one thing intentionally analog ready on your attendee bag: The Little WordPress.com Zine.

Inside of are tales from other people development on WordPress.com, a couple of gloriously low-tech actions, and a have a look at WordPress Studio and WordPress Agent.

The tales inside of are all wrapped round a larger concept: the stuff you construct on the net will have to belong to you.

It’s a restricted version made for WordCamp US 2026, integrated on your attendee bag.

Don’t fail to see WordCamp US 2026

WordCamp US 2026 runs on August 16–19 on the Phoenix Conference Middle. 

Common admission is $100, whilst pupil tickets are simply $25. Use sponsor code WordPress.com-friend20 for 20% off basic admission.

Your price tag covers:

• Two convention days with greater than 50 talks and workshops
• Contributor Day
• Show off Day
• Lunch and all-day espresso
• Sponsor Corridor get right of entry to
• Remaining social

From the group at WordPress.com, we will be able to’t wait to peer you there in particular person, both at our sales space or on the many social occasions!