Anniversary Celebrations

The official launch of WordPress is marked as 27 May, 2003, and anniversary parties are a great way to celebrate this long lasting open sourceOpen Source Open Source denotes software for which the original source code is made freely available and may be redistributed and modified. Open Source **must be** delivered via a licensing model, see GPL. project that has impacted our lives in so many unique ways.

Let’s take this opportunity to build a stronger local community by coming together to remember who we are, how we got here, and why we continue to use WordPress!

We’ve made event planning easier for those who are interested in hosting a celebration in their community. Most of the work involves finding a space to gather that’s easily accessible, free (or really, really inexpensive), and safe. Here are some ideas from past anniversary parties:

  • a picnic at a public park
  • a gathering at a family-friendly pub, restaurant, mall food court, library, or community center
  • a potluck at a community member’s home

Following are some additional tips and resources to help you host a fun event that reflects your communities unique style!

Reasons to Organize a Local Celebration 

  1. People in your meetupMeetup Meetup groups are locally-organized groups that get together for face-to-face events on a regular basis (commonly once a month). Learn more about Meetups in our Meetup Organizer Handbook. may be unaware of the longevity of WordPress and this a great way for them to experience it.
  2. A watch party is an excellent opportunity to revitalize your group as you begin planning more in-person events.
  3. Use the official hashtag #WP20 to post pictures introduce your community and celebration style to the WordPress ecosystem.

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Organizing an In-person Celebration

You do not need a fancy venue for your celebration! All you need is a place that is wheelchair accessible and has enough room for your community. This could even be the home or office of a community member.

Try your best to find a free venue, but if you are facing difficulties in finding a venue, try reaching out to sponsors to get a donated space. Consider if you need a space that allow social distancing practices and COVID guidelines.

Bonus points if the venue:

  • allows you to serve refreshments
  • has a separate space for socializing
  • offers guest WiFi
  • convenient parking

Make sure that you post clear directions for the locations in the meetup listing, so that it is easy for attendees to locate the venue. Additionally, you can order some swag for your meetup. If you haven’t done so, you can request swag for your group right away.

Venue Support

While we encourage groups to organize their parties using free venues if at all possible, that’s not always possible. If your group needs to rent a venue for this particular event, you can fill out the meetup venue support request form. You will still need to meet the current guidelines for this event as for other venue rental support requests:

  • meets minimum requirements for safety
  • adequate seating
  • accessible to all attendees
  • under $5 per person

However, you will not submit a bill for multiple months in one invoice as this is a special event.

On The Day

If you’re meeting at a place that is unusual for your group, make sure to post clear directions and maybe even put out some signs to make it easy to find the party.

Share your celebration with the WordPress world by posting photos or videos using the #WP20 hashtag. All #WP20 posts will be aggregated and shared real-time on the WordPress 20th Anniversary website.

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Organizing an Online Celebration

Planning an online celebration can be quite simple. After you’ve decided if you’ll be meeting on Zoom or Google Meet

  • Schedule an online event for your Meetup.com group; use the template we’ve made available if you’d like.
  • Add a Zoom or Google Meet link that is exclusive to your group.
  • Include a link to the swag store and/or free digital assets that attendees can download and print.
  • Meetup attendees can then show up at the designated time and interact with each other over video, audio, and chat. 

There are also a few other ways to host a watch party as well using Chrome Extensions and third party tools, too. 

Pick what’s right for you!

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Tips and Resources for a Successful Celebration

  • Plan the event in advance.
  • Consider:
    • Having an agenda and if possible snacks, maybe a cake.
    • Having someone talk briefly about the history of WordPress.
    • Having attendees share how they got into WordPress and why they stay.
  • Plan some fun activities around the anniversary: How about a pop quiz of WordPress trivia? 
  • Post your pictures on social media using the hashtag: #WP20

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Requesting Swag (in-person events only)

Once you have scheduled your event, fill out this form (before May 5) so that we can ship you some swag to your meetup group for your celebration!

Note: In case of shipping delays, please fill out the request as early as possible.

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Additional Resources

General Featured ImageFeatured image A featured image is the main image used on your blog archive page and is pulled when the post or page is shared on social media. The image can be used to display in widget areas on your site or in a summary list of posts.

lower quality 20th Anniversary graphic
Click to download high quality png version.

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