My First Steps in the WordPress Community: Designing for WordCamp Bharatpur and Butwal
A nostalgic look back at my early days in the WordPress community, organizing and designing for WordCamp Bharatpur 2019 and volunteering at WordCamp Butwal 2020.
The Beginning of a Beautiful Journey
Every tech career has a starting point—a moment where you transition from being a passive user of a technology to an active contributor in its community. For my WordPress career, that defining shift happened between late 2019 and early 2020. Long before managing extensive web application projects and hosting infrastructures, I found my footing in the vibrant, open-source community of Nepal through two consecutive, milestone events: WordCamp Bharatpur 2019 and WordCamp Butwal 2020.
Working heavily in the design teams for both of these events gave me a front-row seat to what makes WordPress so special. It isn't just about code; it is about the people, the collaboration, and the shared vision of building something great together.
WordCamp Bharatpur 2019: The First Leap
November 9, 2019, holds a special place in my memory. WordCamp Bharatpur 2019 was not only the first WordCamp ever held in the city, but it was also the very first WordCamp I attended as an organizer. Taking on a role in the design team was both exhilarating and intimidating. We were responsible for the visual identity of the entire event.
From the "zero level" of initial brainstorming to the official closing remarks, I was deeply involved in curating the event's aesthetics. Our team designed everything needed throughout the event lifecycle. We crafted social media banners that built the initial hype, designed the attendee badges, and ensured the on-site branding at Panaroma Garden was cohesive and welcoming. It was a massive undertaking, but seeing the attendees wearing the badges we designed and interacting with the visual elements we spent hours perfecting was incredibly rewarding.
WordCamp Butwal 2020: Continuing the Momentum
Riding the high of Bharatpur, I couldn't wait to jump back into the community. Just a couple of months later, on January 25, 2020, WordCamp Butwal took place at the Darbar Lawn. This time, with over 250 developers, bloggers, and tech geeks in attendance, I participated as a volunteer, specifically lending my hand to the design team once again.
Stepping into a volunteer role offered a different perspective. It allowed me to apply the fast-paced lessons I had learned in Bharatpur while supporting the core organizers. Whether it was tweaking last-minute graphics or ensuring the visual communication remained sharp, volunteering at Butwal cemented my love for the collaborative nature of WordCamps.
Key Takeaways from the Trenches
Looking back at those consecutive events, the experience was about much more than just pushing pixels. It was a crash course in community management, digital branding, and teamwork.
| Event | My Role | Core Contributions & Skills Gained |
|---|---|---|
| WordCamp Bharatpur 2019 | Organizer (Design Team) | End-to-end visual branding, social media asset creation, foundational project management under tight deadlines. |
| WordCamp Butwal 2020 | Volunteer (Design Support) | Agile design execution, collaborative team support, and expanding my professional network within the Nepali tech ecosystem. |
Looking Forward
These two events were the true catalyst for my WordPress career. They taught me that open-source is powered by the passion of its contributors. It’s humbling to realize that these early behind-the-scenes design roles set the foundation for my future in the community, ultimately giving me the confidence and experience to step out from behind the graphics and onto the stage as a speaker at WordCamp Kathmandu in 2023.
If you are ever on the fence about attending, volunteering, or organizing a WordCamp—take the leap. The skills you learn and the connections you make will stay with you for a lifetime.
